Samsung 4 GB SSD Eliminates Hard Drive Delays in Windows Vista

[malware]

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., leader in advanced semiconductor technology, today announced that a 4GB solid state disk (SSD), now being readied for production, will also serve as a high speed NAND flash cache for notebooks and PCs in conjunction with the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system. The device - compatible with Windows ReadyBoost, a new Windows Vista feature that uses flash memory to improve system responsiveness - enables users to avoid the hundreds of annoying multi-second delays they experience every day when moving within and between frequently used applications.


"By caching Hard Drive data using Samsung's flash SSD and the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system, a typical user will see performance gains that will make working with their PC lightning fast," said Don Barnetson, Director, Flash Marketing, Samsung Semiconductor, Inc.

The Windows ReadyBoost feature of the Windows Vista operating system will intelligently populate the SSD with the data a user needs before they ask for it. It readies a user's favorite applications and data in the background, accelerating everyday actions such as starting applications and switching users. When a user requests that data, rather than being limited to servicing 100-200 requests per second (as with a traditional HDD), Samsung's SSD can service up to 5000 request per second, virtually eliminating data seek delays. The 4GB SSD can work in tandem with a hybrid hard drive, coming into play as a secondary source of cached data.

Samsung's new performance booster can be located virtually anywhere on the motherboard and is connected through the ATA port. The flash cache compliments DRAM and because Windows Vista automatically compresses all data stored in a ReadyBoost device, the 4 gigabyte drive would, in practice, act as up to 8 gigabytes of user data.

The new device will also be used in separate applications unrelated to Windows Vista such as for special industrial needs.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[cmberry20]

oh goody.... my Windows now boots 2 seconds quicker & i only have to pay €250 for the privilege.

Until these drives get bigger (20Gb+) & a LOT cheaper (at least 1/2 price) then this idea wont really take off. I like the idea though, & Windows ReadyBoost has potential. But most people wont pay the money (me included).

 

[NamesDontMatter]

oh goody.... my Windows now boots 2 seconds quicker & i only have to pay €250 for the privilege.

Did you even read the article? It does more then boost boot speed. People can get windows to boot in a few seconds with RAM and Flash drives. Were talking about loading times greatly reduced. Ask AlexStaar about the many ways a device like this can help. You will be suprised.

 

[error_f0rce]

Did you even read the article? It does more then boost boot speed. People can get windows to boot in a few seconds with RAM and Flash drives. Were talking about loading times greatly reduced. Ask AlexStaar about the many ways a device like this can help. You will be suprised.

I wonder how much this would play into games. If you could get a program to load this drive with levels, etc, your gameplay experience could be virtually edgless. Imagine no loading time

 

[NamesDontMatter]

I wonder how much this would play into games. If you could get a program to load this drive with levels, etc, your gameplay experience could be virtually edgless. Imagine no loading time

Yep they've done test with like that Gigabyte GC-RAMDISK, with games like BF2, theyve had some really nice load times. I think they got windows to boot in like 6 seconds or something like that. Pretty cool stuff. also the drive shown above is a laptop drive, so what about a regular hd? could probably fit 6-8GB in a 3.5 version.

 

[cmberry20]

I know its can be used for most stuff to increase performance. The trouble i think is cost vs performance. This device doesnt give you instant load times, it only improves current loading times by a certain factor.
I tried out a laptop equipped with a 16Gb solid state NAND flash drive & while all applications load very quickly they still took a certain time.
Dont get me wrong, I'm very excited about the possablity to use solid state drives to improved speeds but not pay a tonne of cash for the privilege

 

[NamesDontMatter]

I know its can be used for most stuff to increase performance. The trouble i think is cost vs performance. This device doesnt give you instant load times, it only improves current loading times by a certain factor.
I tried out a laptop equipped with a 16Gb solid state NAND flash drive & while all applications load very quickly they still took a certain time.
Dont get me wrong, I'm very excited about the possablity to use solid state drives to improved speeds but not pay a tonne of cash for the privilege

yeah I agree, hopefully the price will drop. Ideally, it would be nice to have 20 GB of the stuff for 100-200 bucks. Enough to run an OS, and in windows case the page file. I myself am not a raptor fan because I don't see a gigantic leap in performance for the price. But with something like this I could see myself paying 100-200, but no more.

 

[error_f0rce]

yeah I agree, hopefully the price will drop. Ideally, it would be nice to have 20 GB of the stuff for 100-200 bucks. Enough to run an OS, and in windows case the page file. I myself am not a raptor fan because I don't see a gigantic leap in performance for the price. But with something like this I could see myself paying 100-200, but no more.

Well said Berry, I feel the same way: Excited about the technology, but waiting for the prices to drop and the capacity to increase.