Vista - ReadyBoost Performance Improvement?

After being prompted on several occasions to donate my USB devices to
improving my system performance, I decided to try it out yesterday.

The machine I tried it on has 2GB memory (approx 50% in use during tests)
and I used a 1GB Simpletech USB device.
In theory I expected improvements in sleep, sleep to hibernate, hibernate,
and resume, with unobservable hits (either way) to performance while
running,

I was a little surprised to find that sleep and resume performance was
degraded (presumably the resume because it recreates the cache on the device
after each boot (why?).

Has anyone else noticed any measurable improvements? What are the
circumstances that cause the improvement?

There are rumors that ReadyBoost really only helps if you have less than 1GB
of RAM.

But, the details may be better defined here:
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/...2017818,00.asp


"cvp" wrote:

> After being prompted on several occasions to donate my USB devices to
> improving my system performance, I decided to try it out yesterday.
>
> The machine I tried it on has 2GB memory (approx 50% in use during tests)
> and I used a 1GB Simpletech USB device.
> In theory I expected improvements in sleep, sleep to hibernate, hibernate,
> and resume, with unobservable hits (either way) to performance while
> running,
>
> I was a little surprised to find that sleep and resume performance was
> degraded (presumably the resume because it recreates the cache on the device
> after each boot (why?).
>
> Has anyone else noticed any measurable improvements? What are the
> circumstances that cause the improvement?
>
>

Drop down to about 512MB of ram, then you'll get your improvement. According
to a Tomshardware test, which doesn't cover every possible scenario, but
gives a good indicator. 1GB and higher doesn't see much (if any) gain with
ready boost

http://www.tgdaily.com/2007/02/08/an...a_ready_boost/

Maybe someone else has some tangible benchmark that can be run showing a 2GB
system getting a performance gain out of readyboost, but it appears to be
limited to under powered systems


"cvp" <goawayspammers@nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:Oro%23wkKbHHA.260@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> After being prompted on several occasions to donate my USB devices to
> improving my system performance, I decided to try it out yesterday.
>
> The machine I tried it on has 2GB memory (approx 50% in use during tests)
> and I used a 1GB Simpletech USB device.
> In theory I expected improvements in sleep, sleep to hibernate, hibernate,
> and resume, with unobservable hits (either way) to performance while
> running,
>
> I was a little surprised to find that sleep and resume performance was
> degraded (presumably the resume because it recreates the cache on the
> device after each boot (why?).
>
> Has anyone else noticed any measurable improvements? What are the
> circumstances that cause the improvement?

ReadyBoost moves your pagefile (a file that mimics RAM) from the hard drive
to the flash drive, giving it faster access. So, if you have 2 GB of RAM and
only use 50%, you're not going to hit the pagefile much. If you drop to 1 GB
and are using 95-100% of your RAM, your pagefile will be busy, and you will
notice a difference in speed.

I don't notice much, if any, improvement on a 2 GB system, but I do on a 512
(which was unbearable, so it got upgraded to 1.5 GB!) and a 1 GB.



--
Dustin Harper
dharper@vistarip.com
http://www.vistarip.com

--
"cvp" <goawayspammers@nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:Oro%23wkKbHHA.260@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> After being prompted on several occasions to donate my USB devices to
> improving my system performance, I decided to try it out yesterday.
>
> The machine I tried it on has 2GB memory (approx 50% in use during tests)
> and I used a 1GB Simpletech USB device.
> In theory I expected improvements in sleep, sleep to hibernate, hibernate,
> and resume, with unobservable hits (either way) to performance while
> running,
>
> I was a little surprised to find that sleep and resume performance was
> degraded (presumably the resume because it recreates the cache on the
> device after each boot (why?).
>
> Has anyone else noticed any measurable improvements? What are the
> circumstances that cause the improvement?

I think the key here is that pagefile usage on a system with 2GB is going to
be rare anyway. As long has you have unused physical RAM, Vista has very
little use for the pagefile. Since Readyboost is only designed to speed up
pagefile access, it makes sense to me that you won't see any improvement in
overall system performance unless you were using the pagefile to some extent
to begin with.

