RAM Disks And What They Can Be Used For

Over the past few days, as I tinkered with my laptops doing odd and new things with them, I discovered a program that allows you to use your RAM as a virtual hard disk.

At first, this idea seems silly for those who do not have much RAM on their single machine... I was at first amazed at the new things I could do, but I soon figured out that 4GB of RAM wasn't really enough for a normal RAM disk, I could only spare around 1GB for use.

Let's first take a step back, why the hell use RAM as a disk?
Simple, RAM is the fastest type of memory on the planet, using it as a virtual disk would completely destroy any other type of storage medium, including SSD's.....

With a single SSD, you could get around 500MB read and write, really expensive SSD's can give you about 1000MB R/W.
With a RAM disk, the read/write easily surpasses 1GB/PS and for the most part, passes 2GB/PS R/W. Using this as a disk would allow you to load programs instantly.

So, if this type of storage is so great, then why isn't it used? Two reasons.
1. RAM does not hold memory when the power is cut.
2. RAM is very expensive in large amounts.

So, here is my revelation.
I know how to network computers together over direct ethernet connections, and I know how to share files between the two... See where this is going?
With a network of machines running RAM disks, you could in theory, do some pretty amazing sh*t.

The first and most logical thing you could do is have a network of slave computers with gigabit connections to your own PC.
You could change the settings of your page file to be stored on multiple RAM disks on the network, making your computer much faster when you open many programs. Instead of your PC reaching into that slow ass hard drive for files and things that need to be in memory, your computer reaches into a RAM disk over the network and instantly loads the files into RAM.

In a way, this could give you more RAM, but not exactly. It will still be slower than just upgrading the RAM, but not THAT much slower. I'm guessing that it would be slightly laggy, but still usefull if you want 3000 programs running at the same time.

I'm probably going to test this idea very soon, if not right after publishing this thread. The idea of virtually extending my 4GB of RAM to around 6GB is a very nice idea indeed.

Anybody else ever tried or thought about this? Or did you guys never know that you could do this?

Correct "does hold hold" to "does not hol". Other than that, yeah.

I never tried, tbh it is not worth it for me, I don't really need the speed.

Fixed.
Also, my idea just got smashed. My other laptop only has 100 megabit ethernet, while my MacBook has gigabit ethernet.... I only get 11.25MB/PS over the link, when the memory it's self is 866MB/PS (It's that slow because that's DDR2 memory)

This is a damn shame, because I could really use that speed... Welp, in the future I can do this. :P

That is a shame indeed.

Nice idea. It's a bit like people who have both SSD and Hard disk and save stuff to SSD, where it gets transferred to hard disk in background.

My computing teacher goes for something like that.

the newer macbooks have ssd's which is why their so thin right?

Does it have anything to do with SSD's ? I know many thin computers with HDDs. SDDs have higher speeds, but usually a much higher $/GB ratio, being much more expensive.

partly why macbooks are so expensive :P

There are many less expensive computer which also use SSDs...

I was given my macbook for free, so I really don't care xD

wow lucky, mine cost me alot at the time

My uncle got my mother the macbook I am using right now for a lower price than it normally did, at the time but later my grandfather gave her his macbook pro so he handed down the simpler macbook to me for free :D

Everyone hates apple so much since their products are overpriced, which is true, but it does not mean the products themselves are bad, I love my macbook :D

Price is the only problem with Apple which I hate the company for but the design of their products are mostly awesome :D

One of the only products that makes me hate apple now is this >:|
https://xfgn.forumotion.com/t3749-apple-watch#69640

I never said Macbooks had bad designs. But they're so overpriced and overrated.

pretty much, but I have dealt with people that absolutely hate anything to do with Apple since they can't buy any of the products and don't realize the products themselves are actually not bad and look good but aren't probably worth getting for their price :P

I don't think that. I hate Apple for it is overpriced and overrated.

that's their downfall :/
I used to like Apple

the iPod was nice. I like it until the iPod Touch came out - I hated it.

lol I love my iPod touch 2nd Gen and my iPod touch 4th Gen since they were both gifts to me xD