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    8mb and 16 mb cache difference

    Discussion in 'Alienware' started by Broomcorn, Apr 16, 2008.

  1. Broomcorn

    Broomcorn Notebook Enthusiast

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    Alienware added a 250gb hard drive with 7200 speed, but the cache is only 8mb while the 200gb is 16mb. What exactly does this difference mean?
     
    Broomcorn, Apr 16, 2008
    #1
  2. Kaiserphoenix

    Kaiserphoenix Notebook Evangelist

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    Although I am not an engineer or anything, i believe that the 16mb cache version will be just a touch faster. From what Ive read, it is beneficial in accessing files commonly accessed over and over or something like that, it kinda reads AHEAD more, so kinda like it knows whats coming before an 8mb one does.

    Hope that analogy helps!
     
    Kaiserphoenix, Apr 16, 2008
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  3. Outphaze

    Outphaze Notebook Guru

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    Can anyone comfirm this? I have this same question :)
     
    Outphaze, Jun 26, 2008
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  4. kobe

    kobe Notebook Virtuoso

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    You won't notice the difference between the 16mb and 8 mb cache speed.
     
    kobe, Jun 26, 2008
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  5. brainer

    brainer Notebook Virtuoso

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    yup you wont, but if you are a kind of person who likes bragging rights. just get the 16mb cache. just to Eliminate bottlenecks from your head.
     
    brainer, Jun 26, 2008
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  6. otaku

    otaku Notebook Deity

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    That's what I did! haha
     
    otaku, Jun 26, 2008
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  7. Frag

    Frag Notebook Consultant

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    I have an M9750 (its my wifes notebook) that has the 200gig hd with the 16mb cache as the primary drive and a recently installed 250gig hd with the 8 meg cache. After doing some basic testing it appears that the 200gig drive is about 5% faster in reading and writing. Not much of a difference really and not noticeable in use so I would say its a good tradeoff to have the 50 extra gigs of space.
     
    Frag, Jun 26, 2008
    #7