Intel trying a flash cache again

Intel appears set to try flash caching on the motherboard again with its Z68 chipset. Robson motherboard flash caches, also known as Turbo Memory, failed because the delivered results were crap. Braidwood promised better results but where is it? There is only one mention revealed in a search of Intel's website and it is a …

[Dominic Sayers]

Zilog

A Z86! Wow, I knew Zilog would make a 16-bit version of the Z80 if I waited long enough.

[Ammaross Danan]

Thoughts

Intelligent flash-caching is nice. Allows for a smaller, fully-utilized flash cache. However, there are 2 things that would be nice: support for any disk (and size), and a GUI enhancement for "right-click -> Add folder/file to flash cache"

Why the second feature if it has intelligent capabilities? Perhaps you wanted to simply cache your favorite game or two permanently? If they're not used as much as, say, Firefox (or Opera), your game components could get pushed out (depending on space available) due to lack of use. Or, even worse, have varying performance while the cache realizes it needs to cache more and more of the game as you move through it, leading to slow initial performance, and then continued performance hits each time through as the cache has to re-cache things that were dropped since last run.

[sT0rNG b4R3 duRiD]

Where will the cache be?

Physically, I mean. If it's a highly utilised box, will the flash last as long as the mobo is what I am wondering... On a low profile daughterboard seems to make sense to me for failure and upgrade reasons but it is possible that the cost of the flash will eclipse the cost of just the mobo alone to make this a non-issue.

[bkcokota]

typing too quick?

Seagate's hybrid HDD is the Momentus XT, not momentum as you accidently typed. Did you get too much momentum up typing the article? (sorry for the bad pun)