vista readyboot options for SD

[swhitten]

I am buying two new Dells - E6400 and E6500. Both have SD card readers built in. I've done some googling, looked on Dell's support site, and even asked a Dell support guy, but I haven't received definitive answers to my questions. Will you please point me to the proper resources to get answers? I don't mind doing the legwork; I just don't know where to find the info.

1. What is the max size SD card readyboost can utilize? I think it's 4gb? No point in having a card bigger than that.

2. What card specs are required/supported for Readyboost? Will a Sandisk SDSDX3-004G-A31 4GB Extreme III SD Card with 30MB/s Read/write speed work? Is there something better to use?

I don't want to spend the $50 to buy the card if it's not the right one. Thanks in advance for help.

 

[harebrain]

See

http://geneomatic.com/wordpress/?p=405

and

http://www.grantgibson.co.uk/misc/readyboost/

 

[swhitten]

Thanks! Great info! Looks like the Sandisk card is on the supported list.

I guess the question of whether or not it speeds up Vista is a whole different discussion . . . But for $50 I'll try it.

 

[linney]

anyone know a ready boost compatability link for a list

http://www.vistax64.com/vista-security/90875-anyone-know-ready-boost-compatability-link-list.html

"ReadyBoost will only utilize maximum of 4 GB flash memory. The ReadyBoost.sfcache file size is also limited by FAT32 filesystem to 4GB".


Trick to Use Any USB Key or Flash Drive to Ready Boost Vista

http://www.mydigitallife.info/2007/...-usb-key-or-flash-drive-to-ready-boost-vista/

 

[swhitten]

Thank you!

 

[lhuegele]

Readyboost made a noticable difference when I started using it and I have 3gb ram already. My SD card is only 2gb and I use 1.8gb of that for readyboost.

good luck,

 

[swhitten]

I'm wondering if I will get any benefit. These machines have 4gb of ram. So if 4gb is all that can be used, then readyboost won't help?

But the E6500 arrived DOA - blue screening right out of the box. So I won't be testing any time soon

 

[linney]

Sorry to hear the news about your new machine, I take it that you have returned it for a working replacement?

Here are some links on ReadyBoost benchmarking tests.

http://www.google.com/search?q=readyboost+benchmark&rls=com.microsoft:

 

[swhitten]

The support guy finally agreed yesterday to send me a new one, but I'm about at the point with Dell that I don't want it. I think I will send this one back and cancel the whole order. Their quality seems to have really declined over the past couple of years. The reason I got this new one was that we had such horrible problems with TWO old ones that Dell finally gave us our money back. So we ordered the two new ones. Mine won't run at all, and my business partner's is having major issues.

Ugh. I just want a computer that works! I run multiple instances of SQL, several different accounting apps, and heavy office/outlook stuff. We buy the beefiest machines we can and don't mind paying. But we need some that will stay UP.

 

[linney]

As a matter of principal I prefer to get machines made up (to my specifications) rather than from "off the shelf", and I like to have the retail CD or DVD in my hand. If you know a reputable computer repairer that can do that for you, and do it well, then that maybe the way to go in the future.