• Please review our updated Terms and Rules here

Please recommend a disk cache that uses EMS/expanded memory

A

alank2

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 3, 2016
Messages
2,264
Location
USA
Please recommend a disk cache that uses EMS/expanded memory.
 
I think most disk caches for DOS supported EMS. I know Smartdrv (included with DOS or Windows), PC-Kwik, Lightning, Norton Cache, and probably others did. Smartdrv sufficed for my needs.
 
SMARTDRV.EXE in 6.22 does not support EMS.

I tried to load smartdrv.sys from 4.01 because I saw a page say it did support EMS, but it wouldn't load (incorrect dos version). I then tried to load setver in config.sys using device=setver.exe and I added a setver entry for smartdrv.sys at 4.01, but it still complained about the same error.

I tried Norton Utilities 8 ncache2, but it corrupted my entire drive C: last night and I had to reformat.

Just looking for an 8088 compatible disk cache that supports EMS on 6.22.
 
alank2 said:
SMARTDRV.EXE in 6.22 does not support EMS.

I tried to load smartdrv.sys from 4.01 because I saw a page say it did support EMS, but it wouldn't load (incorrect dos version). I then tried to load setver in config.sys using device=setver.exe and I added a setver entry for smartdrv.sys at 4.01, but it still complained about the same error.

I tried Norton Utilities 8 ncache2, but it corrupted my entire drive C: last night and I had to reformat.

Just looking for an 8088 compatible disk cache that supports EMS on 6.22.
Click to expand...

PC-Cache does exactly that
 
It does - I tried it and it does cache. It is a situation of diminishing returns because the overhead of pc-cache at 4.77 MHz is not faster than not having it loaded!
 
alank2 said:
It does - I tried it and it does cache. It is a situation of diminishing returns because the overhead of pc-cache at 4.77 MHz is not faster than not having it loaded!
Click to expand...

Using EMS caching on a DOM is going to be a losing proposition with any cache software on a stock PC/XT. PC-Cache made my 5150 fly when using an ST-255.
 
I kind of doubt a disk cache will add much speed to an XTIDE that's configured with a flash drive, honestly. For laughs I once tried setting up an EMS RAM disk on my Tandy 1000 HX (yes, I have 1MB of EMS in a 1000HX) and benchmarked it against my homemade XT-CF-lite (8-bit IDE) equipped with a PATA-to-SD-card adapter and the speed difference is negligible. You're probably wasting more time sorting through a cache than you are just grabbing straight from flash, at least for reads. A write-back cache *might* buy you something because low-end flash devices can have kind of unpredictable latency, but write-back caches are also dangerous.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top