How can I use my SSD as a ReadyBoost cache disk?

Question

I'd like to use SSD as ReadyBoost cache disk. However, ReadyBoost can work with pluggable USB drives only (AFAIK). Is there any way to avoid this limitation?

score 9 · Answer 1 · edited Jan 02 '17 at 20:53

9

Use the SSD as system drive. Not only will virtual memory be much faster (than anything ReadyBoost has to offer via the USB 2.0 bottleneck), but also the overall system performance.

P.S.: ReadyBoost is a relic from the days when RAM was still a precious commodity. Today, memory is dirt cheap; I wouldn't bother with ReadyBoost.

edited Jan 02 '17 at 20:53

Peter Mortensen

12,326

answered Jan 09 '10 at 16:09

score 8 · Accepted Answer · answered Aug 13 '10 at 14:35

On Windows 7 you CAN use an internal SSD drive for ReadyBoost.

Example scenario where it makes "some" sense: You have an existing Windows 7 desktop that could use a performance boost, but you don't have time to reinstall/migrate the boot drive to an SSD.

Install a cheap SSD, and configure it for ReadyBoost (just right click on the drive the same as you would a USB Flash drive). NOTE: ReadyBoost will only use 4GB of the drive.
Move your virtual memory paging file from the boot drive to the SSD.
Move any data files you are working with actively to the SSD (such as source code if you are developer).

Total time invested: About 10 minutes Performance improvement: Noticeable/useful but not magic

score 5 · Answer 3 · edited Sep 26 '11 at 13:36

5

I managed to set up a full 120 GB SSD disk to use ReadyBoost by creating four partitions and enabling ReadyBoost on them all. ReadyBoost for Windows 7 allows only max 32 GB per partition but one disk can still be partitioned more times. Total maximum will be 256 GB with 8 partitions (32 GB each).

edited Sep 26 '11 at 13:36

sblair

12,757

answered Sep 26 '11 at 13:05

thejhh

171

score -1 · Answer 4 · edited Sep 26 '11 at 13:38

ReadyBoost essentially allows you to treat non-hard drive storage devices as memory.

If you want to do this on a regular internal hard drive, you should just allocate swap file space on that drive.

To do this:

Go to system properties (Winkey+Pause, or right click My Computer->Properties)
Advanced
Under "Performance" frame click Settings
Advanced
Change

You should see this dialogue:

Windows 7 Swap file settings

Here you can add a custom or system managed size page file for the drive letter of your SSD.

How can I use my SSD as a ReadyBoost cache disk?

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