For the purposes of this document, we will be using 7-Zip's own 7z archive format
Dictates the amount the file(s) should be compressed, on a scale from Store (no compression, fastest speed) to Ultra (highest compression, slowest speed).
Determines the algorithm to be used in compressing the files. The best algorithm is generally considered to be LZMA2 (Lempel–Ziv–Markov Chain Algorithm version 2).
Dictates the dictionary size to be used when compressing the files.
| Dictionary size | Size of Compressed Archive | Speed to Create Archive | RAM to Compress or Decompress |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small | Large | Fast | Minimal |
| Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| Large | Small | Slow | Maximum |
Dictates the size of "words" to be used when compressing the files. A larger word size results in better compression but causes compression to take longer. The value 64 is typical.
Dictates the maximum size of a solid block, which is a component of compression useful when storing files of similar size.
| Solid Block size | (Approx.) Mode Size of Files to be Archived | Size of Compressed Archive | Speed of Solid Block Extraction | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-solid | N/A | Large | N/A | No solid blocks will be created |
| Small | Small | Large | Fast | Decreased data loss in the event of archive damage |
| Medium | Medium | Medium | Moderate | |
| Large | Large | Small | Slow | Increased data loss in the event of archive damage |
| Solid | Does not matter | Variable | Variable | No limit on solid block size (the blocks may be Non-solid, Small, Medium, or Large) |
Dictates the amount of processing power to be used by the computer to compress the files.
| Number of CPU threads | Archive Size | Speed of Compression |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 2 | Variable | Slower |
| Above 2 | May be larger | Faster |
This guide is still being developed.
Copyright © 2019 Benjamin Zelnick. All Rights Reserved. Permission is granted to non-comercially distribute, modify, and utilize, as long as this copyright notice is preserved and visible on each copy of the document.