"cvp" <goawayspammers@nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:Oro%23wkKbHHA.260@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> After being prompted on several occasions to donate my USB devices to
> improving my system performance, I decided to try it out yesterday.
>
> The machine I tried it on has 2GB memory (approx 50% in use during tests)
> and I used a 1GB Simpletech USB device.
> In theory I expected improvements in sleep, sleep to hibernate, hibernate,
> and resume, with unobservable hits (either way) to performance while
> running,
>

I think this is because it can't be sure that the flash device didn't get
removed and information changed while Vista was away.

> I was a little surprised to find that sleep and resume performance was
> degraded (presumably the resume because it recreates the cache on the
> device after each boot (why?).
>

I purchased a cheap USB stick to hold a donated a 512mb 60x SD card early in
my Vista Usage. If it weren't for appearing in the list of drives, I would
have probably long ago forgotten it's there. Since my total investment is
about $25, I guess I don't really care if it's helping or not.

> Has anyone else noticed any measurable improvements? What are the
> circumstances that cause the improvement?

hi

"cvp" <goawayspammers@nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:Oro%23wkKbHHA.260@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> After being prompted on several occasions to donate my USB devices to
> improving my system performance, I decided to try it out yesterday.
>
> The machine I tried it on has 2GB memory (approx 50% in use during tests)
> and I used a 1GB Simpletech USB device.
> In theory I expected improvements in sleep, sleep to hibernate, hibernate,
> and resume, with unobservable hits (either way) to performance while
> running,
>
> I was a little surprised to find that sleep and resume performance was
> degraded (presumably the resume because it recreates the cache on the
> device after each boot (why?).
>
> Has anyone else noticed any measurable improvements? What are the
> circumstances that cause the improvement?

My 'windows experience index' went from 4.8 to 5.0 after
I put my Disgo 1gig stick in. I took it out again and the syetem went
back to 4.8. So I leave it in now.

>

thanatos to vista

long live xp :-)


"Thanatos" <cave@lethe.com> wrote in message
news:%23n2eceLbHHA.4716@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> hi
>
> "cvp" <goawayspammers@nowhere.com> wrote in message
> news:Oro%23wkKbHHA.260@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>> After being prompted on several occasions to donate my USB devices to
>> improving my system performance, I decided to try it out yesterday.
>>
>> The machine I tried it on has 2GB memory (approx 50% in use during tests)
>> and I used a 1GB Simpletech USB device.
>> In theory I expected improvements in sleep, sleep to hibernate,
>> hibernate, and resume, with unobservable hits (either way) to performance
>> while running,
>>
>> I was a little surprised to find that sleep and resume performance was
>> degraded (presumably the resume because it recreates the cache on the
>> device after each boot (why?).
>>
>> Has anyone else noticed any measurable improvements? What are the
>> circumstances that cause the improvement?
>
> My 'windows experience index' went from 4.8 to 5.0 after
> I put my Disgo 1gig stick in. I took it out again and the syetem went
> back to 4.8. So I leave it in now.
>
>>
>

That article wasn't really helpful. After theory, just says which devices
worked.

"mhonzell" <mhonzell@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:FD63900A-6AC6-4C8B-A088-0DF0C7C14CE5@microsoft.com...
> There are rumors that ReadyBoost really only helps if you have less than
> 1GB
> of RAM.
>
> But, the details may be better defined here:
> http://www.extremetech.com/article2/...2017818,00.asp
>
>
> "cvp" wrote:
>
>> After being prompted on several occasions to donate my USB devices to
>> improving my system performance, I decided to try it out yesterday.
>>
>> The machine I tried it on has 2GB memory (approx 50% in use during tests)
>> and I used a 1GB Simpletech USB device.
>> In theory I expected improvements in sleep, sleep to hibernate,
>> hibernate,
>> and resume, with unobservable hits (either way) to performance while
>> running,
>>
>> I was a little surprised to find that sleep and resume performance was
>> degraded (presumably the resume because it recreates the cache on the
>> device
>> after each boot (why?).
>>
>> Has anyone else noticed any measurable improvements? What are the
>> circumstances that cause the improvement?
>>
>>

