Key Takeaways
RAM disks were fast but are now outdated Power loss means losing all data stored on the RAM disk Could experience longer boot times
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RAM disks were all the rage when they first came out. They allowed users to use the extra RAM in their system to create a virtual hard drive. The idea behind it is that if the programs and files are already stored in the fastest memory possible on your system, you can save files instantly and have programs and apps load almost as quickly.
One of the main reasons RAM disks were sought after was the read/write speeds they offered. They were once even faster than the SSDs that were on the market, which made them highly beneficial. However, there were also some major downsides to them, and nowadays, SSD speeds have caught up and surpassed them thanks to the likes of M.2 SSDs and the latest blazing-fast PCIe 5.0 SSDs.
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4 Lose everything if you lose power
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Yes, if your RAM disk loses power for any reason, you will lose all the data it had stored. This is probably one of the bigger downsides to using a RAM disk, as we all know things can happen unexpectedly. Whether you face a power surge, or mistakenly turn off your PC, all of your data will be lost.
If using Windows, you would also need to make sure your update and restart settings are correct. The last thing you would want is for Windows to update itself in the middle of the night and restart itself, causing you to lose all your data saved in your RAM disk. With so many different power loss worries, it seems it may not be worth the hassle.
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3 Longer boot times
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RAM is volatile, which means that it needs continuous power to function properly. Anything data being stored in RAM will be lost when the RAM loses power. This also means that for a RAM disk to function, you would need to wait until your PC is already on for the RAM disk to then load itself. Depending on the size of the RAM disk, it could also add to the time it takes to fully boot up your system and be able to use the RAM disk.
While most RAM disks can be initiated automatically once Windows is loaded, should you run into any issues during boot, you may have to load the RAM disk manually. Either way, once the RAM disk is loaded and ready to be used, you will then also have to get your files and programs ready for use.
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2 You'll need to swap files back and forth
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As already mentioned, if the RAM loses power, it loses all the data it was storing. This means that before you shut down your PC or RAM disk, you will need to transfer any files you want to save to another storage device. This also means that any time the RAM disk is re-initialized, you will have to install your programs and files on it again.
If you never shut your PC down, then you would have nothing to worry about except maybe a power outage. You could even get a backup UPS to help combat outages, but nothing is going to be fool-proof and if you lose power, you will lose all your data on the RAM disk as well.
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1 M.2 SSDs offer faster speeds than before
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SSD speeds have come a long way since RAM disks were first introduced. Some of the new PCIe 5.0 or Gen 5 M.2 SSDs offer blistering-fast read and write speeds of up to 13,000 / 12,000 MB/s which is much faster than most people need. Even Gen 4 NVMe drives offer speeds of up to 7,000 / 5,000 MB/s, which is more than enough for your average PC user.
With faster SSDs on the market, we also have faster RAM these days as well. While using the best DDR5 RAM available may give you a RAM disk that is faster than a PCIe SSD, the point is that PCIe SSDs are plenty fast enough and the noticeable difference between that and a RAM disk on DDR5 will be negligible. Of course, benchmarks will show the numbers, but the real-world difference would be non-existent in most cases.
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You just don't need one anymore
While there is no denying that RAM disks offer amazing speeds, the downsides far outweigh the ups. Having to worry about power outages and swapping files back and forth is just going to be more hassle than it is worth. SSD speeds have reached such levels that a lot of people even say buying a PCIe 5.0 SDD doesn't make sense as they are just so fast.
It's also worth remembering that any RAM used for a RAM disk takes away from the available system memory. Having less RAM available for files, programs, and games could become troublesome, and even slow your PC down in some cases. This could make other aspects of your computing experience very frustrating and tiresome.
RAM disks can be fun to play with and test out but are generally just not needed anymore. They filled a void when they first came out, but as SSD speeds have reached new levels and keep improving, RAM disks have lost their place when it comes to PCs. The time, hassle, and effort needed to maintain a RAM disk is just no longer worth it.
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