FEATURED Warning about SSD caching (SRT) on new Z68

I've been told by an ASUS rep that the new SSD cauching (also called SRT -- Smart Response Technology) only works with the OS on a HHD and does its caching on a spare SSD. It could be common knowledge but if so, I missed it (my bad).

That means that for many of us today using a small SSD for the OS can't use SRT (SSD caching). You'll need to down grade your system and put the OS on a HDD to use SRT. Since many of the reviews of Z68 boards use gaming that is stored on a HDD to show how great SRT is, I find the situation a little unclear (dishonest?). As with many situations, the devil is in the details.

I assume this is common to all Z68 boards but I don't know. If you're considering a new Z68 board and SRT is of interest to you, make sure of what is true (I could be wrong) before you buy and how that might relate to hardware you might reuse.

Anyone having the combo of an OS on a SSD and using SSD caching please let us know.

I'm just wondering, but isn't the goal of SRT to "Give SSD-like performance to HDD setups"? If someone already has a SDD for their OS, then... well... don't they already have "SSD-like performance"?

Guess it depends on what you're caching doesn't it? Does it relate more to improve performance of the OS or apps or both?

I clearly made a bad assumption that I could use it for apps and not worry about the OS. One point is that the strategy of using a small SSD for the OS, as used by many of us, must get changed if you want to use SRT.

Looks like nothing more than a motherboard version of ReadyBoost.

RJARRRPCGP said:

Looks like nothing more than a motherboard version of ReadyBoost.

Click to expand...

Wouldn't swear to it but think I've heard it referred to as a refined ReadyBoost.

EDIT: Marketing may have selected the word "refined."

Even if this is true, There are more features of interest on the Z68 series chipset.

For Instance, Overclocking your cpu while having intergrated video enabled, making the integrated video dedicated physx, and move on.

The downside is In doing so, your overclocking performance is NOT as good as p67, due to the increased heat that i presume is present due to the gpu being enabled as well.

In my eyes, this isn't a problem, because at MOST, I'm only going to bring her up to 4.3 GHZ.I like having my processor for more than a year .

As for the SSD caching, what it is trying to get across is mahing a SSD/HDD hybrid system that is all the rage, and make it closer to the full on SSD systems.

It will basically do the work for you(place commonly used files on the SSD.)

The part about the GPU is speculation, so don't hold me to it, but SSD caching is correct, from the way i understand it, that is.

Using RST you use an ssd (smaller than 64g) and raid the the ssd and large platter.This gives you a fairly fast platter drive in combination with the ssd. If you use a, lets say 120g ssd, it's a waste of money and performance. Better off just loading os/apps to the ssd.

It's just a way to give ssd "like" performance to a larger platter disk using a cheaper, smaller ssd. So you can load everything to your large storage drive and not worry about how much data your loading to the smaller ssd drive.

Hmm. Interesting. I never caught that it was like that...Why would I get an SSD, just to cache my HDD? Shouldnt I just get an SSD?

Well, that's what I have now but I'm going to try the RST in an i5-2500k build I'm doing now. The whole theory is to use an 89.00 ssd drive and a 2 TB 7200 drive to get ssd type speed with mass storage. And not worry about what is loaded on the ssd for space. When set up, it just looks like a 2 TB drive to the OS because it raided.

*Removed my own post due to a more clear restatement below.*

Here is some a video of it running vs just a HHD

Starts at 8:17

EarthDog said:

Hmm. Interesting. I never caught that it was like that...Why would I get an SSD, just to cache my HDD? Shouldnt I just get an SSD?

Click to expand...

SRT= SSD+HDD Raid. In a sense. It will allow SSD performance to a large storage drive(1tb and the such). I'd imagine the effect would be amplified if you had two ssd's in raid(2 60's or 80's would be most cost effective.) Which translated to faster HDD storage.

Question now is: depending on the way it works, it MIGHT kill your ssd faster than you might think.

10,000 write per cell, or 100,000 per cell. If it moves data from HDD to SSD and back, that cell is going to reach the end of its life pretty quickly. Don't panic, it won't just suddenly die 100% like a HDD, but it will gradually get smaller and smaller as the data is moved. the last bit of data recorded on the cell will still be able to be read, just not written to.

Although, its the small SSD's that will die faster.

That is assuming it takes files and swashes it across the two drives based on use.

This information is my own speculation. If it proves to be incorrect, then I apologize.

SRT is for Hybrid systems only, HDD only systems will NOT benefit from this technology, I cannot say the same for SSD only systems, as I don't quite understand the technology 100%, but HDD only, it will have no benefit. RAID is still king for HDD only systems in terms of performance boosts.

I get what it is. My problem with the technology, and the subject of this thread, is that you have to install your OS on the HDD in order for it work. So if I can afford a small SSD, why dont I just put the entire damn OS on there?

I dont think this technology will kill the drive any faster either...at least not enough to worry about. That makes no sense.

This is untrue. I run my OS on a SSD and a mechanical for storage/games backed by an ISRT cache. It works fine.

Why? I can't afford 500GB+ of pure SSD storage. My MWLL installations alone are over 60GB including Crysis Wars, and the Steam folder is over 250GB. Running an SSD cache lets me have better performance in the stuff I use more often, and I don't need to **** around moving programs back and forth to a small SSD.

Sooooo this entire thread is false?

EarthDog said:

Sooooo this entire thread is false?

Click to expand...

Basically

Wait a darn minute. You can't not run SRT with an OS on an SSD. SRT only works with an HDD or HDD RAID array having the OS and an SSD for caching. That is what the tread is about!

You can use RST to do several things, that is a different subject.

Can you post a link that specifically states that limitation? It seems that we have a proof of concept that it works even with an OS on the SSD caching a HDD with no OS.....

@ ratbuddy - What motherboard do you have? Asus? Maybe its an Asus only limitation?

System is in my sig, and I'll get on that rig in a bit and run some tests to confirm.

edit: It's definitely caching the non-boot drive.

Some pics.. I thought the 4k QD32 test would best show off how it will make the system feel snappier. Didn't have the patience to run the full set of tests over and over