#Speedcache Plus
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as an option long before PC-Kwik (who added it in 5.0).
Ncache had a problem for awhile with not being complient with Windows 32 bit
disk access option (that why I stopped using it). There is a patch in the
Symantec forum which fixes this problem although I not sure what is in alot
of boxes out on store shelves.
Speedcache+ loads high by itself, will use about 30k in a UMB and puts about
20-30K in your HMA by default (will share HMA with DOS). You can turn off
the HMA option but then your looking at 50-60k in a UMB. It will split
across UMBs by itself when loading which is great if you have alot in UMBs
like I do.
The other caches all take 35-50K in upper memory and load high by
themselves depending on cache options used.
Speedcache+ allows you to configure each drive partition differently (which
most caches allow) and keeps statistics for each partition which no other
caches that I know of allows. I'm currently using the same options for all
my partitions and occasionally check out how separate partitions are
working.
Because Speedcache+ caches ROMs it also allows you to cut back the number of
buffers (2048k each) when you start MSCDEX. I think the standard
recommendation is 10 buffers but with Speedcache+ you can cut that back to
2 and save 14k in UMB memory usage (every little bit helps).
Speedcache+ comes with two Windows accessory programs: one to monitor how
the cache is setup and functioning, and one to perform cache benchmarks that
simulates a variety of read/write scenerios (can be used to check out other
caches).
Speedcache+ really speeds up my ROM accesses. ROM files that take about
70-75 second drop to about 25 seconds on initial access and to 16-18 on any
subsequent accesses. I allocate 4MB of cache in Extended memory. I don't
know how I got by without before (I'm spolied now).
If you want to believe Speedcache+ tech support they will tell you to take
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