[SOLVED] Using USB flash drive as primary boot drive

[vishalaestro]

I'm using a 1TB, i3 th gen CPU , since the laptop is so slow with the existing hard drive and there is no extra slot for adding an additional SSD, i'm thinking whether i can use this https://www.amazon.in/SanDisk-Ultra-Flash-Drive-64GB/dp/B07CJTTW7D?tag=googinhydr18418-21 as primary boot drive. if so how will be the reliability and performance when compared to HDD especially on random reads because i can see my HDD reaching 100% at 2MB/S due to frequent random file access

 

[USAFRet]

I'm using a 1TB, i3 th gen CPU , since the laptop is so slow with the existing hard drive and there is no extra slot for adding an additional SSD, i'm thinking whether i can use this https://www.amazon.in/SanDisk-Ultra-Flash-Drive-64GB/dp/B07CJTTW7D?tag=googinhydr18418-21 as primary boot drive. if so how will be the reliability and performance when compared to HDD especially on random reads because i can see my HDD reaching 100% at 2MB/S due to frequent random file access

Even if you can make it work (unlikely), it will be slow.
Why not replace the HDD with an internal SSD?

 

[R_1]

the only thing to boot off that drive should be a LIVE OS. a Live OS loads into the RAM to minimize the read/write strain on the USB drive.

an OS like windows would quickly trash the drive as it is not made for repeated, continuous random reads and writes. the speeds at which it does the reads and writes are far below what anyone would call usable.

does the laptop have a blu-ray or dvd drive? if so you could replace the optical drive bay with an ssd in a holder.
https://www.amazon.in/NISUN-Optical-Caddy-Universal-12-7mm/dp/B079ZM9L52/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1545422009&sr=1-4&keywords=2nd+hard+drive+bay
using something like this. example only, not an endorsement. buyer beware.
get the right height bay for the laptop.

if you cannot go with that an external SSD may also work.
https://www.amazon.in/Samsung-500GB-Portable-Solid-State/dp/B074WZJ4MF/ref=sr_1_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1545422092&sr=1-1&keywords=external+ssd
example only, not an endorsement, shop around

 

[cherry blossoms]

No TRIM support
Not guaranteed to get the same drive letter assignments.
Partitioning issues.
Controller not designed for that kind of random access
Drive sticking out the side all the time that could be damaged / snap off.
Speed and responsiveness issues.
Possible heat issues from constant random access, depending on what you have the drive doing.

Umm..not really recommended except as a stopgap.

 

[racksmith101]

Replace your HDD with an SSD and buy an external enclosure for your old HDD.

 

[vishalaestro]

the only thing to boot off that drive should be a LIVE OS. a Live OS loads into the RAM to minimize the read/write strain on the USB drive.

an OS like windows would quickly trash the drive as it is not made for repeated, continuous random reads and writes. the speeds at which it does the reads and writes are far below what anyone would call usable.

does the laptop have a blu-ray or dvd drive? if so you could replace the optical drive bay with an ssd in a holder.
https://www.amazon.in/NISUN-Optical-Caddy-Universal-12-7mm/dp/B079ZM9L52/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1545422009&sr=1-4&keywords=2nd+hard+drive+bay
using something like this. example only, not an endorsement. buyer beware.
get the right height bay for the laptop.

if you cannot go with that an external SSD may also work.
https://www.amazon.in/Samsung-500GB-Portable-Solid-State/dp/B074WZJ4MF/ref=sr_1_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1545422092&sr=1-1&keywords=external+ssd
example only, not an endorsement, shop around

i saw some usb drives made of SSD, but since they are taller i'm looking for a ssd based usb drive like this one https://www.sandisk.in/home/usb-flash/extremepro-usb but at smaller size

 

[USAFRet]

i saw some usb drives made of SSD, but since they are taller i'm looking for a ssd based usb drive like this one https://www.sandisk.in/home/usb-flash/extremepro-usb but at smaller size

That will not work.

 

[vishalaestro]

i saw some usb drives made of SSD, but since they are taller i'm looking for a ssd based usb drive like this one https://www.sandisk.in/home/usb-flash/extremepro-usb but at smaller size

That will not work.

Or can i use USB drive as a cache so that i can reduce the workload of HDD, mostly the windows core files

 

[USAFRet]

i saw some usb drives made of SSD, but since they are taller i'm looking for a ssd based usb drive like this one https://www.sandisk.in/home/usb-flash/extremepro-usb but at smaller size

That will not work.

Or can i use USB drive as a cache so that i can reduce the workload of HDD, mostly the windows core files

Why not just replace the HDD with a real SSD?

 

[vishalaestro]

i saw some usb drives made of SSD, but since they are taller i'm looking for a ssd based usb drive like this one https://www.sandisk.in/home/usb-flash/extremepro-usb but at smaller size

That will not work.

Or can i use USB drive as a cache so that i can reduce the workload of HDD, mostly the windows core files

Why not just replace the HDD with a real SSD?

Again as i said the HDD is pretty new and i already have a external HDD

 

[USAFRet]

Again as i said the HDD is pretty new and i already have a external HDD

Well...your idea of using a USB flash drive as the OS drive is not going to work.
If it were a good idea, we'd all be doing it.

 

[vishalaestro]

Again as i said the HDD is pretty new and i already have a external HDD

Well...your idea of using a USB flash drive as the OS drive is not going to work.
If it were a good idea, we'd all be doing it.

actually i was asking whether using USB as a cache drive like ready boost is a good idea

 

[USAFRet]

actually i was asking whether using USB as a cache drive like ready boost is a good idea

From your original:
"i'm thinking whether i can use this https://www.amazon.in/SanDisk-Ultra-Flash-Drive-64GB/dp... as primary boot drive."

or
"Or can i use USB drive as a cache so that i can reduce the workload of HDD, mostly the windows core files "


You can't split off "mostly the core files". Doesn't work like that.

A USB stick as a 'cache'? What, specifically would you direct at the USB stick? The Windows pagefile? Bad idea.