Windows Readyboost ?
 

Hi all,
I'm facing the problem of giving couple of laptops an overhaul to add some "bang" to them. They are all Intel T7200 @2.00 Ghz with 2 Gb ram and currently running XP. I know that adding some ram would be a good way to improve their performance.

The idea that I got was to do a clean install of Win7 and add a SD (2 Gb) card configured for Readyboost.

So the question is does ReadyBoost work ?.

Yours
Zweiblumen

I run Compaq laptop with an AMD Athlon dual-core 2GHz processor with 2GB of ram. I run Windows 7 Home Premium.

I took and unused 2GB SD card and have been using it for readyboost for a couple of months. My overall reaction is "meh". If you're expecting a "wow, that is much faster now" then don't use it. But I can see a little improvement in some apps like photo editing.

The read/write light on the card reader lets me know when their is activity, but I have yet to notice any kind of trend.

I don't care for readyboost. I think it's mostly a gimmick, and in some cases it can actually slow programs down.

It does almost always improve boot times, though.

Here's some testing that was done a while back:

ActiveWin.com: Windows Vista ReadyBoost Test Round-Up - Review

Yeah, readyboost isn't so hot. Nice in theory, but the practical truth is that Flash drives aren't fast enough to offer substantial benefits.

A T7200 with 2 GB RAM ought to have plenty of bang as it is for most day-to-day tasks. You could add another 2 GB RAM, but depending on the config that could be pricey (2x2GB SoDIMMs are going for ~$100 right now).

Honestly, I think your best first step is to just start with a fresh windows install. You can also use nlite to remove some of the extra crap Windows normally installs. See how that does, then start considering upgrade paths.

The laptops you're upgrading to 7 sound similar in specs to mine. I have 7 Professional; I tried ReadyBoost and didn't notice any difference.

Thanks to you all for your input.
Since these machines all have SD card readers I just wondered if that could be used to gain performance cheaply.

Based on that and the experience with those laptops running XP Pro I think that the Win7 and faster HD would be the best option.

Yours
ZB.