FAT32 or NTFS?

Bires · 03-10-2002, 11:02 AM

For those running Win2k and WinXP, which type of file system are you using?

And, for those running NTFS, when you build a boot disk in Win2k/XP, is the boot disk able to read NTFS drives in DOS?

bachviet · 03-10-2002, 12:10 PM

I only wanna use FAT32 if I dual boot with WinXP/2K and Win98SE!

hapoo · 03-10-2002, 01:00 PM

i use ntfs because of stability/encryption and other reasons but its much slower.

xsiled2 · 03-10-2002, 02:15 PM

<CF> 512mb is the bare minimum </CF>

Jeffbx · 03-10-2002, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by hapoo
i use ntfs because of stability/encryption and other reasons but its much slower.

NTFS is only slower on small drives (8gb & smaller).

On a nice big drive, NTFS is faster.

Unless you're dual booting, there is really no reason to use FAT32.

hapoo · 03-10-2002, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jeffbx

NTFS is only slower on small drives (8gb & smaller).

I'm listening

but why?

Bires · 03-10-2002, 05:28 PM

So, on a 40G drive that is partitioned to 8G, 13G, 8G, which would be faster?

03-10-2002, 05:43 PM

i just recently switched to xp exclusivly and now use only ntfs on that computer. my other box is a 2k/98se and cant use ntfs

jo_gara · 03-10-2002, 05:53 PM

NTFS though strange sounds almost "cool" Fat32 sounds oldschool and yes should be used for dual booting

NTFS i've noticed runs a bit slower but the stability is awesome...so awesome that when i bumped my tower it didn't fall over

Hoser · 03-10-2002, 07:57 PM

I like the fact that with NTFS, a 40GB drive will have a 4K cluster size. With FAT32, the cluster size is 32K. If you have a lot of smaller files you'll waste space with a large cluster size.

Heihachi · 03-10-2002, 11:55 PM

So odd.. I get more problems w/ NTFS... seems to cause my comps to jack up.

Hiro · 03-11-2002, 12:52 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by hapoo
i use ntfs because of stability/encryption and other reasons...

Jeffbx · 03-11-2002, 06:56 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by hapoo
I'm listening

but why?

Here's a good article on it -

http://www.microsoft.com/hwdev/tech/...sp#Performance

OC · 03-11-2002, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DarkFury
I've been using FAT32 since I got WinXP... been too chicken to switch to NTFS.

Will NTFS affect things like gaming? I just wasn't sure so I went with the status quo. BTW, nothing has gone wrong with my PC with FAT32... so now I wonder if I am best just leavin' it alone

"If it ain't broke... don't fix it"?

It will have no affect on gaming. NTFS is simply (internally) more secure than FAT32. For example - if the power dies, you are less likely to lose data if you have NTFS than with FAT32.

-OC

hapoo · 03-11-2002, 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DarkFury

"If it ain't broke... don't fix it"?

yeah i wish i thought that way, woulda saved me many reinstalls.

Bires · 03-12-2002, 01:31 PM

I currently have my HD split into three parts: productivity, media, and games. In that nifty NTFS article, it mentions that WinXP only optimizes programs on discs that are whole, nonpartitioned. I wonder if it would be worth it (as fast or faster) to rebuild the disk as one 40G drive, with all my clipart and media on the same disc as my OS and games.

BTW: Thanks for all the info...I love G|A forums.

Paymaster · 03-12-2002, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DarkFury

"If it ain't broke... don't fix it"?

Unless there is a newer BIOS available... or an upgrade for that graphics card driver... or a new CDRW firmware... obviously you gotta have that. I wouldn't be able to sleep at night knowing that I wasn't on "the latest".

03-12-2002, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Paymaster

Unless there is a newer BIOS available... or an upgrade for that graphics card driver... or a new CDRW firmware... obviously you gotta have that. I wouldn't be able to sleep at night knowing that I wasn't on "the latest".

sometimes the latest isnt the greatest. you never know whats going to be in the latest firmware. for example, in cdrw drives, sometimes along with any fixes, you may get a patch to stop people from burning copy protected software. you never know

Hoser · 03-12-2002, 04:10 PM

Most of the sites where I download my BIOS updates (motherboard, CDRW, etc.) say not to update the BIOS unless you have a problem with the current one. I only update if I'm having problems.

OC · 03-12-2002, 07:07 PM

Speaking of the BIOS, that $60 I spent on my custom BIOS was worth every penny.

