Really fast solid state media

[DR]

A while ago I saw a PCI card which you could put memory on and use as a solid state disk in a machine - I can't find the URL


and I mean *VERY* FAST

[Platinum]

So install 1 or 2GB of fast DDR and use as a windows boot disk? Or just temp storage?

[Bindibadgi]

Firedrive or something. I know what you're talking about though - it had 4-8 slots to stick DDR/SDRAM in it and a 9v backup power supply that you plugged in the back of the PCI card so it kept the data in it (a powercut will cause it to be lost though).

I remember the review, but cant remember the name sorry. It was as fast as normal ram acess (well, through a PCI bus at least), but you couldnt boot off it (as was then) which was a bit unfortunate.

[THCi]

Windows boot in 0.05 seconds, Linux 1.4 seconds... tasty if it could be done!

[Jonny M]

How fast do those USB2 pendrives run at?

[Bindibadgi]

slower then harddisks cause solid state media is slow. Bout 4 meg per second if my mp3 player is anything to go by.

[Agent]

Originally posted by Bindibadgi
slower then harddisks cause solid state media is slow. Bout 4 meg per second if my mp3 player is anything to go by.

Solid state media is MUCH faster, its the transfer speeds for you which are the slow part.

Caged :
USB 2.0 has a raw data rate of 480Mbps.
USB 1 has a raw data rate of 12Mbps

[Jonny M]

Was just wondering if there was a decently sized USB2 memory pen drive, as they can be booted off now.

*puts on thinking cap

[Agent]

You can get 1 gig pendrives now, probably bigger

[Jonny M]

Hmm. Anyone want to try this

[Ant]

Just seen a 2gb pen drive, dunno what make tho.

[Bindibadgi]

Originally posted by Agent
Solid state media is MUCH faster, its the transfer speeds for you which are the slow part.

Caged :
USB 2.0 has a raw data rate of 480Mbps.
USB 1 has a raw data rate of 12Mbps

?? Im confused then. Why is it when i write to the solid state media in my mp3 player i get only 4meg per second and when i write to a memory stick i get 1 meg per second???

You're not confusing solid state media with the firedrive thing David is talking about are you? Or is my USB mp3 player only usb 1.1?

[directhex]

Mbps in this context is Megabits not Megabytes (i.e. 1.5 meg/sec for USB1.1, meg/sec for USB2)

--jo

[Swafe]

indeed 12mbps = 3meg per second

i.e your mp3 is usb 1.1

[Howard]

Mb = Megabits
MB = Megabytes
Same with Kb and KB

Little snippet of info

[Agent]

Originally posted by Bindibadgi
?? Im confused then. Why is it when i write to the solid state media in my mp3 player i get only 4meg per second and when i write to a memory stick i get 1 meg per second???

You're not confusing solid state media with the firedrive thing David is talking about are you? Or is my USB mp3 player only usb 1.1?

Its your MP3 player - its USB 1.

Also MP3 players have interface issues which would slow it down, memory directly on the PCI bus wouldnt.

A lot of newer motherboards have a STR function. Suspend to RAM.
When you press suspend, your computer loads your workspace and memory into the RAM. Everything powers off, but aslong as the PSU is plugged into the wall and the stand by line is active, then the memory keeps its contents.
You then hit resume, and your OS and workspace is infront of you more-a-less instantly (aslong as it takes your motherboard to come out of STR), as its in RAM.

Thats the same as what David is refering to really, except that its a dedicated card on the PCI bus with its own memory and powersupply, and not system RAM