Z68 - SRT cache and boot volume on a single SSD disk - it works!

[aszu]

god so much confusion about this tech

I agree, lack of proper documentation for SRT is very confusing.
It is not clear how exactly it works, what it does and what are the limitations of it.
I was unable to find any Intel technical whitepaper describing this technology - only a very brief configuration guide and leaflet full of marketing blabbing :\

 

[dbrons]

And your thread is interesting me but I'm not sure what benefit srt would give me on a secondary hd. I have a 120gb Vertex2 that I'm moving to my new z68 system.

I had read about srt being for use with a very small ssd on the system drive. I have all my programs installed on my ssd and the secondary drives have mostly videos and music storage.

Not sure if I want to go through the extra steps to set this up.

Dave

 

[Nemesis 1]

Ymm... and your point is sir?

It seems that you are missing purpose of my post.
I did not mentioned how to configure SRT normally (yes, we know that - thank you for pasting Intel instructions), but how to keep OS and cache volume on the same SSD. This is something that Intel RST tool will not allow you to do and you have to perform this configuration from another OS instance first, then install OS on SSD in data portion (RAID 0).

Enabling cache on SSD in RST (whatever configuration you pick) always purges all the data from it.

The nature of Intels SRT software for SSD caching is that the mosy commonly used programs stay in the SSD cache, THe OS is the most used software on your pc . Its not invisable to the SRT software. We turn all our PCs off when not in use now other than I machine . and that machine hasn't been updated. So we boot up daily at least once. But I don't think that matters . The OS is the most used software even tho its the operating system Its not invisiable like Virus sweeps.

 

[dbrons]

THe OS is the most used software on your pc . Its not invisable to the SRT software.

You guys are definitely confusing me now. OP was setting up srt to cache a secondary hd, his OS already on ssd. If you mean the interaction between OS and the programs on the secondary drive OK I guess I see that. I still don't know if srt will help a drive that's just storage.

I think I'm going to skip srt for now until I know more about it. I'm building this rig today
Dave

 

[Nemesis 1]

You guys are definitely confusing me now. OP was setting up srt to cache a secondary hd, his OS already on ssd. If you mean the interaction between OS and the programs on the secondary drive OK I guess I see that. I still don't know if srt will help a drive that's just storage.

I think I'm going to skip srt for now until I know more about it. I'm building this rig today
Dave

I already ans that . If you have 2hdds it has to be configured as a raid 0.

 

[aszu]

And your thread is interesting me but I'm not sure what benefit srt would give me on a secondary hd

If you have got all your programs on SSD already and HDD is used as a storage only (for movies & music), you will not benefit greatly from my configuration.

I have done it mostly because I have got a lot of games and software (500 GB or so) on my HDD, which would not fit on SSD and in this way I can improve its performance, without having to constantly move stuff between HDD/SSD.

If you can fit all of you need and use on a single SSD, I would not bother with this setup.

 

[Nemesis 1]

You mind telling us how your moving stuff around from your from your Hdds to your SSD cache .

 

[aszu]

The nature of Intels SRT software for SSD caching is that the mosy commonly used programs stay in the SSD cache, THe OS is the most used software on your pc . Its not invisable to the SRT software. We turn all our PCs off when not in use now other than I machine . and that machine hasn't been updated. So we boot up daily at least once. But I don't think that matters . The OS is the most used software even tho its the operating system Its not invisiable like Virus sweeps.

Mate, you seem to be either completely missing point of my posts, do not understand how SRT works or just trolling. Your posts lack logic and are difficult to read and understand.

I though I made it clear, but let me repeat:

- One physical SSD disk: running Windows 7 + SRT cache (18.9GB)
- Windows is placed SSD, it got its own dedicated partition, no caching is done for Windows as it runs from SSD 'natively' (very fast)
- STR cache is used to accelerate additional 1TB HDD, which stores a lot of games, programs, etc - this kind of data can benefit greatly from SSD cache (improved loading times, etc)

 

[dbrons]

Thanks
Dave

 

[aszu]

You mind telling us how your moving stuff around from your from your Hdds to your SSD cache .

You can normally move files between the disks and i.e. use NTFS junction points to keep configuration files/registry entries happy.

And I did not say anything about SSD cache there - just a plain partition on SSD.

 

[Nemesis 1]

My point is I want to here how your doing this . Please entertain us. . Well at least now we are talking raid 0. But this other stuff is off the wall . Unless you have changed the SRT(smart cache) Software this is nonsense ,

 

[Nemesis 1]

Just use Enhanced mode (default): and you write to the HDD and SSD cache at the same time. If your using say 128 ssd you assign 64g as cache the remaining SSD 64gs is automaticly put into raid 0. The most often used programs will be in the ssd cache. You can't assign anything to the SSD cache. Most often used programs are automaticly in the cache . So the OS will always be in cache.

 

[Nemesis 1]

Mate, you seem to be either completely missing point of my posts, do not understand how SRT works or just trolling. Your posts lack logic and are difficult to read and understand.

I though I made it clear, but let me repeat:

- One physical SSD disk: running Windows 7 + SRT cache (18.9GB)
- Windows is placed SSD, it got its own dedicated partition, no caching is done for Windows as it runs from SSD 'natively' (very fast)
- STR cache is used to accelerate additional 1TB HDD, which stores a lot of games, programs, etc - this kind of data can benefit greatly from SSD cache (improved loading times, etc)

Excuse me but thats pretty niffty trick your pulling off Since you need an HDD for SRT to function . If you assign 18 g to SSD cache the rest of that ssd has to be Raid0 which occurrs automaticly. I don't care if you partion the OS to be in that remain ssd space . It still has to go back threw the cache. And as the os is the most often used programm it will be in the cache no matter what. Unless you modded the software SRT which I find very unlikely

 

[aszu]

If your using say 128 ssd you assign 64g as cache the remaining SSD 64gs is automaticly put into raid 0

You can't do this if you have already OS running on this SSD, that is the whole point!
Intel RST will not allow you, it will not even show 'accelerate' option.

