Anyone using a RAM drive to speed up downloads?

bigbazza · Oct 21, 2006

Not sure if this is really a hardware or software forum question, but is anyone using a RAM (virtual) drive to speed up downloads?
I assume downloading to RAM would be much faster than writing to a hard drive.

With 2 gigs of RAM, (and 1½ gigs free, approximately), I can spare 20-30 megs to download stuff faster, I hope.

Any thoughts on this, and any recommendations for creating a RAM (virtual drive)?

I realise that all is lost when you turn off your PC, but that is a small price to pay for much faster downloads, if you stuff up.

Hell, it might even speed up broadband, further, as well. Bazza

bigbazza · Oct 21, 2006

Should have searched MG first but here is what I found just now.

Just downloaded AR Soft RAM Disk 1.20

http://www.majorgeeks.com/AR_Soft_RAM_Disk_d1356.html

The AR RAM Disk is a freeware driver for Windows NT or Windows 2000. You can use this driver to create a additional drive in your memory. This drive can be used for storing temporary files, this can increase your system speed.

Only 82 kb's in size. Will load it and try it tomorrow.

I assume it will work in XP, although it only states NT and 2000.

Bazza
Click to expand...

Click to expand...

augiedoggie · Oct 21, 2006

I doubt anything you do will speed up downloads as your ISP determines that. I believe you're still on dialup waiting for DSL. You have a great laptop IIRC, just let it do it's work. Out of a 56KB you can expect at most 48KB, and that would be an optimum download. I have never found any of those types of programs to help me.

bigbazza · Oct 21, 2006

Don't try this with XP.
It replaces some newer files with older versions and MS asks for the OS CD to load the newer versions.

Try it on XP at your own risk, but make sure you create a fresh Restore point before you start, if you must try it. I did. And have just restored it back to my latest Restore point.

Will do more research for an XP version of a Ram disk. Bazza

Toni_1947 · Oct 21, 2006

Don't try this with XP.
It replaces some newer files with older versions and MS asks for the OS CD to load the newer versions.

Try it on XP at your own risk, but make sure you create a fresh Restore point before you start, if you must try it. I did. And have just restored it back to my latest Restore point.

Will do more research for an XP version of a Ram disk. Bazza
Click to expand...

Lets hope no-one tried it BEFORE you posted the outcome!

bigbazza · Oct 21, 2006

Respectfully, I don't agree. Writing to hard drives must be slower than writing to RAM.
I get really good speeds out of my ISP on dialup (52,000bps), but still think I can improve on the overall time taken to download a file.

You may be quite correct, but I'll give it a try and report back. Bazza

===

augiedoggie said:

I doubt anything you do will speed up downloads as your ISP determines that. I believe you're still on dialup waiting for DSL. You have a great laptop IIRC, just let it do it's work. Out of a 56KB you can expect at most 48KB, and that would be an optimum download. I have never found any of those types of programs to help me.
Click to expand...

augiedoggie · Oct 21, 2006

bigbazza said:

Respectfully, I don't agree. Writing to hard drives must be slower than writing to RAM.
I get really good speeds out of my ISP on dialup (52,000bps), but still think I can improve on the overall time taken to download a file.

You may be quite correct, but I'll give it a try and report back. Bazza

===
Click to expand...

Hey, if it works over a few days, then I'll give it a try, thanks. Oh BTW, I have a AMD 64 Venice 3000+ with 1 GB of RAM, just for comparisons sake and a 6.1 Mbps line and MG download speed of 610KBps. I can't squeeze more out of it.

LOL, the best I ever got from MS is 490KB/s and I think MG servers can supply more than than 610 but I'll never know with this ISP. Good luck!

bigbazza · Oct 21, 2006

Can't wait for the new exchange here in Cairns, using ADSL2+ (?) coming soon in November, so then RAM drives may be irrelevant for me.
But I'll keep looking for a RAM drive creator for those of us still on dialup. Bazza

===

augiedoggie said:

Hey, if it works over a few days, then I'll give it a try, thanks. Oh BTW, I have a AMD 64 Venice 3000+ with 1 GB of RAM, just for comparisons sake and a 6.1 Mbps line and MG download speed of 610KBps. I can't squeeze more out of it.

LOL, the best I ever got from MS is 490KB/s and I think MG servers can supply more than than 610 but I'll never know with this ISP. Good luck!
Click to expand...

bigbazza · Oct 21, 2006

Continuing.

From Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAM_drive

RAM disk

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(Redirected from RAM drive)
Jump to: navigation, search
A RAM-Disk, Ramdisk or Ramdrive is a virtual solid state disk that uses a segment of active computer memory, RAM, as secondary storage, a role typically filled by hard drives. Access times are greatly improved, because RAM is approximately a hundred times faster than hard drives. However, the volatility of RAM means that data will be lost if power is lost, e.g. when the computer is turned off. RAM disks can be used to store temporary data or hold uncompressed programs for short periods.
RAM disks were popular as boot media in the 1980s, when hard drives were expensive, floppy drives were slow, and a few systems, such as the Amiga series and the Apple IIgs, supported booting from a RAM disk. At the cost of some main memory, the system could be soft-rebooted and be back in the operating system in mere seconds instead of minutes. Some systems had battery-backed RAM disks so their contents could persist when the system is shut down.
A proper disk cache in the operating system will usually obviate the performance motivation for a RAM disk; a disk cache fulfills a similar role (fast access to data that is notionally stored on a disk) without the various penalties (data loss in the event of power loss, static partitioning, etc.). RAM disks are, however, indispensable in situations in which a physical disk is not available, or where access to, or changing a physical disk is not desirable (such as in the case of Live CDs). They can also be used in a kiosk-style device where any changes made to a system are not committed and the original configuration is to be loaded each time the computer is turned on.
The advent of SATA has meant that RAM disks can be interfaced as a normal hard drive, although with extremely high transfer speeds.
Another way to use RAM to store files is the temporary filesystem. The difference between temporary filesystem and a RAM disk is that the RAM disk (/dev/ram0 etc.) is fixed-sized and acts like a disk partition, whereas the temporary filesystem (/dev/shm; in Source Mage GNU/Linux also /tmp) grows and shrinks to fit the files put on it.
Ramdisks have the advantage of being much faster than hard drives and only require special software (and of course the computer's RAM). Their disadvantage is that they are limited to main memory and data is lost on loss of power unless other measures (such as battery backup) are used.

And so the search continues.
BTW I've got a SATA drive, as a bonus (?), as well. Bazza
Click to expand...

Click to expand...

bigbazza · Oct 21, 2006

Latest one I'm about to try.
http://www.speedguide.net/files/ramdisk/ramdisk_inst.zip

Initial link is as follows
http://www.speedguide.net/read_articles.php?id=131

Read the article, too big to post here. Bazza

bigbazza · Oct 22, 2006

In my post #2, I warned that it was only mentioned as suitable for NT and 2000.
The usual caveats apply to any new program, and you are correct, I should have tried it first in XP Pro. (or at least emphasised a disclaimer).

It probably would have worked if I had loaded my XP CD, as MS recommended, but I wasn't willing to gamble on it. Bazza

===

Toni_1947 said:

Lets hope no-one tried it BEFORE you posted the outcome!

Click to expand...

bigbazza · Oct 22, 2006

My opinion is still out on this. program works well.

It created a RAM drive (B:/) on my PC. (Users choice, and variable).
Size can be adjusted on the fly (mine is 31 megs at present).

The RAM drive remains through Explorer, even when the power is off. not like in the "olde" DOS days.

It's just the contents that disappear when power is turned off, so watch out or your downloads will disappear.

Back to the main point of speeding up downloads. I've got to try it on bigger downloads like 4-6 megs (I'm on dialup, remember) so will be checking MG frontpage, daily, for downloads to try.
I am certainly seeing bigger numbers on download speeds but the overall transfer rate will prove or disprove my theory.
So far it is only marginally faster and maybe not worth the effort.
Time will tell, and I may have to eat humble pie.
Bazza

PS: It would prove great for other uses, though,as the documentation suggests. Baz
===

bigbazza said:

Latest one I'm about to try.
http://www.speedguide.net/files/ramdisk/ramdisk_inst.zip

Initial link is as follows
http://www.speedguide.net/read_articles.php?id=131

Read the article, too big to post here. Bazza
Click to expand...

bigbazza · Oct 24, 2006

Gotta apologise to you, augiedoggie. You are correct.

The very slight benefit is not worth the hassle of remembering / forgetting, to transfer your downloads from the RAM drive before turning off your PC.

You could use a RAM disk for other purposes but it does not speed up downloads using dialup, to any degree. Oh well, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Bazza

===

augiedoggie said:

I doubt anything you do will speed up downloads as your ISP determines that. I believe you're still on dialup waiting for DSL. You have a great laptop IIRC, just let it do it's work. Out of a 56KB you can expect at most 48KB, and that would be an optimum download. I have never found any of those types of programs to help me.
Click to expand...

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Anyone using a RAM drive to speed up downloads?

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Anyone using a RAM drive to speed up downloads?

bigbazza R.I.P. 14/12/2011 - Good Onya Geek

bigbazza R.I.P. 14/12/2011 - Good Onya Geek

augiedoggie The Canadian Loon - LocoAugie (R.I.P. 2012)

bigbazza R.I.P. 14/12/2011 - Good Onya Geek

Toni_1947 Command Sergeant Major

bigbazza R.I.P. 14/12/2011 - Good Onya Geek

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bigbazza R.I.P. 14/12/2011 - Good Onya Geek

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