Primocache vs. Fancycache / RamdriveCache

[Pete]

Hi,
I downloaded Fancycache, I can select my Ramdrive as 2Level cache and everything works fine.
Well, but the trial periode ends somedays and it seems there is no price + purchase link on yours website for fancycache.


OK, so I downloaded the "newer" primocache - but honestly, I dont get the point:
1.) I am missing something or do you really have to format now a whole SSD just to get a 2Level cache ?
2.) where and how to select a Ramdrive as 2Level Cache ?
(my OS is XP32bit with a 8GB Ramdrive)

thx. Peter

[Support]

There's lot of performance waste if you using ramdrive as level-2 cache. Why not just use memory as level-1 cache?

FancyCache development is stopped and it is replaced by PrimoCache. If you still want to use FancyCache, a license of PrimoCache desktop edition also applies to FancyCache.

[Pete]

XP can still adress 4GB and thats not much. So using some off this (4GB) memory for additional caching is just a bad idea, because doing so means still less (free) memory for programms in return. The PC itself has installed 12GB RAM, so the other (unused/not OS managed) 8GB are used as Ramdrive.
Since a Ramdrive is just memory, so certainly there is no performance lost.
I need the Ramdrive for Browsercache, Swap, Photoshop and H.264 cuttings, de/muxing.

I know there is a switch "using IM/invisible memory" for XP or any other 32bit OS Users in yours primocache software - but this IM switch still crashes XP if you are using a Ramdisk.
So, I am at last a little bit surprised if you have to buy first primocache just for getting acess to fancycache.
I am not sure if fancycache is at last worth 29Euro if it is still an outdated Beta that will never get any updates.

Is there a way to buy the Fancycache Beta for a more fair fee - without - buying primocache?
[I really can´t need primocache if it didnt work together with any Ramdrive]

thx. Peter

[Support]

In FancyCache, there's indeed some performance lost with ramdrive as level-2 cache compared with ram as level-1 cache. Quite a lot of additional operations introduced for reading/writing the cache file in a ramdrive and then for completing the original IO requests, while directly accessing RAm is simple and quick.

Regarding Invisible Memory, both PrimoCache and Primo Ramdisk can use it. And both of them implements the Unified Invisible Memory Management Interface (UIMMI), so they can use Invisible Memory feature at the same time without any conflicts.

[Pete]

I cant see how it works the same way:
With fancycache I can "on-the-fly" create + delete the cache file ----> without (!) changing my Ramdrive size (!)

I have not tried Primocache + Primodisk, but I am pretty sure this combination will not work "on-the-fly" - because there is no option in primocache to select a Ramdrive.
So for example you configure the Invisible memory: 6GB Ramdrive + 2GB Primocache
Ok, now you want to cut H.264 stuff and back to a 8GB Ramdrive = in such case you have reconfigure Primocache + to resize the Ramdrive.
Certainly if you resize the Ramdrive = all data in the Ramdrive will be lost (*)
(* you need to back up yours data first to HDD and doing so still costs unnecessary time)

With Fancycache you dont have such Ramdrive hassle with resizing + any unecessary back up steps,
- because, you simply dont need to alter/resize the Ramdrive if you want to create -or- delete the (fancy)cache.

So yes, Fancycache is way more flexible - even if it may be some percent slower.

[Support]

Yes, that's true. But using a cache file for level-2 caching introduces many unstable problems and bad performance. After much deliberation, we decided to use a dedicated partition instead of a cache file for level-2 caching in PrimoCache.

[Pete]

It is sad to hear if yours software didnt work stable with a cache file.
It also sad if there is no way to get a single fancycache license (without first buying primocache)
So, I guess I will go with Eboostr instead (works with cache files and makes a system a lot snappier, too). The only downside is that it can still prior exe-files/applications for caching and not more. (it didnt speed up any copy/file transfer rates)
So, I finally replaced Windows explorer with Fastcopy and playing a little bit around with the Fastcopy buffer setting, seems to give a fair copy speed increase in return.
At last, this may be not the fastest solution, but seems to be pretty stable + safe for datas.

