Cache means temporary storage, which includes the main memory as well as the prefetch and superfetch functions. Cacheman doesn’t necessarily need it, but it’s “nice to have”.
Unterly experienced Windows users, tuning tools for memory optimization usually have an ambiguous reputation: programs that “only” disable autostarts are considered effective, whereas RAM optimizers are less popular. Some such applications defragment the main memory, which does not have a positive effect. Cacheman stands out from its competitors: The fee-based tool does not defragment the main memory, but takes care of the Windows cache management. In contrast to O&O CleverCache, for example, the tool will be further developed. A plus point is the large range of functions: users change process priorities permanently, clean up the data carrier and check the main memory for errors. With Tweaks, you can change hidden system settings with little effort in many ways in the context of Windows cache management. If you only need a few of the many features, it is worth experimenting with the 30-day trial version (full version price: from around 25 euros, volume discounts possible).
Cacheman: Windows 10 optimize with profiles
According to the manufacturer, Cacheman runs under Windows XP to Windows 10 in the 32- and 64-bit version. We tried the software under Windows 10 64 bit (2004, May 2020 update). The tool promises to significantly accelerate the PC with an auto-optimization. “The best settings from more than a decade of experience” should help you achieve more speed and stability. Profiles are available from which you can choose one after the start: “Maximum speed”, “Maximum stability” (should increase the error tolerance of Windows, but not be used on stable PCs), “Notebook | Netbook” (takes energy consumption into account and heat development), “Games PC”, “Digital Audio Workstation”, “Graphics | CAD Workstation” “Super User” (switches off user account control), “Network server” (for 24/7 operation) and “Tablet” (more responsive for models from Acer Iconia, Lenovo ThinkPad, Dell Latitude and Microsoft Surface Pro). The crown should be put on all of the “The best of all worlds”. The manufacturer stressedto support AMD Ryzen CPUs in addition to Intel Core: e.g. Ryzen 7 CPUs with eight physical and virtual cores each. The profiles are attractive, but are not available in the free version.
Cacheman is rich in features, largely clear and works reliably.
Shovel free memory
The free trial version is convincing apart from the unusable profiles with a large range of functions: At the top, Cacheman visualizes the load on your processor cores and RAM. Probably the most important function is “Recover RAM”: With this the software scooped up memory in the test: Initially 4.2 of 8 gigabytes (GB) of RAM were occupied, then only 2.7 GB. The reduction of the memory load of individual programs also worked reliably: As with the Windows Task Manager, the processes running in the background are listed. With chrome.exe marked, the context command “Reduce RAM consumption” created around 40 megabytes of free memory. Another function that the Windows Task Manager does not offer is “Restart process”: Programs that run unstable are reloaded into the RAM. If you load with a new PID (process ID), unsaved content, for example in the Notepad editor, is lost. It is questionable whether the features mentioned so far provide more speed. A performance injection may offer permanent optimizations: With “Core affinity (sticky)” you assign CPU cores to a process, with “Set priority (sticky)” you assign a performance level like “High”. The tuning is not lost when the process is terminated and restarted. Windows cannot do this.
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Cacheman: test conclusion
Cacheman bundles many useful functions for system optimization. The program is reminiscent of the Task Manager, but goes further in terms of depth. The tool did not make our test device noticeably faster, but created more free RAM memory without much effort. With Process Lasso, for example, you can get changed process settings to apply permanently, but the tool does not have eleven “auto-optimization” profiles. Ten of them are idle in the Cacheman demo, it only provides “Basic Optimization” for free. Cacheman not only brings Windows more stability, but is also quite stable itself; the alternative MzRAM booster sometimes showed error messages on Windows 10 devices. However, instead of running in 64-bit mode, Cacheman only runs with 32-bit processes: This applies to the Cacheman Control Panel and the Cacheman Tray Icons. With PCMark 10 we checked whether the basic profile improves the performance (notebook with i7 CPU, 8 GB RAM, SSD): In three runs before the optimization and in three further runs afterwards, the results were close together within the scope of the measurement inaccuracy . The program does not turn lame PCs into a rocket, but is recommended for lovers of RAM tuning due to the range of functions. Anyone who expects significant performance gains will be disappointed. The software is mature due to the long development time. German-language help would be desirable for a future version: Although it is praiseworthy that a help function including a search function is available, German-language explanations would make it easier for laypeople to access.