Keep tabs on ReadyBoost with Microsoft Windows 7's Performance Monitor

Microsoft News: A quick review In a nutshell, ReadyBoost allows Windows 7’s SuperFetch cache management technology to use flash-based devices to maintain a copy of the disk cache. Once ReadyBoost is enabled, it essentially keeps tabs on hard disk operations and will only go into action reading and delivering files from its copy of the cache when doing so will boost performance.

For example, during sequential read operations, ReadyBoost will sit back and allow SuperFetch to use the cache on the hard disk since the hard disk can outperform a flash-based drives for these types of read operations. During nonsequential read operations, ReadyBoost will jump in and essentially redirect SuperFetch to use the cache on the flash-based drive since a flash-based drive can outperform a hard disk for these types of read operations.

Furthermore, fast hard disks pushing 7200-RPM or higher will in many cases be able to perform some, but not all, nonsequential read operations faster than a flash-based drive. As such, ReadyBoost won’t provide as significant of a performance gain as it would if your hard disk is running 5400-RPM or lower, such as those typically found in laptops. However, even if you have a fast hard disk, there are situations where ReadyBoost can make a big performance contribution. So don’t write off ReadyBoost just yet

ReadyBoost does NOT equal RAMAnd one more thing that I should point out; ReadyBoost does NOT equal RAM. I’ve heard plenty of people comment “Oh, I have 8GB of RAM in my system, I don’t need ReadyBoost. That’s only for systems with 1GB of RAM.” The truth of the matter is that ReadyBoost is about improving hard disk performance, not enhancing or adding RAM to the system.

So, again, even if you have 8GB or more of RAM, there are situations where ReadyBoost can make a big performance contribution. So don’t write it off.

Once you understand how ReadyBoost works and have it configured on your system, you’re obviously going to be looking for the promised performance gain. Unfortunately, ReadyBoost isn’t like adding rocket to your system fuel and it’s not going to dramatically speed up every task that you regularly perform.