Does SSD Caching requires RAID setting? If so is it worth it?

b.cummins · 4 Aug 2014 at 13:19

Afternoon,

So having heard some good things about Intel SRT and SSD Caching, I thought i'd be able to make good use of my SSD drive in a new build.

I now have in my configuration:

a 250GB SSD (Main OS/Boot Drive)
a 1TB HDD (Files and Games)
a 60GB SSD Drive (unpurposed as of yet)

I set up a new build on windows 8 and set the sata controller to AHCI not thinking much about it, thinking I would be able to configure the 60GB SSD as a caching drive for the big HDD, I believe now doing some reading this can only be achieved if the SATA controller is set to RAID.

Now I will be reformatting the machine anyway, just curious as to whether it would be worth going down this route as I am not sure if any performance/features are lost not being in AHCI mode?

b.cummins · 4 Aug 2014 at 13:57

Those are some very convincing results there! Thanks and nice to hear from a couple of folks out there getting some very tangible improvements.

Just one question you did this with a Boot HDD will I still see performance gains with a secondary HDD as I boot from my SSD?

b.cummins · 4 Aug 2014 at 14:36

Ah, well in that case it isn't possible for me to do it then really is it?!

b.cummins · 4 Aug 2014 at 14:52

Ah I see what you mean now, thanks for clarifying! might as well keep the controller AHCI then?

b.cummins · 4 Aug 2014 at 16:29

I couldn't agree more, bit bummed out about it, as I assumed it would work fine!

b.cummins · 4 Aug 2014 at 16:32

Thinking about it a little bit, just to play devil's advocate:

What if I changed over configuration having:

Boot/OS/Storage: 1TB HDD + 60GB SSD as Cache
Games: 250GB SSD

As opposed to my current configuration:
OS: 250GB SSD
Games and Storage: 1TB HDD
No real purpose: 60GB SSD

Does this sound madly detrimental or a good idea?

b.cummins · 4 Aug 2014 at 18:14

HaloUK said:
I wouldn't. I would keep the 250gb as your system drive and use the 60gb & 1tb for your gaming/storage drive. The size of games these days your 250 will be full in no time flat. Believe it or not, I am starting to run low on my 3tb drive! There are only games installed on it.

Very true, although I tend to keep myself to a fixed number of games installed at any given time, which has worked out quite well so far. If you take the average game to be 15GB that probably translates as about 10 games comfortably fitting at any given time, which is more than what I would be juggling at any one time.

In the windows 8 environment, the boot time so far has been phenomenal, I don't mind a little slack on it, just wondering how much I would detriment it going doing the SSD caching route?

b.cummins · 5 Aug 2014 at 15:09

Just to give a general update in case people come across this and get the wrong idea of SSD caching:

I've done a lot of reading and the consensus now is that in more recent iterations of SRT, you can indeed cache any HDD even if it is not attributed to the OS. I will be attempting this later this week so will update once I know for sure it definitely works in case anyone is considering this route and is put off by previous assumptions made in this thread!

b.cummins · 7 Aug 2014 at 09:17

In the unlikely event anyone was after clarity on this - you can indeed cache any drive, whether it be the OS drive or a secondary HDD. I am not sure if this is universal either, but you can change the acceleration mode at any time too (i.e. enhanced or maximized) within windows.

I can say I am very pleased with the results, there is certainly a tangible difference in installing (maximized only) and loading games.

b.cummins · 8 Aug 2014 at 09:04

Baldrick1001 said:
Not sure I understand the benefit of caching a non system disk. I though the point is that the most often used files get cached to the ssd - if that's the case you may as we'll just use the ssd on its own and install your most used programmes/games to that in the first instance - removes any caching overhead - the rest of your programmes can stay on the hdd. Now for a system disc I really do see the benefit, where you can cache a large hdd to a small and cheap ssd and get near ssd performance on OS and the progs most used (at least those that sit within the upto 60g cache limit).

It completely comes down to gaming with clients like origins, uplay and steam (with the former 2 quite frankly being forced on me!) for me.

I am caching a 1TB HDD with a 60GB SSD. Now if you think, by the time I install steam and download 2/3 games, that SSD is done if you consider the average game these days can be around 15GB. I then have to do all sorts of messing around to either install the remaining games on the HDD (quite hard in steam) or only ever have a couple of games installed which just won't sit with my gaming ADD. So it makes perfect sense to me, and I really do notice the reduction in load and install times!