using space from SSD/RAM as cache

[shamsul_arefin]

I am using Gigabyte H270 Gaming 3 motherboard.
I am using intel 540s 120GB SSD, Seagate 1TB hdd, 8GB GSkill 2400MHz. I have installed windows 10 in my SSD.
now
1. Can I use some space from my SSD as SSD cache (using intel rapid storage technology) ?
2. Does doing step 1 needs to format both SSD and HDD ? Tutorials are seeming intricate, Please clear me.
3.Does doing step 1 needs to uninstall existing windows ?
4.How much performance gains are expected ? ,Ex: My current HDD is offering 50-90MBp/s copy speed, will it improve ? What are the prime benefits of this SSD cache
5. I have seen some videos in youtube displaying as they are caching from RAM and getting excellent performance, how is that ? is it possible ? again, how much gain is expected from this RAM caching ?

 

[USAFRet]

Your SSD is only 120GB.
That means an actual ~80GB of usable space.

Carving some of that off for a cache for the HDD obviously reduces it farther. Possibly to the point of being unusable.

Performance gain in write operation to the HDD is zero. Only read speed might be improved. And then only on often used files (blocks, actually)
What is on the HDD?

Same with RAM cache. You'd be reducing that 8GB to 6 or 4, in an effort to speed up reads from the HDD.
But reducing overall performance with the reduced RAM.

I tried a RAM disk for a while for Lightroom functions. Saw zero actual performance difference over having that LR cache on the SSD as normal.
So I just turned it off.

Same with RAPID mode with Samsung SSD's. Uses part of your RAM as a cache for the SSD.
Impressive benchmarks, zero user facing benefit.

I wouldn't bother if I were you.

(edited only for typos)

 

[JohnnyLucky]

I am inclined to agree with USAFRet.

Both Virtual Ramdisks and The Intel Rapid Story Technology are old solutions to an old problem. They were originally designed to improve hard disk drive performance. Neither method is designed to improve ssd performance.

I know you are asking about improving hard disk drive performance. Normally the operating system, assorted utilities, software applications, and a few favorite games are installed on an ssd that is also the primary boot drive. If the OS, utilities, and applications are already installed on an ssd, then there is no need for an independent cache. Modern ssd's are quite fast.

Why do you want a cache to improve a secondary hard drive? What programs or files are installed on the hard disk? What do you do with data installed on your hard drive? If we knew the answer we might be able to come up with a practical solution.

 

[JohnnyLucky]

Update - I found what I was looking for. When Intel developed the caching technology they also performed a series of tests with different ssd capacities up to 512GB. Intel determined their rapid storage technology worked best when limited to 60GB or less. For ssd's over 60GB, it made more sense to just install the OS, utilities, and applications to the ssd.

 

[shamsul_arefin]

I am inclined to agree with USAFRet.

Both Virtual Ramdisks and The Intel Rapid Story Technology are old solutions to an old problem. They were originally designed to improve hard disk drive performance. Neither method is designed to improve ssd performance.

I know you are asking about improving hard disk drive performance. Normally the operating system, assorted utilities, software applications, and a few favorite games are installed on an ssd that is also the primary boot drive. If the OS, utilities, and applications are already installed on an ssd, then there is no need for an independent cache. Modern ssd's are quite fast.

Why do you want a cache to improve a secondary hard drive? What programs or files are installed on the hard disk? What do you do with data installed on your hard drive? If we knew the answer we might be able to come up with a practical solution.

Update - I found what I was looking for. When Intel developed the caching technology they also performed a series of tests with different ssd capacities up to 512GB. Intel determined their rapid storage technology worked best when limited to 60GB or less. For ssd's over 60GB, it made more sense to just install the OS, utilities, and applications to the ssd.

I already did that, But I was wondering if I can increase read write speeds on the hard drive using cache( I have no idea and thus thought caching can improve r/w performance)