Y510p ExpressCache utilization

[rotary-intl]

Hi Guys,

I'm having a lot of trouble enabling the drive caching through ExpressCache-I've tried reinstalling it and trying to have it detect the SSD cache on my y510p, but it never reads anything. Any suggestions?

[beefalo]

Are you using the stock ssd or did you replace it with a different one?

[campy888]

Expresscache will automatically format the cache drive. You can't have any partitions on it or the program won't set up correctly.

[busterbytes]

Seems to me it would be better to put the OS on there, if possible. Has anyone tried this?

[thomski]

Try to use the Intel Rapid Storage Technologie. I guess that's inside you're settings panel on windows. Over there, you can turn on cache.

[TheReciever]

Seems to me it would be better to put the OS on there, if possible. Has anyone tried this?

It would be kind of a pain to micro manage your 24GB cache ssd (or smaller) Though if you know how to change where all the folders and programs point to then it could work. It wouldnt be a seemless OS though. fast for boot up and slow at retrieving files lol

[campy888]

You could theoretically install the OS (win8 barely fits) on the 24 GB cache drive if you minimize the install and change the size of the recovery partitions; also you need to remove the regular HDD so the SSD is the only disk. I tried this with WIN 8 and got it to work but the speed of the cache drive is not really that fast so I wiped it and went back to my original set up. 2.5" SSD in place of the mechanical HDD and I use the 24gb SSD as a space for my documents.

[joom00]

hmmm... expresscache works very nicely... after few hours of usage it will get up to 70% read hit-rate and using system is almost

as fast as with pure SSD. The caveats are that expresscache is poor in write caching (it seems to be write-through cache, rather than

write-back, which is safer, but a lot slower in write-intensive applications). You can even instruct expresscache to pre-read directories

with eccmd command line (see google for "eccmd command line" to get help how to create/tune it) so I would say if you don't have

full SSD, expresscache is well worth it!

[Fezzik]

THe epress cache is nice if you dont have a full ssd. But full ssd is better when running mutiple programs or bigger programs.

[ajh5408]

Seems to me it would be better to put the OS on there, if possible. Has anyone tried this?

Definitely possible, but it will get painful long-term. Aside from the difficulties inherent in managing a dual-drive system efficiently, Windows will bloat over time with updates and (more annoyingly) backup/uninstall files for those updates. Cached installers and driver files can add up too... While all of that can be managed to a degree, 24GB is cutting it pretty close for comfort, to the point where you may as well just replace it with a higher capacity device or (better yet) go pure SSD or SSD+HDD via the Ultrabay.

[daggerNC]

Has anybody had the opportunity/time/(money!) to experiment with Expresscache on our Lenovo's? Is there a sweet spot size and then you run into diminishing returns on performance - like is 16G better than 8G? Is 24G better or does it continue with 32G and even 64G (going over 64G is almost a waste just from the cost factor you should now just go with a pure SSD solution)??

[Mubarik]

Hi Guys,

I'm having a lot of trouble enabling the drive caching through ExpressCache-I've tried reinstalling it and trying to have it detect the SSD cache on my y510p, but it never reads anything. Any suggestions?

run DOS as windows administrator...type eccmd<put a space>-info.....it will show you the details....check your used size value and remember it....now run a game...minimize the game and run eccmd<put a space>-info again as instructed...the used size value should increase....if its already at around 14gb(when running windows 8.1 update 1) when you first checked then its working.

[UnderdogRally]

I'm having similar trouble getting expresscache to work on my y500. The 16gb ssd is clearly there, space shows up as unallocated and uninitialized in disk management. eccmd -info tells me that the "HFS volume is not mounted." I've tried various suggestions from others having similar problems including:

- Cleaning the SSD through an admin command prompt and diskpart

- Uninstalling and reinstalling expresscache (tells me it "could not determine SSD" and to configure manually)

- Configuring manually with eccmd - partition (leads to "semaphore timeout period has expired")

- Initializing the SSD through disk management (leads to "semaphore timeout period has expired")

Either way, expresscache can't seem to detect and/or configure the SSD. There are pages and pages of threads on lenovo forums about these problems across devices, but I haven't found a solution to the "semaphore timeout" problem other than suggestions that the ssd might be dying.