Windows NT4/2000/XP has a much better Disk Cache handling as Windows 95-ME. Windows NT4/2000/XP uses certain criteria to decide how to prioritize memory usage between the Disk Cache and applications. This dynamic allocation process is a continual juggling act. Four configuration presets are available.
Minimize memory used
This setting minimizes the amount of memory used for the Disk Cache in order to maximize the amount of memory available for applications. This is the default setting for Windows NT Workstation and Windows 2000 Professional.
Balance
This setting instructs Windows to give the Disk Cache and applications the same priority.
Maximize throughput for file sharing
The Disk Cache gets a higher priority with this preset. It should be the best for file servers and workstations with very high I/O activity.
Maximize throughput for network applications
This setting instructs Windows to give applications higher priority. It should be the best preset for application servers.
Icon Cache
Every executable file has an icon associated with it. Every time the shell displays a folder full of files it needs to obtain icons for each of those items. By saving icons that it has already retrieved into a cache, the shell is relieved of the need to constantly retrieve icons from executable files and icon libraries. This can make a vast difference to system performance, especially when accessing network drives.
After changing this setting you need to reboot at least 2 times until it becomes effective, but since it's not a critical setting Cacheman will not ask you on exit to reboot.