Creation of cache partition also destroys ALL the data on SSD and you can't assign cache from the Options ROM. The only way is to make temporary Windows installation somewhere outside of SSD, configure SRT as you mentioned and then re-installing OS in this new RAID 0 volume. That's it! Nothing more, nothing less.

 

[Nemesis 1]

Enabling Intel Smart Response Technology
Note: The Intel RST software denotes Intel Smart Response Technology as Accelerate
8. Run the Intel RST software through the All Programs menu or the task bar icon.
9. Click “Enable acceleration‟ either under “Status‟ or “Accelerate

 

[aszu]

Excuse me but thats pretty niffty trick your pulling off Since you need an HDD for SRT to function . If you assign 18 g to SSD cache the rest of that ssd has to be Raid0 which occurrs automaticly. I don't care if you partion the OS to be in that remain ssd space . It still has to go back threw the cache. And as the os is the most often used programm it will be in the cache no matter what. Unless you modded the software SRT which I find very unlikely

No, OS will not use cache at all in this setup. It would not even touch it.

SRT cache volume is statically assigned in RST tool to ONE particular RAID/HDD volume and in my setup I specified 1TB as a device that should be cached. This cache will not be used for anything else - just to speed up my 1TB HDD .

Please read how SRT works fist or even better get Z68 and try yourself.

 

[Nemesis 1]

You can't do this if you have already OS running on this SSD, that is the whole point!
Intel RST will not allow you, it will not even show 'accelerate' option.

Creation of cache partition also destroys ALL the data on SSD and you can't assign cache from the Options ROM. The only way is to make temporary Windows installation somewhere outside of SSD, configure SRT as you mentioned and then re-installing OS in this new RAID 0 volume. That's it! Nothing more, nothing less.

In anands z68 review In the SRT section theres a pretty graph that says plug and play.

I personnaly have never tried plug and play .

 

[Nemesis 1]

No, OS will not use cache at all in this setup. It would not even touch it.

SRT cache volume is statically assigned in RST tool to ONE particular RAID/HDD volume and in my setup I specified 1TB as a device that should be cached. This cache will not be used for anything else - just to speed up my 1TB HDD .

Please read how SRT works fist or even better get Z68 and try yourself.

Sorry fella but I have 2 msi z68 both using SRT and have no problems what so ever,

 

[Nemesis 1]

Is what your saying is your skipping a step in the Intel set up guide.

8. Run the Intel RST software through the All Programs menu or the task bar icon.
9. Click “Enable acceleration‟ either under “Status‟ or “Accelerate

Step 8 so your not using all programs

Step 9 your using Accelerate as I am . or are you using status. I have never used status

 

[aszu]

Is what your saying is your skipping a step in the Intel set up guide.

Please:

1. Get a clean SSD drive (no RAID/cache configured whatsoever)
2. Install Windows on it
3. Try to configure SRT cache on the same SSD

Then you will understand what is my point.

 

[Nemesis 1]

You can't do this if you have already OS running on this SSD, that is the whole point!
Intel RST will not allow you, it will not even show 'accelerate' option.

Creation of cache partition also destroys ALL the data on SSD and you can't assign cache from the Options ROM. The only way is to make temporary Windows installation somewhere outside of SSD, configure SRT as you mentioned and then re-installing OS in this new RAID 0 volume. That's it! Nothing more, nothing less.

OK so what your saying is you bought a Z68 mb. but didn'y set it up with SRT at the loading of the OS.

 

[aszu]

OK so what your saying is you bought a Z68 mb. but didn'y set it up with SRT at the loading of the OS.

No, because this is not possible. Once you install OS on SSD, Intel RST can't touch it and initialize cache volume on this SSD. Simple.

 

[Nemesis 1]

Please:

1. Get a clean SSD drive (no RAID/cache configured whatsoever)
2. Install Windows on it
3. Try to configure SRT cache on the same SSD

Then you will understand what is my point.

Step 2 is not following the setup guide.
Step 3 . I am not trying to configure a 40g SSD as only 18g and I wouldn't do that . Thats on my browser . On my gamer using Intel 510 ssd I assign 64g as cache thats all thats allowed . The remaining gs are automaticly assigned to raid 0 with your hdd. Also your not trying to configure SRT to cache , Your configurring SRT to raid and than assigning cache to ssd.

 

[aszu]

Step 2 is not following the setup guide.
Step 3 . I am not trying to configure a 40g SSD as only 18g and I wouldn't do that . Thats on my browser . On my gamer using Intel 510 ssd I assign 64g as cache thats all thats allowed . The remaining gs are automaticly assigned to raid 0 with your hdd.

Sorry, but I give up at this point. I really think that I explained everything as clearly as possible.

You are either trolling and having fun or smoking a good stuff.

End of conversation from my side.

 

[Nemesis 1]

Sorry you feel that way . I maybe just don't understand your problem AS I am an intel fanbois and I see this sort of post . I try to help out to best of my ability. This isn't some sort of E-penis competition. Your basicly say Intels SRT is broken in some way .

My gamer using the Intel 510 120g sataIII.After assigning 64g to the Cache. the remaining 54g Is automaticly assigned to raid 0 as drive xyz with the HDD