How to Use SSDs as a Cache for HDDs: Improve Your Computer’s Performance and Speed

SSD (Solid State Drive) is a type of storage media that uses memory chips to store data, without moving mechanical parts. SSDs have advantages in terms of speed, durability, and power consumption compared to HDDs (Hard Disk Drives), which use rotating magnetic platters to store data. However, SSDs also have disadvantages, namely smaller capacity and more expensive prices compared to HDDs.

What if you want to get the benefits of an SSD without having to sacrifice the capacity and cost of an HDD? One solution is to use an SSD as a cache for HDDs. A cache is a temporary storage area used to store frequently accessed data, which can improve the performance and speed of your computer. By using an SSD as a cache for the HDD, you can speed up boot times, application loading times, and data transfer times, while taking advantage of the HDD’s large capacity and low price.

In this article, Bardimin will explain how to use SSD as a cache for HDDs, both for Windows and Linux operating systems. Bardimin will also provide some tips and tricks to optimize the use of SSDs as a cache for HDDs. Let’s get started!

How to Use SSD as Cache for HDD on Windows

There are several ways to use an SSD as a cache for HDDs in Windows, depending on the type of SSD and HDD you’re using, as well as the version of Windows you’re running. The following are some of the most common and easy ways to do this:

Using Intel Smart Response Technology (SRT)

Intel Smart Response Technology (SRT) is a feature available on Intel 6 series chipsets or newer, which allows you to use the SSD as a cache for the HDD. This feature can improve your computer’s performance and speed by up to 4 times, using intelligent algorithms to learn your usage patterns and store the most frequently accessed data on the SSD.

To use Intel SRT, you need an SSD with at least 18 GB and an HDD with at least 500 GB. You also need a Windows 7, 8, 8.1, or 10 operating system, with BIOS mode set to RAID or AHCI. The following are the steps to use Intel SRT:

1. Plug your SSD and HDD into your computer, and make sure they are detected by the BIOS.
2. Enter BIOS, and change the controller’s SATA mode to RAID or AHCI. Save the changes and exit BIOS.
3. Sign in to Windows, and install the Intel Rapid Storage Technology (RST) driver that matches your chipset and operating system. You can download those drivers from Intel’s official website.
4. Open the Intel RST application, and click the Performance tab. You’ll see your SSD and HDD listed under Storage System View.
5. Click Enable acceleration, and select the HDD you want to accelerate as the disk target. Select the SSD you want to use as a disk cache, and specify the cache size you want. You can choose between Enhanced mode or Maximized mode, depending on your preference. Enhanced mode will store data on the SSD and HDD simultaneously, making it safer but slower. Maximized mode will store data only on the SSD, making it faster but more at risk of data loss if the SSD is damaged. Click OK to apply the changes.
6. Wait for the cache initialization process to complete, and restart your computer. Now, your SSD has served as a cache for your HDD, and you can enjoy better performance and speed.

Using PrimoCache

PrimoCache is a third-party application that can be used to use SSDs as caches for HDDs in Windows. The application can work with all types of SSDs and HDDs, as well as all versions of Windows from XP to 10. It also has advanced features, such as Defer-Write, Level-2 Cache, and Invisible Memory, which can improve your computer’s performance and speed even further.

To use PrimoCache, you need an SSD with a minimum capacity of 4 GB and an HDD with a capacity of at least 100 GB. You also need a Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, or 10 operating system, with BIOS mode set to IDE, AHCI, or RAID. The following are the steps to use PrimoCache:

1. Plug your SSD and HDD into your computer, and make sure they are detected by Windows.
2. Download and install PrimoCache from its official website. You can use the trial version for 30 days, or buy a license for the full version.
3. Open the PrimoCache app, and click Create Task. You’ll see your SSD and HDD listed under the Volume List.
4. Select the HDD you want to accelerate as the volume target, and click Next. Select the SSD you want to use as the volume cache, and click Next. Specify the cache size you want, and click Next. Select the cache mode you want, which is Read-Only, Read-Write, or Write-Only. Read-Only mode saves the data read from the HDD to the SSD, speeding up loading times. Read-Write mode saves the data read and written from the HDD to the SSD, speeding up loading and transfer times. Write-Only mode saves data written to the HDD to the SSD first, speeding up transfer times. Click Next to continue.
5. Select the Defer-Write option if you want to delay writing data from the SSD to the HDD, thereby increasing speed and reducing SSD usage. You can adjust the delay time and buffer size according to your needs. Click Next to continue.
6. Select the Level-2 Cache option if you want to use RAM memory as additional cache for the SSD, thereby increasing speed even further. You can adjust the cache size and cache mode according to your need. Click Next to continue.
7. Select the Invisible Memory option if you want to use memory not used by Windows as additional cache for the SSD, thereby increasing speed even further. You can adjust the cache size and cache mode according to your need. Click Next to continue.
8. Review your cache configuration, and click Finish to create the cache task. Wait for the cache initialization process to complete, and restart your computer. Now, your SSD has served as a cache for your HDD, and you can enjoy better performance and speed.

