title: MySQL: What is the key buffer
body: <p>I'm trying to tweak my MySQL server to fit my needs... and I have a basic question: What is the key buffer?</p>
  
  <p>Through try and error I've found that a bigger key buffer makes my inserts faster... but I don't quite understand what it is. So... before I make something I might regret, I'd like to know what it is, and how it works.</p>
  
  <p>The script I'm running (MyISAM tables) is making about 2000 inserts per second.</p>
  
  <p>(My server setup is Intel i7, 8GB RAM, CentOS 5.5, MySQL Server 5.0.)</p>