Path: csiph.com!newsfeed.hal-mli.net!feeder3.hal-mli.net!border3.nntp.dca.giganews.com!backlog3.nntp.dca3.giganews.com!Xl.tags.giganews.com!border1.nntp.dca.giganews.com!nntp.giganews.com!local2.nntp.dca.giganews.com!nntp.posted.gcicommunications!news.posted.gcicommunications.POSTED!not-for-mail NNTP-Posting-Date: Sat, 28 Jun 2014 16:00:00 -0500 Newsgroups: alt.comp.periphs.hdd,comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage,comp.sys.mac.hardware.storage,comp.os.linux.hardware,comp.os.linux.setup Subject: Re: Is it true that it is a bad idea to put a swap/pagefile on a SSD? References: <280620141511008709%nospam@nospam.invalid> <874mz496r6.fld@barrow.com> <280620141555147959%nospam@nospam.invalid> From: floyd@apaflo.com (Floyd L. Davidson) Organization: __________ Date: Sat, 28 Jun 2014 12:59:53 -0800 Message-ID: <87vbrk7nsm.fld@barrow.com> User-Agent: gnus 5.10.6/XEmacs 21.4.15/Linux 2.6.19 Cancel-Lock: sha1:r9lEyLFAaKvSK5jeH7U8SduHTI8= MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Lines: 98 X-Usenet-Provider: http://www.giganews.com NNTP-Posting-Host: 24.237.125.254 X-Trace: sv3-wEyZF7hw2Q8UBq45bfM1HVG9jsNx+7ZNP6zuYXwJJNlLnNlL6/P5HW2taPvI8Oxu7RL/VHEzdTRZ3GE!PDfdLTgDH31V5Z1wyDUpVwKC8KaIrAh8RtHlggc7myNE9J64dJ+FVO+qLrd7scEgIOustmIl X-Abuse-and-DMCA-Info: Please be sure to forward a copy of ALL headers X-Abuse-and-DMCA-Info: Otherwise we will be unable to process your complaint properly X-Postfilter: 1.3.40 X-Original-Bytes: 5055 Xref: csiph.com comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage:5554 comp.sys.mac.hardware.storage:446 comp.os.linux.hardware:2459 comp.os.linux.setup:3628 nospam wrote: >In article <874mz496r6.fld@barrow.com>, Floyd L. Davidson > wrote: > >> > >> >> Because that wears out the SSD quickly, and it is better to put it on a >> >> slow HDD. If so, then how do computer (especially laptop/notebook) users >> >> with only a SSD (not hybrids with HDDs) do this? I assume Windows, Mac >> >> OS X, and Linux follow this rule? >> > >> >ssd doesn't wear out that quickly and you'll probably replace the >> >computer before the ssd wears out, even with swap on it. >> >> "Even" with swap? Swapping is something that should be >> relatively rare. > >nonsense. swapping happens as a matter of course on any desktop/laptop >system because physical memory is always limited. Only with a poorly designed system. The only time swap is written to on any of my systems is shortly after a reboot, as essentially unused memory is swapped out to provide more space in RAM. >> It's there to prevent a major disaster >> on the odd occasion when there isn't enough memory. > >odd occasion?? there is never enough physical memory unless you don't >do much of anything with the computer. There are lots of systems that have enough RAM installed to simply not need any installed swap space. That RAM is typically used as buffering for disk reads, so the more there is the faster the system appears to be. But one effect is that there is virtually always enough RAM for program execution (generally with many GB more available at any given moment). Computers that "don't do much of anything" don't need or use that type of effective design. But those with real loads do. >> The >> oddness of those occasions should result in minisule >> wear on the swap device. > >an ssd can easily handle swap without any issue. there is no need to >worry about ssd longevity anymore. ssds are *extremely* reliable and >smoking fast and will almost certainly outlast the computer. That is true enough, but has zero significance. Putting money into an SSD to use as swap space is hilarously lacking in understanding. >> In effect, it is not sound policy to use an expensive >> fast device for swap, as the benefit is just exceedingly >> small. > >nonsense. > >putting swap on ssd is a *huge* boost to overall system speed. the >difference is *dramatic*. Not if the system is properly designed. >and ssds are not that expensive anymore either, plus they're completely >silent and not susceptible to shock or sudden motion (not that that's a >big issue with shock sensors but it's not zero either). Again, quite true but of no significance. >> >some ssds even have 10 year warranties. good luck finding a hard drive >> >with a warranty anywhere near that long. >> >> True, which just adds to reasons for doing the right thing >> in the first place. > >with rare exception, the right thing is use ssd for the system, apps & >user data, especially with a computer designed *for* ssd. Exactly. Not for swap space. >a hard drive is well suited for data that is less commonly accessed >and/or doesn't need speed and/or the cost would be prohibitive due to >its size, such as a media library. "less commonly accessed" describes swap space. >however, the key here is that worrying about 'burning out' an ssd due >to excessive use is a myth. it's actually the other way around. a hard >drive will wear out sooner because it has moving parts. Which isn't of significance for swap space. -- Floyd L. Davidson http://www.apaflo.com/ Ukpeagvik (Barrow, Alaska) floyd@apaflo.com