New Win10 laptop w PCIe SSD + HDD, where should the Cache Drive be?


  1. Posts : 11
    Win10
       #1

    New Win10 laptop w PCIe SSD + HDD, where should the Cache Drive be?


    Hi,
    I just bought a new laptop with 256GB NVMe PCIe SSD + 1TB HDD and 16 GB of DDR 4 RAM.
    It's running Win 10 Home 64Bit.

    I am wondering where should have the cache drive or virtual memory?
    and how big should it be?

    If it have it on SSD it will be faster but - it will be written continuously which may shorten its life as unlike HDD SSD has limited write cycles.

    This is my first time with both SSD and Win10 and I am sorry if the question is stupid.
    Thanks in advance for your help.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 15,480
    Windows10
       #2

    Keep pagefile on ssd - modern ssds will not crap out for many years on write cycles.

    Besides with 16GB and new memory comprssion algorithms you should rarely need to pagefile anyway.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 19,518
    W11+W11 Developer Insider + Linux
       #3

    You can just lower PF size to 1GB, it's enough even for 8GB of RAM. Don't worry about too much writing on SSD they can take it even better than HDDs. It's not true that new SSD have smaller write cycles, that thinking has been dragging around from first ones. Theoretical limit is there but it's such that in normal use it will not come into play for many years.
      My Computers


  4. Posts : 11
    Win10
    Thread Starter
       #4

    Thank you Cereberus and CountMike for the replies.

    Till now I always made two separate cache drives - 1 for windows and one for other Programs that lets you select cache drive/scratch disk. It kept my system fast as cache files didn't mess up C drive - leading to less fragmentation.

    So from now I don't need to keep a separate cache drive somewhere other than system drive (C)?

    Thanks again.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 18,432
    Windows 11 Pro
       #5

    I agree with Cereberus and CountMike. There is no need to put cache files on any drive other than the SSD. Also, SSDs don't have fragmentation problems because there is no read/write head to be moving around.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 19,518
    W11+W11 Developer Insider + Linux
       #6

    takias said:
    Thank you Cereberus and CountMike for the replies.

    Till now I always made two separate cache drives - 1 for windows and one for other Programs that lets you select cache drive/scratch disk. It kept my system fast as cache files didn't mess up C drive - leading to less fragmentation.

    So from now I don't need to keep a separate cache drive somewhere other than system drive (C)?

    Thanks again.
    No need with SSD. The reason we used to put PF and virtual memory on another disk is to be able to read and write on C: and it would not have to do it simultaneously on the same disk and that used to speed things up a bit.
    SSDs can read and right thru 4 channels at least and HDDs on one only.
      My Computers


  7. Posts : 9,788
    Mac OS Catalina
       #7

    Hybrid drives combine the best of two into one unit. It uses the NVRAM for storing data while waiting for either the CPU or Hard Drive to catch up with the cached data.

    Do not change how Windows has it set up. The manufacturer should have a utility installed that handles the Hybrid.
      My Computer


 

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