7zip compression times

[AnotherMuggle]

I am compressing some large directories (5.4GB) using the default 7zip settings and 'm getting an estimated time of 20mins.

So...the CPU isn't running flat out, the RAM has plenty of free space available and the hard drive isn't thrashing...so what warrants that amount of time?

Am I overlooking some crucial aspect that slows the process down? From where I'm standing it looks like the RAM can hold more, the CPU can computer more and HDD can access more, so what exactly slows things down?

Any ideas?

Cheers,
Tom

[Force Flow]

HDD access, probably. 5.4GB in 20 min is very quick. I don't at all see a problem with that.

[AnotherMuggle]

Originally Posted by Force Flow HDD access, probably. 5.4GB in 20 min is very quick. I don't at all see a problem with that.

The 7zip file has an on disk size of less than 1.5GB and it completed within the estimated 20mins so I'm certainly not complaining. Just wondered to myself, nothing is apparently being bombarded so how come it doesn't just go faster.

[EzyStvy]

Using the standard Windows send to compress file will be a lot faster...it just doesn't compress them as much...

[Force Flow]

Really? I've seen the built-in compression tool go about 10 times slower than 3rd party compression tools. It's a dog for anything that's reasonably large.

Also, with 3rd part compression tools, you can control the compression level. Less compression = shorter processing time