Caching software for SSD

[P5-133XL]

I now have a spare 180GB SSD, so why not use it? The problem is that my partitions use far more space than the SSD contains. I know that I can reinstall everything and move stuff around so it would all fit but that would take a lot of time that I'm not really interested in spending. So, what I'd like to know are the best SSD caching software options (preferably free) for Windows 8.

I did a simple google search and was not impressed with the choices especially since the ones I saw for free were just beta tests with 30-90 day trial keys that expire or Linux only. The ones that were not free were limited to specific manufacturers/products.

So anyone out there with better options?

 

[Mercutio]

If you were using ZFS, you could designate your SSD as a cache-only drive. I'm not aware of any such feature within Windows or any of the common Windows-based file system overlays like SnapRAID.
I also didn't notice any subjective difference in using an 80GB mSATA drive for hardware-based ("Intel Smart Response") caching on a Z77 board while using an SSD for a normal boot drive.

The best thing I've found to do with older SSDs is toss them in older notebooks.

 

[Howell]

Did you answer your question? Would you be interested in selling?

 

[P5-133XL]

No, I didn't get a good answer or at least an answer I that I could use. I really thought that SSD caching (non-hybrid drive) would have been much more useful and prevalent.

Unfortunately, I already found it a home so selling it is not really an option.

 

[sedrosken]

Aww... I could'a taken it off your hands...

 

[Howell]

FWIW, Samsung recently acquired NVELO which claims to be faster than Intel SRT on the max setting. I have no experience with either but that makes 2 options to try. Only the Intel option is free.

 

[ddrueding]

In the spirit of internet forums everywhere, this is not a solution to the problem that you asked about. But I had no idea it existed, and you might be interested.

SanDisk ReadyCache SSD (with software)

 

[Bozo]

I though some of the newer motherboards had a slot on them to install a micro SSD just for caching???

 

[Mercutio]

I though some of the newer motherboards had a slot on them to install a micro SSD just for caching???

Some of the "Z" (enthusiast) series motherboard chipsets do, but that is of dubious utility if your main drive is already an SSD.

 

[sechs]

Using an SSD "for caching" in a desktop setup seems dubious to me.

 

[LunarMist]

Using an SSD "for caching" in a desktop setup seems dubious to me.

Don't the Macs all do that?

 

[sechs]

I guess that would just make me even more down on the Macintosh.

 

[Mercutio]

As far as I know, no Macs have any such configuration. Windows Vista supported a technology called ReadyBoost for doing high-level disk caching of disk drive access, but that wasn't supported on Windows 7 (the Readyboost hardware was just formatted and configured as if it were a USB flash drive). I can't really think of anything that comes closer than that.

 

[sdbardwick]

Don't the Macs all do that?

I think LM is referring to Apple's Fusion Drive thing.

 

[LunarMist]

Yes, that is it.