[InquiringMind]

It works perfectly OK with a cache file, it's just that there is *no point whatsoever* in placing that cache file on a ramdisk - the L1 cache (which can use "invisible memory" above the 3.25GB limit for 32-bit Windows systems) uses RAM so just stick with that. L2 is more for using an SSD to speed up an HDD.

Having L2 on a ramdisk would mean cached data being stored 3 times in memory (once in Windows' file cache, once in Primo L1 and once on ramdisk as L2) so would be a waste of memory and CPU time.

If you are seeing a crash when enabling Invisible Memory support in PrimoCache, then either the motherboard chipset is not supported or there is a conflict with the ramdisk software. If you are using something other than Primo Ramdisk, then try replacing it - I use PrimoCache and Primo Ramdisk together with Invisible Memory (8GB for the ramdisk, 7GB for the cache on an 18GB system) without any problem, so they can play together but other ramdisk software using IM (only Gavotte Ramdisk and SuperSpeed Ramdisk Plus come to mind as alternatives here) may be more of a problem

[Pete]

XP can still manage 4GB, so whatever so (cache) files you put in a Ramdrive (above 4GB) it didnt really waste OS used memory.
Obvisously, there may be some delay, but imo negitable: CPU+RAM is always faster than any HDD/SSD.

I use PrimoCache and Primo Ramdisk together with Invisible Memory

Well, like the Romex support confirmed:
You cant change "on-the-fly" the IM Primocache size without loosing yours Ramdrive data.
This combination still works if you are not in need to minimize a cache size.
If you are in need (depending on yours work) --> this combination still costs unneccessary back up time.

And there are a few things more to consider:
1.) --> Win XP system restore (points) will no longer work if there is a Ramdrive.
2.) --> Same for Suspend-to-disk mode (STD hybernate).
The Primodisk FAQ didnt mention that their software is able to work together with Win XP System points + Suspend-to-disk mode.
So, if you switch from Gavotte to any other Ramdrive = obvisiously, it will still cost money without that it gives any (lost) Win features like system restore or STD back in return. (imo there is no Ramdrive software availible with a SR/STD workaround)

only Gavotte Ramdisk and SuperSpeed Ramdisk Plus come to mind

There is also the AMD Ramdrive [Dataram], Softperfect Ramdisc and few others out there.

[InquiringMind]

You cant change "on-the-fly" the IM Primocache size without loosing yours Ramdrive data....

I can and have - but only with L1 caching (I'm caching an SSD-RAID array so there's no point in using L2).

And there are a few things more to consider:
1.) --> Win XP system restore (points) will no longer work if there is a Ramdrive.
2.) --> Same for Suspend-to-disk mode (STD hybernate).

I don't use System Restore so I can't confirm or deny that - but I would suggest there are better alternatives (regular image backups using Drive Snapshot or similar, having ERUNT run on system startup to take Registry backups and using a snapshot-based install manager to monitor software installs) that can cover situations like disk failure or data loss which System Restore can't.

The Primodisk FAQ didnt mention that their software is able to work together with Win XP System points + Suspend-to-disk mode.

Their UIMMI page has more details on this - hibernation support is an extra option which has to be enabled. I've not tested with suspend-to-disk but suspend-to-RAM certainly works with both Primo Ramdisk and Primo Cache.

So, if you switch from Gavotte to any other Ramdrive = obvisiously, it will still cost money without that it gives any (lost) Win features like system restore or STD back in return. (imo there is no Ramdrive software availible with a SR/STD workaround)

Primo Ramdisk has a 60-day trial so you can try before you buy. Ultimately, you'll need to test for yourself because features like Invisible Memory support are chipset dependent - what works on my system may not on yours.

There is also the AMD Ramdrive [Dataram], Softperfect Ramdisc and few others out there.

Forgot about DataRAM but I was never able to get it to work on my system (it would tell me a ramdisk had been set up, but would BSOD as soon as any data was written to it). SoftPerfect has no ability to use invisible memory at all (they state their maximum ramdisk size on 32-bit systems is 3.5GB only). QSoft (if you can find a copy) can't use invisible memory either.

And no alternative provides the range of features available on Primo Ramdisk (like hybrid Ramdisks for cases where ramdisk usage could exceed available memory, or the wide option of image file formats and backup options).