Korean Job Discussion Forums

Hater Depot · Joined: 29 Mar 2005

I know it's possible to boot from a USB device, right? Does this mean it's possible to build a quieter system by forgoing a hard drive and just using, say, a 16GB thumb drive?

bellum99 · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: don't need to know

I never thought about it...that is a good question. I have no answer but am waiting to hear from someone else.

SuperHero · Joined: 10 Dec 2003 Location: Superhero Hideout

jvalmer · Joined: 06 Jun 2003

Problem with USB as your main hard disk is that USB drives have limited memory cycles. About a million read/write cycles. For one user it "maybe" sufficient, but for a computer used for business not to practical.

As for a hard disk, you can read/write on a hard disk until it physically stops working.

Demophobe · Joined: 17 May 2004

jvalmer · Joined: 06 Jun 2003

Let me clear things up. As booting a system from a USB flash memory device, it's fine. But using a USB flash memory device, as a replacement for a spinning hard drive, not practical yet. Because flash memory has a finite read/write cycle.

Demophobe · Joined: 17 May 2004

I thought you were implying it couldn't be done. Sorry...

thebum · Joined: 09 Jan 2005 Location: North Korea

first, your motherboard has to support it. most old mobos don't; new ones do.

secondly, as mentioned, it would wear out your flash drive. that's why if you plan to do it, you should set it up so your whole OS is loaded to memory, or at least so that there is nothing written to your flash drive (unless you change your system settings). there are *nix distros which do this.

Delirium's Brother · Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 5:25 am Post subject: