Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uunet!aplcen!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!xanth!mcnc!decvax.dec.com!shlump.nac.dec.com!ricks.enet.dec.com!reisert
From: reisert@ricks.enet.dec.com (Jim Reisert)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: More disk cache tests
Message-ID: <12988@shlump.nac.dec.com>
Date: 30 Jun 90 19:05:45 GMT
Sender: newsdaemon@shlump.nac.dec.com
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Lines: 76

Hi,

I did some more cache measurements.  These were all done on a 20 MHz 386
machine with a 42 KB hard disk running MS-DOS 4.01.  I used QEMM as my
EXPAnded memory manager.  All tests were run at the DOS prompt (as opposed
to under Windows or DESQview).  This note includes all measurements made to
date.

The following tests were made using the PC-Labs Benchmark Tests, v5.0.  The
tests are as follows:

	TEST1 - 512 records of   512 bytes each
	TEST2 -  64 records of  4096 bytes each
	TEST3 -  16 records of 16384 bytes each
	TEST4 -   8 records of 32768 bytes each

Each test had 5 stages: 1) file creation, 2) sequential write, 3) sequential
read, 4) random write and 5) random read.  The results are in seconds.

These tests were made using a 384K cache in EXPAnded memory:

		TEST1	TEST2	TEST3	TEST4

no cache	58.50	8.86	5.44	3.99	secs.
SMARTDRV	35.06	7.26	4.00	3.33	 "
PC-CACHE 5.5	30.29	6.70	3.73	3.32	 "
PC-CACHE 6.03	13.13	8.53	3.14	2.75	 "
SuperPCK 3.56	 8.52	4.94	1.83	2.45	 "
SuperPCK 3.19	    - not available -

These tests were made using a 384K cache in EXTEnded memory:

		TEST1	TEST2	TEST3	TEST4

no cache	58.73	9.14	5.50	4.18
SMARTDRV	34.85	7.25	4.01	3.37
PC-CACHE 5.5	29.56	6.51	3.61	3.01
PC-CACHE 6.03	12.50	8.64	4.88	3.87
SuperPCK 3.56	11.07	5.21	3.56	2.36
SuperPCK 3.19	 6.00	5.79	1.60	2.54

Here are some results from CORETEST v2.8.  CORETEST writes 42KB of data and
measures the access speed in KB/sec.  All caches are 384K.

		EXTEnded	EXPAnded

no cache	   537	KB/sec	   537	KB/sec
PC-CACHE 6.03	  2153	  "	  5369    "
SuperPCK 3.56	  4193	  "	  3994	  "
SuperPCK 3.19	  4609	  "	   N/A	  "
PC-CACHE 5.5	  4816	  "	  4368	  "
SMARTDRV	  5479	  "	  3994	  "

I don't know what to make of these measurements.  These say that if you're
using EXTEnded memory, SMARTDRV is the way to go, but if you're using
EXPAnded, then use PC-CACHE 6.03.  The PC-Labs Benchmark Tests clearly show
Super PC-Kwik to be superior in all categories.  Furthermore, for the
PC-Labs tests, the results were similar for both EXPAnded and EXTEnded
memory caches.  CORETEST showed much more variation depending on the cache
and type of memory.

I merely offer this up for discussion, since I'm not sure what to make of it
all.  I'm going to stick with Super PC-Kwik, though.  Anyone care to comment
on any of this?

jim

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

"The opinions expressed here in no way represent the views of Digital
 Equipment Corporation."

James J. Reisert                Internet: reisert@ricks.enet.dec.com
Digital Equipment Corp.         UUCP:     ...decwrl!ricks.enet!reisert
77 Reed Road
Hudson, MA  01749-2895