How to Use SSD as Cache for HDD on Linux

There are several ways to use an SSD as a cache for HDDs in Linux, depending on the Linux distribution and version you are using, as well as the type of SSD and HDD you are using. The following are some of the most common and easy ways to do this:

Using Bcache

Bcache is a feature available on Linux kernel version 3.10 or later, which allows you to use the SSD as a cache for HDDs. This feature can improve your computer’s performance and speed by using intelligent algorithms to learn your usage patterns and store the most frequently accessed data on the SSD.

To use Bcache, you need an SSD with a minimum capacity of 8 GB and an HDD with a capacity of at least 100 GB. You also need a Linux operating system with kernel version 3.10 or later, with BIOS mode set to AHCI or RAID. The following are the steps to use Bcache:

1. Plug your SSD and HDD into your computer, and make sure they are detected by Linux.
2. Install the bcache-tools package that corresponds to your Linux distribution. You can use commands like sudo apt install bcache-tools for Ubuntu, or sudo yum install bcache-tools for Fedora.
3. Format your SSD as a cache device by using the command sudo make-bcache -C /dev/sdX, where /dev/sdX is the name of your SSD. Make a note of the UUID generated by the command, as you’ll need it later.
4. Format your HDD as a backing device by using the command sudo make-bcache -B /dev/sdY, where /dev/sdY is the name of your HDD. You can adjust parameters like block size, bucket size, and cache mode according to your needs. Cache mode can be either writethrough, writeback, or writearound. Writethrough mode will store data on the SSD and HDD simultaneously, making it safer but slower. Writeback mode will store data only on the SSD, making it faster but more at risk of data loss if the SSD is damaged. Writearound mode will store data only on the HDD, making it more SSD efficient but slower.
5. Connect your SSD and HDD by using the command sudo echo UUID > /sys/block/bcache0/bcache/attach, where UUID is the UUID you noted earlier, and bcache0 is the name of the bcache device formed from your HDD. You can check the bcache status of your device by using the command sudo bcache-super-show /dev/sdY or sudo cat /sys/block/bcache0/bcache/state.
6. Create partitions and file systems on your bcache device by using commands such as sudo fdisk /dev/bcache0 and sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/bcache0p1, where bcache0p1 is the name of the partition you created. You can use the sudo blkid command to view the UUID of your partition, which you will use to install your device’s bcache.
7. Enter the following line into the /etc/fstab file to automatically bcache your device at boot:

UUID=UUID_partisi /mnt/bcache ext4 defaults 0 2

where UUID_partisi is the UUID of the partition you see with the sudo blkid command, and /mnt/bcache is the location you want to bcache your device. 8. Run the command sudo mount -a to bcache your device, or restart your computer. Now, your SSD has served as a cache for your HDD, and you can enjoy better performance and speed.

Using LVM Cache

LVM (Logical Volume Manager) is a feature available on almost all Linux distributions, allowing you to manage your storage media more flexibly and efficiently. LVM Cache is an additional feature available on LVM version 2.02.105 or later, which allows you to use the SSD as a cache for HDDs. This feature can improve your computer’s performance and speed by using intelligent algorithms to learn your usage patterns and store the most frequently accessed data on the SSD.

To use LVM Cache, you need an SSD with a minimum capacity of 8 GB and an HDD with a capacity of at least 100 GB. You also need a Linux operating system with LVM version 2.02.105 or later, with BIOS mode set to AHCI or RAID. The following are the steps to use LVM Cache:

