Intel X25-M Gen2 - Raid 0 - What stripe size?

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wuzy

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On computers with 4GB of RAM or more and doesn't run any professional applications that I know will require even more physically RAM I've disabled pagefile completely. e.g. a few of Adobe software suite I use on my workstation. On my server it's disabled.

3x2GB (6GB) is the typical cost effective combo in term of $/GB for a LGA1336 rig. If you need more than that 2x4GB (8GB) is the next step.


Regarding stripe size, 64K is the minimum you'll want to use. Any less is usually counter-productive to modern controllers of today. Different controllers prefer a different stripe size as their most optimal.
If possible, experiment with different sizes then run PCMark Vantage (HDD tests) and Intel IOMeter 4K random read/write to gauge speed difference.
 
Disabling the page file won't cause any problems for the operating system, as long as you have enough physical RAM to fit everything into memory. The only downside from the OS point of view is that it won't be able to save diagnostic information if it crashes - but that's of little use for most home users anyway.

Programs shouldn't depend on the pagefile, but some do. I run Adobe Photoshop V6, for example, and it refuses to start without a pagefile. I think it's trying to find the pagefile so that it can decide where to put it's work files. I've got no problem with the concept, but it's stupid for it to refuse to work altogether. I'm really hoping that CS4 can run without a pagefile, as I'd quite like to eliminate mine.

The thing to do is to disable the pagefile and then try all your applications out to see if there's a problem. If you find something that needs the pagefile, you can create a little runt of a pagefile on whatever disk seems the least busy.

I think 6GB of RAM is a pretty reasonable starting point. I'd try to outfit the system with some room for expansion - for example if you're buying a motherboard with six DIMM sockets, buy a kit of 3 x 2GB DIMM modules rather than 6 x 1GB - that will leave you with some empty slots to expand into if you need to.
 

ottosen

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Yeah, I bought a 3x2GB kit, so there's room for expansion. When you're saying I should put a bit of pagefile on the disk least used, it makes me wonder. I'll be having the SSD disk(s) and then a server sort of disk, with all my large files and pictures etc. on it. I'm not sure which you'd prefer? The big storage disk would be the least busy, but it's just an old 500GB Samsung disk, so it's slow.

I do have a spare raptor disk though..I actually got a whole spare computer, running on a core2duo with a gf 9800gtx+ that I don't know what to do with :D

Can I use the GPU for PhysX in my new computer? :p
 
Well by my plan you'd have enough RAM memory so that the pagefile wouldn't actually be used anyway, so as far as performance goes it doesn't really matter where you put it. The only reason you'd have one at all is if some silly application like Photoshop V6 complains if it's not there. Putting it on the SSD certainly wouldn't hurt, other than to use up space on a drive where space is at a bit of a premium. I wouldn't bother putting in an extra drive just for the pagefile though (again, based on the assumption that it's not going to get used).

Sorry, can't answer your GPU question...
 

wuzy

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I run Adobe Photoshop V6, for example, and it refuses to start without a pagefile. I think it's trying to find the pagefile so that it can decide where to put it's work files. I've got no problem with the concept, but it's stupid for it to refuse to work altogether. I'm really hoping that CS4 can run without a pagefile, as I'd quite like to eliminate mine.
CS4 still requires the presence of a pagefile unfortunately. I regularly work with ~250MB TIFF files and 8GB of RAM seems to hold up well (6GB is about the max. I've seen used).
I almost never hear/feel any pagefile being used anyway so I don't bother disabling it on my other computers except for the server.

Can I use the GPU for PhysX in my new computer?
You can with 9800GTX+, but you'll experience heavy frame rate drop with most PhysX enabled games. See this. PhysX is really just a gimmick feature and not really usable without another dedicated card (a low-end card that's PhysX capable works).
 

ottosen

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Well 9800GTX+ would be my low-end card to run PhysX, while I had my 2x 285GTX handling the main thing.

As far as I can see from that review, that would be an optimal setting really. GTX285-GTX285-9800GTX+, and then just make the GTX+ handle PhysX..I guess you do that in the drivers or so!
 

meta-fm

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I tried 16K and 128K. Results were a bit mixed but no much differences on benchmark. 16k was a bit faster on larger file and 128K faster with 4k files (?!?). I have on Raid0 2x intel SSD gen 2 and 2X Titan skill. on large file intel gave me 509 MB/s and the Titan gave me 339MB/s.