Dream Machine ( Build your own PC ) Message Board

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Pastimes : Dream Machine ( Build your own PC )

Public Reply Prvt Reply Mark as Last Read File

Previous 10 Next 10 Previous Next

To: tony who wrote (14450)	1/3/2004 10:52:12 PM
From: Jon Tara	Read Replies (1) of 14778

IMO, there are very few situations these days where a RAM drive is useful. Today's software doesn't make much use of temporary files - in most cases, software just uses RAM (where in the past it might have used temporary files), based on the assumption that it is virtual and essentially limitless. As far as reading and writing files - under the hood, Windows just maps files into memory and lets it's efficient virtual-memory system handle the actual file I/O. What happens is that the file just becomes another chunk of virtual memory. More and more programs now just use memory-mapped files directly, eliminating layers of redundant system software. (The notion of reading and writing files is obsolete. The OS provides a convenient layer to provide "file read" and "file write" as a legagy service. But these functions are emulated using memory-mapping.) I think that you are better off just adding lots of RAM and letting Windows do it's thing. It does a good job of balancing program RAM with file caching. Essentially any RAM not needed for program execution is available for file caching.

Report TOU Violation

Share This Post

Public Reply Prvt Reply Mark as Last Read File

Previous 10 Next 10 Previous Next