Do I really need disk cache?

[Prodigy^]

ok I tried using this program called Cacheman to set my diskcache to

[vcache]
MinFileCache=20480
MaxFileCache=20480
ChunkSize=4096

this doesn't really speed things up.....all this crap seems to do is make my harddrive being accessed more!

what do you have these values at? i have always had them at 0 to avoid this loading-crap....

thanks

 

[billcat]

Harddrives have their own cache, I'd use that and skip the software cache. The trouble with harddrives is unless they are totally defraged the cache is hampered big time and has to constantly be flushed and reloaded and that slows things down. Plus data isn't always read from sector to sector so more flushing and more use and more time lost. The size has a double edge sword to it. You may get the data you want but if you don't the more time it takes reloading as the size goes up, it sounds like this is what is going on with your setup. If you use it I'd start low and work your way up till you get it balanced to the type of programs you use. Larger sized cache's tend to work better with very large file types like audio/video and not games or general windows work. Games tend to jump around getting different data types, data and sound which arn't in the same area grabed by the cache more times than not and wouldn't be loaded into the cache so every time it had to do one or the other it would have to look/hit or miss/flush and reload if missed which is most likely to happen. I think the sofware cache is pretty much a waste of time and you may end up doing more harm to the harddrive over time using it.
Even larger hardware cache sizes on harddrives themselfs don't equal more speed. It's been tested a few times at different harddrive related websites and in some cases is slower and is more dependant on the type of programs run.

 

[Ulysses]

You didn't say anything about what your system comprises, but for Win 98:

See:
http://www.speedguide.net/Windows/win_perform.htm

The following settings (in system.ini under [vcache] ) are typically recommended and are a good starting point :

MinFileCache=X
MaxFileCache=X
ChunkSize=512

Where X {which is in KiloBytes} = (.25) x ( MB of RAM ) x ( 1,024 )

That is:
The cache size should be around 25 % of your RAM. In the file system.ini, where the cache size is specified, the cache size is expressed in Kilobytes, and there are 1,024 Kilobytes in a MB.



P.S.
You can edit system.ini as follows:
Start > Run > sysedit > system.ini > [vcache] ... Close ... Reboot


P.S.
I think this is fixed correctly now. Sorry for any confusion, but it was past my bedtime. In any event 25% worked wonders for me.

 

[Prodigy^]

so I should set X = 256? hmmmmm

 

[Ulysses]

If you have 256 MB of RAM then X should equal 65,536.

65536 = 256 x .25 x 1,024

 

[Prodigy^]

X = (.25) x ( MB of RAM ) x ( 1,024/MB of RAM ) = .25 x 320 x 1024/320 = .25 x 320 x 3.2 = 256

did you make a mistake or did I miss something?

 

[Prodigy^]

oooh ok......that equation doesn't match the first one, but i get it now

 

[Ulysses]

Sorry - by my notation " / " I meant "per." I'll change that.

That is:

The cache size should be around 25 % of your RAM. In the file system.ini (which is what you are modifying) the cache size is expressed in Kilobytes, and there are 1,024 kilobytes in a MB.

The answer is still 65,536 !!!

 

[Prodigy^]

hehe ok

thanks i've set it to 81920 we'll see how it works ......yikes....82 Mb memory for my stupid harddrive? oh well

 

[Ulysses]

That seems pretty big. Note the comments by billcat. 25% helped me and it was very obvious.

 

[Wizkid]

Since where are there 1024 bytes in a megabyte?

There are 1048576 bytes in a megabyte, 100% for sure! So either those values should be KB or your numbers are way off (by 1024x).

 

[Prodigy^]

oh don't be so anal Wizkid

 

[Wizkid]

lol

 

[Bozo Galora]

Your system.ini file should read:

[vcache]
MinFileCache=89120
MaxFileCache=89120
Chunksize=512
NameCache=2048
DirectoryCache=48

Note case differences, no spaces
(89120 is a bit excessive, due to your large amt of RAM, try that then go down in 16,384 steps)

 

[Hyper99]

Mine just say
[VCACHE]

so is this good?
I have only 32meg of ram.

 

[Mday]

well, it does not matter... you have 32MB and that in itself is not good AT ALL.

Windows will dynamically determine your disk cache then.

 

[lowtech1]

 

[Bozo Galora]

VCACHE and Virtual Memory (page file) are not the same thing

Edit: typo

 

[Ulysses]

Note that I have fixed my original reply with the formula. I was just giving generic advice.