Will ReadyBoost work with the 2nd HDD.

I am considering converting my Laptops DVD/ BluRay read writer into a second HDD ( by actually using the original 500GB HDD).
But - Will ReadyBoost work when that drive is in use?

I have already converted the primary drive bay to use my Samsung 850 EVO SSD, and ReadyBoost was automatically disabled [By Windows?] . I understand this is normal, as Windows "knows" there is no point in activating ReadyB oost , as the Samsung SSD will be quicker than using USB 3.0 Ram.

Hence my question, namely if I convert the ODD into a second disk, by using the the original 500 GB 3 Gb/ s [Sata II] HDD, will ReadyBoost work when I am accessing that slower drive? I have bought a fast USB 3.0 130 MB/s Sandisk USB Stick,?

Any ideas?
Or will that also not work, as Windows knows there is a fast SSD installed.

No.

I have an Asus G75 with two drive bays. I recently installed a Western Digital Black 2 (120 GB SSD and 1TB Hard drive in a single enclosure) in the first bay and a 1 TB Seagate in the second.

This makes my setup functionally similar to what you are proposing.

I have an 8 GB card in the card slot on the computer. It has always been used for Readyboost in the past.

On seeing your question, I checked the readyboost on the card. I get the following:

"Speed up your system by utilizing the available space on this device.
This device cannot be used for Readyboost.
Readyboost is not enabled on this computer because the system disk is fast enough that Readyboost is unlikely to provide additional benefit."

Also, from TechNet magazine:
"If the system drive (the primary drive, with Windows system files on it) is a solid-state drive (SSD), ReadyBoost is disabled, since reading from that drive would be at least as fast as reading from the ReadyBoost drive"

Finally, you may not see a big hit on performance if you keep your non-SSD drive defragmented. From MSDN Blogs:
"ReadyBoost includes logic that recognizes large, sequential read requests and has the hard disk service these requests"

Assuming you use the SSD for applications and the HDD for bulk storage, I doubt you'd see any performance benefit to using ReadyBoost anyway.

Ancient Mariner wrote in post #17683917
No.

I have an Asus G75 with two drive bays. I recently installed a Western Digital Black 2 (120 GB SSD and 1TB Hard drive in a single enclosure) in the first bay and a 1 TB Seagate in the second.

This makes my setup functionally similar to what you are proposing.

I have an 8 GB card in the card slot on the computer. It has always been used for Readyboost in the past.

On seeing your question, I checked the readyboost on the card. I get the following:

"Speed up your system by utilizing the available space on this device.
This device cannot be used for Readyboost.
Readyboost is not enabled on this computer because the system disk is fast enough that Readyboost is unlikely to provide additional benefit."

Also, from TechNet magazine:
"If the system drive (the primary drive, with Windows system files on it) is a solid-state drive (SSD), ReadyBoost is disabled, since reading from that drive would be at least as fast as reading from the ReadyBoost drive"

Finally, you may not see a big hit on performance if you keep your non-SSD drive defragmented. From MSDN Blogs:
"ReadyBoost includes logic that recognizes large, sequential read requests and has the hard disk service these requests"

Thanks for checking that out. I had a suspicion it might not work, but nice to know its not worth spending time trying to make something work, that can not work.

My initial thoughts were, the OS and Applications run on the SSD, which also hosts any images I am working on. But when I have finished editing that shoot , I would copy the whole shoot say 400 to 500 images to the HDD; as a sort of initial backup, and also to keep theSSD as empty as possible. This copy task is quite onerous - and I had hoped the ReadyBoost feature, might have acted a bit like the SS element in a Hybrid drive, or a sort of cache.
Obviously thats not going to happen.

Submariner wrote in post #17684252
My initial thoughts were, the OS and Applications run on the SSD, which also hosts any images I am working on. But when I have finished editing that shoot , I would copy the whole shoot say 400 to 500 images to the HDD; as a sort of initial backup, and also to keep theSSD as empty as possible. This copy task is quite onerous - and I had hoped the ReadyBoost feature, might have acted a bit like the SS element in a Hybrid drive, or a sort of cache.
Obviously thats not going to happen.

Just use the hard drive and take the performance hit. I've tried the same thing, copying a LOT of large files to the SDD, processing them through photoshop automated processes and then moving them back to the storage drive. The speed increase in processing does not make up the time lost copying to and from the SSD.

Another reason not to do that is that the SSD has a "limited" number of read/write cycles before it wears out. The number is huge and nothing that would affect you in your lifetime probably. I seem to remember the tests were run on servers banging away at the drives 24/7 and the mean time between failure was predicted to be something like 7 years based on mathematical predictions from the sample drives.

Ancient Mariner wrote in post #17684658
Just use the hard drive and take the performance hit. I've tried the same thing, copying a LOT of large files to the SDD, processing them through photoshop automated processes and then moving them back to the storage drive. The speed increase in processing does not make up the time lost copying to and from the SSD.

Another reason not to do that is that the SSD has a "limited" number of read/write cycles before it wears out. The number is huge and nothing that would affect you in your lifetime probably. I seem to remember the tests were run on servers banging away at the drives 24/7 and the mean time between failure was predicted to be something like 7 years based on mathematical predictions from the sample drives.

I can see your point, but my back up routine is, copy CF card to the SSD, then copy from that to the HDD. Do my editing on the SSD and copy the results to the HDD ( basically as I leave the room) then copy that to one of those cheapo WD USB 3.0 2 TB external drives. ( basically before another break ). Then I can format the CF Card. So there are always a minimum of 2 copies on 2 different disks .
Er I had a bad experience of an 6 hour shoot and lost the lot due to a cf failure!!! The model was so pissed off!
Never again!
On the new workstation all drives will be SSDs, so much wuicker.
Yep I get your point about wearing out SSDs but the second and 3rd drive on the workstation will cost £260 in total, so if they burn out in 4 years so be it. We are talking £45 a year possibly they will last 8 years so £22 a year.