1. Plug your SSD and HDD into your computer, and make sure they are detected by Linux.
2. Install the lvm2 package that corresponds to your Linux distribution. You can use commands like sudo apt install lvm2 for Ubuntu, or sudo yum install lvm2 for Fedora.
3. Create LVM type partitions on your SSD and HDD by using commands such as sudo fdisk /dev/sdX and sudo fdisk /dev/sdY, where /dev/sdX is the name of your SSD, and /dev/sdY is the name of your HDD. You can use the sudo fdisk -l command to see the names of the partitions you created, for example /dev/sdX1 and /dev/sdY1.
4. Create a physical volume (PV) on the partition you created by using commands such as sudo pvcreate /dev/sdX1 and sudo pvcreate /dev/sdY1, where /dev/sdX1 is your SSD partition, and /dev/sdY1 is your HDD partition.
5. Create a volume group (VG) by using a command such as sudo vgcreate vgcache /dev/sdX1 /dev/sdY1, where vgcache is the name of the VG you want, and /dev/sdX1 and /dev/sdY1 are the PVs you created earlier.
6. Create a logical volume (LV) for the data on your HDD by using a command like sudo lvcreate -l 100%FREE -n lvdata vgcache /dev/sdY1, where lvdata is the name of the LV you want, and /dev/sdY1 is the PV of your HDD. You can use the sudo vgs and sudo lvs commands to view the status of your VG and LV.
7. Create an LV to cache on your SSD by using a command like sudo lvcreate -L 8G -n lvcache vgcache /dev/sdX1, where lvcache is the name of the LV you want, and /dev/sdX1 is your SSD PV. You can adjust the cache size according to your needs, but make sure it doesn’t exceed the capacity of your SSD.
8. Create an LV for the cache pool on your SSD by using a command like sudo lvconvert –type cache-pool –poolmetadata vgcache/lvcache vgcache/lvdata, where vgcache/lvcache is the cache LV you created earlier, and vgcache/lvdata is the data LV you created earlier. This command will convert the cache LV into a cache pool, which will be used to store cached data from the data LV.
9. Create an LV for the logical volume (CLV) cache by using a command such as sudo lvconvert –type cache –cachepool vgcache/lvcache vgcache/lvdata, where vgcache/lvcache is the LV cache pool you created earlier, and vgcache/lvdata is the data LV you created earlier. This command will convert the LV data into CLV, which will use the LV cache pool as a cache for the data stored on the HDD.
10. Create a filesystem on your CLV by using a command like sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/vgcache/lvdata, where /dev/vgcache/lvdata is the name of your CLV. You can use the sudo blkid command to view the UUID of your CLV, which you will use to install your CLV.
11. Insert the following lines into the /etc/fstab file to automatically install your CLV at boot:

UUID=UUID_CLV /min/cache ext4 defaults 0 2

where UUID_CLV is the CLV UUID you see with the sudo blkid command, and /mnt/cache is the location you want to install your CLV. 12. Run the command sudo mount -a to install your CLV, or restart your computer. Now, your SSD has served as a cache for your HDD, and you can enjoy better performance and speed.

Tips and Tricks to Optimize the Use of SSDs as Cache for HDDs

Using an SSD as a cache for HDDs is an effective way to improve your computer’s performance and speed, but you also need to pay attention to a few things to keep your SSD used optimally and lasting. The following are some tips and tricks that you can apply:

• Choose a quality SSD and has a good warranty. Cheap, fake SSDs may have poor performance, low endurance, and a high risk of failure. Choose an SSD that has a trusted brand, specifications that suit your needs, and a long warranty. You can read reviews and testimonials from other users to find out the quality and reputation of the SSD you want.
• Choose the cache size that suits your needs. A cache size that is too large may not be effective, because infrequently accessed data will take up space on the SSD that would otherwise be used for frequently accessed data. A cache size that is too small is also ineffective, because frequently accessed data will not be stored enough on the SSD. You can adjust the cache size according to your usage patterns, and monitor cache statistics by using commands like sudo bcache-status or sudo lvs -o +cache_total_blocks,cache_used_blocks,cache_dirty_blocks,cache_read_hits,cache_write_hits.
• Perform regular SSD maintenance. SSDs also require maintenance to maintain their performance and durability. You can do things like enable the TRIM feature, which will clean up unused blocks on the SSD, by using commands like sudo fstrim -v /mnt/cache, where /mnt/cache is your CLV location. You can also do things like check SSD health, update SSD firmware, and back up your important data.
• Don’t rely on SSDs as cache for HDDs as a permanent solution. Using an SSD as a cache for your HDD is a great way to improve your computer’s performance and speed, but that doesn’t mean you can ignore your HDD. Your HDD is still your primary storage medium, and you should still maintain the condition and performance of your HDD. You should also be aware that SSDs as a cache for HDDs have a risk of data loss if your SSD or HDD is damaged. Therefore, you should always back up your data regularly, and consider replacing your HDD with a larger SSD if possible.

Hope this article is useful and can help you improve the performance and speed of your computer. Thank you for reading this article, and see you in the next article!