Fat 32 or NTFS

woodchip · Post by **woodchip** » Sun Feb 01, 2004 8:47 am

Performance wise (as in gaming) is the fat32 system with its 64k cluster size faster for gaming than NTFS with its 4k cluster size. I realize 4k clusters are a more efficient venue for maximising HD space but I'm not sure as to how it relates to transfer rate.

woodchip · Post by **woodchip** » Sun Feb 01, 2004 9:33 am

I went here:

http://www.anandtech.com/guides/viewfaq.html?i=63

and got my questions answered.

Since I am trying to segregate my 2 HD's, I will use fat32 on the smaller drive with win98 and go NTFS on the larger 160g drive with winxp. The larger drive will be for the newest games and the smaller one for basic internet cruising, a dos based CAD proggy and D3.
BTW, does D3 even operate under NTFS?

Just a thought, if under the win xp HD setup, could a 4th partition be set as fat 32 (yes) and have DOS 5 installed on it AND be accessable through the winxp o.s.?

Forgive my thinking out loud...just a habit of mine

Gammaray · Post by **Gammaray** » Sun Feb 01, 2004 10:01 am

Yes, D3 operates just fine under NTFS.

Tricord · Post by **Tricord** » Sun Feb 01, 2004 10:18 am

In fact, if you have an OS that supports NTFS you have to be really stupid to use the inferior FAT32 instead...
It's only there for compatibility reasons, so if you can help it, stick with NTFS.

Capm · Post by **Capm** » Sun Feb 01, 2004 10:32 am

NTFS is less prone to errors too.

Krom · Post by **Krom** » Sun Feb 01, 2004 12:02 pm

* Seconds Xciter.

woodchip · Post by **woodchip** » Sun Feb 01, 2004 12:05 pm

Win 98se can read NTFS?

Mobius · Post by **Mobius** » Sun Feb 01, 2004 12:32 pm

nope.

MD-2389 · Post by **MD-2389** » Sun Feb 01, 2004 12:46 pm

That is unless you feel like shelling out some cash...

Top Wop · Post by **Top Wop** » Sun Feb 01, 2004 5:04 pm

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Arial" size="3">Originally posted by MD-2389:
That is unless you feel like shelling out some cash...</font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

...and where would this cash-shelling be directed to?

Flatlander · Post by **Flatlander** » Sun Feb 01, 2004 6:21 pm

http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freew ... in98.shtml

Mobius · Post by **Mobius** » Sun Feb 01, 2004 8:06 pm

Man - SYSINTERNALS are TEH MEN!

Those guys got some kickass proggies. I use "Process Explorer" constantly - and it rocks.