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iRamDisk
- Thread starter Isamilis
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I haven't used it, but from the description it uses your ram to build a ram disk, I'd say it may impact OSX'd performance since its allocating a lot of ram for its purposes. Additionally what happens if (when?) OSX pages out that memory to disk in part of OSX's memory management process.
All in all, I think OSX does a great job at managing the resources and the need for ramdisks have disappeared with Apple's legacy OS
All in all, I think OSX does a great job at managing the resources and the need for ramdisks have disappeared with Apple's legacy OS
RAM disk in OS X is an incredibly dumb idea. The dumbest thing about it is that it creates the problem that it is supposed to solve. RAM disk is supposed to speed-up your computer by putting disk files into RAM. However, it decreases the amount of available RAM, thus forcing the OS to page-out RAM to your hard disk.
My MBA has 8GB with only 2-4 GB used most of the time. The idea is to minimize write cycle of SSD by moving all cache to the RAM disk. This sound work in theory, however, I would like to hear from actual usage, real users, what are the real effect (plus & minus), and maybe you have another suggestion (for other program, or method, etc).
Thanks.
Thanks.
L
littletree76
Guest
I have been using it on my mid-2011 iMac (16MB RAM and 256GB SSD) for few months since version 3.3.5. Other than small hiccup during transition from version 3.3.6 to latest version 3.3.7, it has been running smoothly and transparently without any issue (you can quit and restart it just like any other applications without affecting operation of Mac OS X). I bought it through Apple's Mac App Store, I have to create a Unix shell script to replace it temporary when version 3.3.7 was not yet available in Apple's Mac App Store. Standalone and trail versions are available at developer's website as well.
I create a RAM disk of 800MB and mount it at Caches folder under user's library folder to redirect all read/write access away from SSD to the RAM disk. As long as the size is under 1GB, it can be created within kernel memory (so called wired memory) thus it will never been swapped out to disk by paging operation. I notice speed up of many executions of applications include browsing Internet in Safari browser. The size of 800MB is more than adequate for most applications (more than twice the size of original Caches folder on SSD). As long as your Mac is installed with at least 8GB of memory, memory foot print of iRamDisk is really negligible.
With its small memory foot print and low price, I find it is money well spent as iRamDisk is a more elegant and transparent solution that Unix shell script. There is nothing wrong in prolonging life span of SSD even though it outlast life span of your computer, just take it as good side effect rather than main reason to use iRamDisk. Install the trial version and see the effect for yourself, there is no risk involved as you can quit the utility any time and everything recover back to original state. Of course you have to use your discretion to decide on proper size of RAM disk based on available memory, otherwise only your stupidity has to be blamed for frequent paging (common sense and practice of computer engineering).
It is most beneficial for notebook computer with slow hard drive (5400 rpm) and low battery capacity as accessing memory take much less energy than accessing drive even for solid state drive.
I create a RAM disk of 800MB and mount it at Caches folder under user's library folder to redirect all read/write access away from SSD to the RAM disk. As long as the size is under 1GB, it can be created within kernel memory (so called wired memory) thus it will never been swapped out to disk by paging operation. I notice speed up of many executions of applications include browsing Internet in Safari browser. The size of 800MB is more than adequate for most applications (more than twice the size of original Caches folder on SSD). As long as your Mac is installed with at least 8GB of memory, memory foot print of iRamDisk is really negligible.
With its small memory foot print and low price, I find it is money well spent as iRamDisk is a more elegant and transparent solution that Unix shell script. There is nothing wrong in prolonging life span of SSD even though it outlast life span of your computer, just take it as good side effect rather than main reason to use iRamDisk. Install the trial version and see the effect for yourself, there is no risk involved as you can quit the utility any time and everything recover back to original state. Of course you have to use your discretion to decide on proper size of RAM disk based on available memory, otherwise only your stupidity has to be blamed for frequent paging (common sense and practice of computer engineering).
It is most beneficial for notebook computer with slow hard drive (5400 rpm) and low battery capacity as accessing memory take much less energy than accessing drive even for solid state drive.
This terminal command still works to create a Ram Disk in Mountain Lion:
Create a RAM Disk in Mac OS X
Create a RAM Disk in Mac OS X
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L
littletree76
Guest
Yes this is one of many commands I put in my Unix shell script, package the shell script into standard application through Apple's Automator utility and set this application as one of user's login items in System Preferences. Upon every login on my iMac, the ram disk is mounted automatically by Mac OS X without user intervention. I have also created another application in the same way to eject/umount ram disk, thus the ram disk can be created and ejected manually by user anytime (just by double clicking on respective application icon in Mac OS Finder).
Many of my Unix shell scripts for system administration on my iMac are created in this approach as I do not want to remember all Unix commands to be executed in Terminal application. The Automator utility bundled with Mac OS X is one of my favourite tools for system administration.
As I have mentioned in previous post, if you do not like to have ram disk icon appear in Mac OS Finder desktop and to be involved with Unix commands and system configuration, then iRamDisk is a better solution for its low price/risk and good transparency.
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