importance of cache?

[Shuzzy]

hello there. im not too knowledgeable when it comes to hard drives. i was just wondering what kind of performance difference there is between a 7200 with 8mb cache opposed to one with 2mb cache? i mean from qualility manufacturers. thanks.

edit: also, is there a way to tell how much cache mine has without actually opening my system? the reason i ask is because mine is a hitachi 80gb 7200rpm oem drive, but im not sure about the cache size.

 

[Vio1]

i remember reading that 8mb cache did make a noticable difference in hdd speed. As to finding out what your hitachi is... go to control panel, systems, device manager, Disk drives... find the name of the drive and do a search online.

 

[Know Nuttin]

it's not a huge difference but noticeable. I'd say maybe 5% or so, depending on what you do with the drive.

Download Everest Home Edition, and it can tell you how much cache your drive has.