Flash Cache - What is it?

[WessexWyvern]

Hi - I''m considering replacing the HDD in HP ENVy 17  141na and am doing a little research before doing so. Some of the retailers claim it has an 8gb SSD as well as a 1TB HDD, while others don't.

I've been looking at the specs on the HP website and it says it has an 8GB FLASH CACHE and further research says that;

"Flash cache is the temporary storage of data on NAND flash memory chips to enable requests for data to be fulfilled with greater speed....A flash cache is often used in tandem with slower hard disk drives (HDDs) to improve data access times. The form factor of the NAND flash is typically a solid-state drive (SSD), a PCI Express (PCIe) card or a DIMM-based flash device installed in a server's memory sockets. "

Does this mean that upgrading to an SSD will have limited effect (bearing in mind I will only be using it to store the OS and a few programs like Photoshop on it with all my working files going onto the 1TB HDD or am I barking up the wrong tree here.

All advicde greatly appreciated.

Chris

[Huffer · Accepted solution]

The NAND flash cache is actually built into the hard drive I am almost sure. If you can go into device manager and post the device description of the hard drive I can confirm. That means when you remove the hard drive you will also remove the "flash cache". While hard drives with flash cache and mSATA mSSD accelrator cache drives improve performance they ain't nothing like a pure SSD main drive. The flash cache and other similar arrangements cannot speed up sustained read/write operations like an SSD. 

[WessexWyvern]

I don't have the machine available to post the specs however, "they ain't nothing like a pure SSD main drive." is exactly what I needed to know. Thanks