RAM Disk or RAM File System: which should I choose?

Hello,

I frequently download files, and I am concerned about the long-term wear on my SSD caused by repeated write operations. To help extend the lifespan of my SSD, would you recommend using a RAM Disk or a RAM-based File System for downloads and temporary files? I would appreciate guidance on which option is more suitable.

Thank you.

Either of our RAM products will help with reducing SSD writes. Both the RAM Disk and the RAM FS keep files in memory, so the write operations caused by downloading and saving files onto an in-RAM volume never touch your SSD.

If you are already using our RAM Disk, there is no need to change anything. It handles this job very well. RAM Disk operates at lower speeds compared to RAM FS, but at the moment is offers greater stability and reliability as it went through years of rigorous testing and incremental improvements.

If you are starting fresh, we suggest trying RAM File System. It is our newer product, and it is faster as it keeps files directly in memory rather than emulating a disk that Windows then has to format and manage. However for downloads you probably won't notice the speed difference - your internet connection will be the limit, not the RAM drive.

One thing to be aware of with downloads especially: anything held in memory disappears when you shut down your computer. It is perfect for temporary files, but if you want to keep your downloads, you should move those files to your physical drive after they finished downloading. You will still get a lot of benefit, because a browser writes the download in lots of small pieces as it arrives and rewrites the pieces that failed to download before. By downloading to a RAM drive and then moving the completed file to an SSD, you will write the entire file to your SSD once, thus still reducing write operations.

To make the best decision, you can try both products before purchasing a licence. Both RAM Disk and RAM FS offer a free 30-day trial. You can install and use them on the same computer at the same time. This way you can base your choice on your personal experience with using the products, and will see for yourself which one suits your needs and your hardware better.

I read about RAM File System that it does not support NTFS. Will it be an issue in my case if I use a RAM disk mainly for:
- Rendering video output
- Downloading high-definition videos

RAM File System is its own file system, purpose-built for memory, rather than NTFS. It supports file and folder permissions in the normal way, so most software cannot tell the difference. The NTFS caveat applies only when something specifically requires an NTFS volume, such as disk imaging or HDD emulation. Video rendering and downloads do not require NTFS.

In fact, your two primary uses are ideal for RAM FS:

• Render output and large downloads are mostly buffered writes, which run on RAM FS about 5 to 10 times faster than on RAM Disk.
• Creating and deleting files is 2 to 3 times faster, as there is no NTFS indexing in the way.
• Copying files within the drive is 3 to 5 times faster.

In addition, RAM FS offers instant copies - something really worth knowing about for working with video. RAM FS can copy a file within the same volume by sharing the memory rather than duplicating it, so copying even a very large render is immediate and uses no extra RAM until you alter any of the copies. On Windows 11 24H2 or later, ordinary Explorer and command-line copies do this by themselves. On 23H2 and Windows 10 they fall back to a normal copy, so that particular benefit needs 24H2.

For full comparison, including where RAM Disk is still the better choice, you can check this article: RAM Disk vs RAM File System.