-OC

bachviet · 03-12-2002, 10:10 PM

I have the IBM 60GXP 40GB 7200RPM hard drive (no partition on WinXP) and I got a pretty low score comparing to other 40GB 7200RPM out there (Maxtor, WD, and etc)! Here is my score using PCMark2002:

CPU: 4587
Memory: 3346
HDD: 609

Should I partition my drive to get better speed??? I defragged my drive before the benchmark and actually got a lower score (vs. 647 before defrag)!

View Poll Results: Which File System do you use?
FAT32	3	15.00%
NTFS	17	85.00%
Voters: 20. You may not vote on this poll

03-10-2002, 11:02 AM	#1
Bires Admiral Join Date: May 2000 Posts: 5,064	FAT32 or NTFS? For those running Win2k and WinXP, which type of file system are you using? And, for those running NTFS, when you build a boot disk in Win2k/XP, is the boot disk able to read NTFS drives in DOS? __________________ Five years...

03-10-2002, 12:10 PM	#2
bachviet What's Da Pho*? Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: SoCal (714) Posts: 13,296	Re: FAT32 or NTFS? I only wanna use FAT32 if I dual boot with WinXP/2K and Win98SE! __________________ Dell Dimension 9200 \| Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 (2.4GHz) \| 4x1GB DDR2 \| 256MB nVidia GeForce 8800GT Dell Studio 17 \| Intel Core i7-720QM (1.6GHz) \| 2x2GB DDR3 1066MHz \| 1GHz ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650 Intel P4-C 3.0GHz \| ECS 865PE-A \| 3x512MB PC3200 \| 128MB PNY GeForce 6600GT

03-10-2002, 01:00 PM	#3
hapoo Fleet Admiral Join Date: Jan 2000 Location: 742 Evergreen Terrace, Springfield USA Posts: 9,276	i use ntfs because of stability/encryption and other reasons but its much slower. __________________

03-10-2002, 05:28 PM	#7
Bires Admiral Join Date: May 2000 Posts: 5,064	Speed... So, on a 40G drive that is partitioned to 8G, 13G, 8G, which would be faster?

03-10-2002, 02:15 PM	#4
xsiled2 Vice Admiral Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: bye Posts: 4,090	<CF> 512mb is the bare minimum </CF>

03-10-2002, 05:43 PM	#8
TommyBoomfiger Posts: n/a	i just recently switched to xp exclusivly and now use only ntfs on that computer. my other box is a 2k/98se and cant use ntfs

03-10-2002, 05:53 PM	#9
jo_gara Plebe Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 1	Worlds are crashing down around me NTFS though strange sounds almost "cool" Fat32 sounds oldschool and yes should be used for dual booting NTFS i've noticed runs a bit slower but the stability is awesome...so awesome that when i bumped my tower it didn't fall over __________________ What does this word "upgrade" mean

03-10-2002, 07:57 PM	#10
Hoser Commander Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Omaha, NE, United States Posts: 1,275	I like the fact that with NTFS, a 40GB drive will have a 4K cluster size. With FAT32, the cluster size is 32K. If you have a lot of smaller files you'll waste space with a large cluster size.

03-10-2002, 11:55 PM	#11
Heihachi Lieutenant Commander Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: La Crescenta, CA, USA Posts: 676	So odd.. I get more problems w/ NTFS... seems to cause my comps to jack up.

03-12-2002, 01:31 PM	#16
Bires Admiral Join Date: May 2000 Posts: 5,064	What about partitioning...? I currently have my HD split into three parts: productivity, media, and games. In that nifty NTFS article, it mentions that WinXP only optimizes programs on discs that are whole, nonpartitioned. I wonder if it would be worth it (as fast or faster) to rebuild the disk as one 40G drive, with all my clipart and media on the same disc as my OS and games. BTW: Thanks for all the info...I love G\|A forums.

03-12-2002, 04:10 PM	#19
Hoser Commander Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Omaha, NE, United States Posts: 1,275	Most of the sites where I download my BIOS updates (motherboard, CDRW, etc.) say not to update the BIOS unless you have a problem with the current one. I only update if I'm having problems.

03-12-2002, 07:07 PM	#20
OC the admiral formerly known as overclocked Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Outside the mainstream Posts: 5,922	Speaking of the BIOS, that $60 I spent on my custom BIOS was worth every penny. -OC

03-12-2002, 10:10 PM	#21
bachviet What's Da Pho*? Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: SoCal (714) Posts: 13,296	I have the IBM 60GXP 40GB 7200RPM hard drive (no partition on WinXP) and I got a pretty low score comparing to other 40GB 7200RPM out there (Maxtor, WD, and etc)! Here is my score using PCMark2002: CPU: 4587 Memory: 3346 HDD: 609 Should I partition my drive to get better speed??? I defragged my drive before the benchmark and actually got a lower score (vs. 647 before defrag)!

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