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Article View: comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc
Article #5395

Refreshing RAM slooows down diskette operation? Huh?

#5395
From: Jaap Verhage
Date: Tue, 11 Dec 1990 22:24
25 lines
1799 bytes
I've got a strange little problem - to me, that is. A while ago, I
ftp'ed some of the RAM refresh rate-twiddling programs from Simtel.
The idea is that by refreshing your RAM chips less often than the
standard rate for your PC, you cut down on CPU overhead, thus
increasing the speed at which the thing operates - seemingly, at
least. Don't expect anything gorgeous - if speed increases by
anything like 5 % or a bit more, that's it. Still, every little bit
helps, and I like fooling around, so I tried. The Landmark test for
CPU speed showed my work-based Olivetti M28, a 8-MHz AT, to start
running at 8.5 MHz; my home-based Laser AT went from 11.6 to 12.5
MHz. Wow! You can imagine I noticed this *instantly* in running
applications :-). But. The Laser's 5.25" HD diskettedrive came up
with horrendously long seek times on disks! The Olivetti had no
problems at all. Seek times on the Laser's diskettes grew as I
cranked up the speed of the CPU by lowering the RAM refresh rates.
Now what *is* this?
May be stuff for a nice little discussion. If you don't think so,
but do have suggestions, email me and I'll summarize. Thanks for
your time and trouble.

-- 
Regards, Jaap.

Jaap Verhage, Academic Computer Centre, State University at Utrecht, Holland.
jaapv@cc.ruu.nl      +<-*|*->+      I claim *every*thing and speak for myself
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From: jaapv@accucx.cc.ruu.nl (Jaap Verhage)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc,comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Refreshing RAM slooows down diskette operation? Huh?
Keywords: RAM refresh rates, diskette seek times
Message-ID: <995@accucx.cc.ruu.nl>
Date: 11 Dec 90 22:24:20 GMT
Followup-To: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Organization: Academic Computer Centre Utrecht
Lines: 25