Intel Smart Response SSD cache marketing is misleading?

[fpbear]

I was planning to use my extra SSD as a cache to speed up my data drive (I have two SSDs.. one for Win7, another I wanted to be for the cache), but when I enable acceleration in the Intel Rapid Storage Technology, it only lets me select the Windows SSD on Port 1 and warns that if I continue the entire SSD will be erased. I wanted to use the extra blank SSD on Port 2. It doesn't display that one as an option. Is Intel Smart Response limited to speeding up the Windows boot drive only? That is so useless.. WTF! If someone wants to speed up the boot drive, then what's the point of using a regular mechanical drive, stick the entire Windows on an SSD in the first place. Intel Smart Response would be more useful for speeding up huge data drives because SSD storage is expensive. Intel is not clarifying this severe limitation in all their marketing. Or am I missing something?

 

[Dereck47]

Is Intel Smart Response limited to speeding up the Windows boot drive only? That is so useless.. WTF!

Yes, that is what Intel SRT is for.
It is for people who want to give a performance boost to a large capacity HDD with an O/S installed on it.

If someone wants to speed up the boot drive, then what's the point of using a regular mechanical drive, stick the entire Windows on an SSD in the first place.

A lot of people can’t fit their O/S and most frequently used programs on a small (64GB and less) SSD.

Intel Smart Response would be more useful for speeding up huge data drives because SSD storage is expensive.

Exactly. That’s the purpose of a cache drive. To give "SSD-like" performance to people who can’t afford a large (120GB or more) SSD.

That’s why Intel SRT works only with SSDs 64GB and less. If you can afford a SSD larger than 64GB then you don’t need cache.

 

[fpbear]

Best answer selected by fpbear.