Does ReadyBoost make games run faster?

It’s a question that’s often asked: will ReadyBoost in Windows Vista make games run faster? But, I’ve yet to come across a definitive answer, so I thought I’d try finding out myself.

There are those that say that it helps, and those that feel it actually hurts gaming performance, but what would a rigorous 3D test reveal?

To perform the test, I used the following:

• PC: Pentium 4 single core processor @ 3.2GHz with 1GB RAM and an NVIDIA Geforce 7600 GS 256MB graphics card
• ReadyBoost drive: Corsair TurboFlash 1GB
• Games: F.E.A.R, Half Life 2: Episode One, and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

To find out how fast the games are, both with and without a ReadyBoost drive attached, I used an fps benchmark program called Fraps (www.fraps.com), and measured frames per second for each of the above games. Four performance tests were carried out on every game, each lasting 60 seconds, and they were measured at identical points in the game. F.E.A.R’s graphics were set at medium detail, at 1024 x 768 resolution, while Episode One and Oblivion were set at their highest detail, at 1280 x 1024 resolution.

F.E.A.R

Frames per second without ReadyBoost:

Minimum: 29, 30, 30, 29

Average: 50, 51, 51, 51

Maximum: 90, 86, 90, 91

Frames per second with ReadyBoost:

Minimum: 27, 29, 30, 30

Average: 48, 51, 51, 51

Maximum: 86, 87, 94, 89

With the ReadyBoost drive plugged in, there was very little difference in performance, although at one point, fps peaked, giving the highest score in all the tests. ReadyBoost certainly didn’t hinder F.E.A.R’s performance in any way, but the results may have suggested that its graphics engine wasn’t taxing the system enough to take advantage of it.

Half Life 2: Episode One

Frames per second without ReadyBoost:

Minimum: 4, 0, 1, 7

Average: 20, 21, 19, 23

Maximum: 31, 36, 36, 37

Frames per second with ReadyBoost:

Minimum: 1, 8, 16, 14

Average: 21, 26, 28, 29

Maximum: 36, 36, 36, 36

Episode One’s source engine saw the biggest gain using ReadyBoost, and you could even feel a noticeable difference in-game. Apart from one instance, frame rates never dropped below 8 fps, and during one test it never went further than 16 fps. Without ReadyBoost, Oblivion struggled, with a low 7 fps minimum. On average, Episode One was faster with ReadyBoost, and although it didn’t get the highest frame rate, it was more consistent. Considering Half Life’s Source engine is the oldest one here, it saw the biggest performance gain using ReadyBoost.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

Frames per second without ReadyBoost:

Minimum: 12, 10, 9, 10

Average: 22, 29, 28, 30

Maximum: 62, 63, 64, 63

Frames per second with ReadyBoost:

Minimum: 8, 11, 10, 7

Average: 33, 30, 31, 28

Maximum: 63, 63, 63, 63

Oblivion exhibited a performance similar to that of F.E.A.R’s. With the ReadyBoost drive attached it wasn’t any faster, although on average it did seem a little more consistent. During gameplay, there didn’t appear to be much difference with or without ReadyBoost enabled.