Interesting concept, Dale. Well, it might be interesting if I could get the
same performance out of 512MB with a flash device, as I do with 2GB.
Unfortunately, I don't have any systems with memory sticks less than 1GB, so
I can't even test it if I wanted to. I guess the conclusion is that with 2GB
I shouldn't expect an improvement. Well, OK, but I didn't expect it to
degrade performance. I guess I'll just give the whole idea a miss!


"Dale White" <dale.white@NOinsightbb.NOcom> wrote in message
news:OVDFGuKbHHA.4012@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> Drop down to about 512MB of ram, then you'll get your improvement.
> According to a Tomshardware test, which doesn't cover every possible
> scenario, but gives a good indicator. 1GB and higher doesn't see much (if
> any) gain with ready boost
>
> http://www.tgdaily.com/2007/02/08/an...a_ready_boost/
>
> Maybe someone else has some tangible benchmark that can be run showing a
> 2GB system getting a performance gain out of readyboost, but it appears to
> be limited to under powered systems
>
>
> "cvp" <goawayspammers@nowhere.com> wrote in message
> news:Oro%23wkKbHHA.260@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>> After being prompted on several occasions to donate my USB devices to
>> improving my system performance, I decided to try it out yesterday.
>>
>> The machine I tried it on has 2GB memory (approx 50% in use during tests)
>> and I used a 1GB Simpletech USB device.
>> In theory I expected improvements in sleep, sleep to hibernate,
>> hibernate, and resume, with unobservable hits (either way) to performance
>> while running,
>>
>> I was a little surprised to find that sleep and resume performance was
>> degraded (presumably the resume because it recreates the cache on the
>> device after each boot (why?).
>>
>> Has anyone else noticed any measurable improvements? What are the
>> circumstances that cause the improvement?
>
>

Dustin,

So if I retest with a workload with a working set over 2GB, I might see a
difference. Hmmm...
Well, I might try again, but I think I'd need a larger flash drive to match
the pagefile size.
As I replied to someone else, it was disappointing to see degradation and no
improvement. I think I'd rather spend any cash I had for that larger flash
drive on more memory.

"Dustin Harper" <dharper@vistarip.com> wrote in message
news:4FEDA44C-FBA7-44F2-AC87-067ACFC2419B@microsoft.com...
> ReadyBoost moves your pagefile (a file that mimics RAM) from the hard
> drive to the flash drive, giving it faster access. So, if you have 2 GB of
> RAM and only use 50%, you're not going to hit the pagefile much. If you
> drop to 1 GB and are using 95-100% of your RAM, your pagefile will be
> busy, and you will notice a difference in speed.
>
> I don't notice much, if any, improvement on a 2 GB system, but I do on a
> 512 (which was unbearable, so it got upgraded to 1.5 GB!) and a 1 GB.
>
>
>
> --
> Dustin Harper
> dharper@vistarip.com
> http://www.vistarip.com
>
> --
> "cvp" <goawayspammers@nowhere.com> wrote in message
> news:Oro%23wkKbHHA.260@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>> After being prompted on several occasions to donate my USB devices to
>> improving my system performance, I decided to try it out yesterday.
>>
>> The machine I tried it on has 2GB memory (approx 50% in use during tests)
>> and I used a 1GB Simpletech USB device.
>> In theory I expected improvements in sleep, sleep to hibernate,
>> hibernate, and resume, with unobservable hits (either way) to performance
>> while running,
>>
>> I was a little surprised to find that sleep and resume performance was
>> degraded (presumably the resume because it recreates the cache on the
>> device after each boot (why?).
>>
>> Has anyone else noticed any measurable improvements? What are the
>> circumstances that cause the improvement?
>