Should i buy an SSD?

[Musician]

hello everybody
question about the SSDrives... How does it help gamers? i mean, for what should i buy one?
all i do is game\music so should i buy that drive ?
i have a 1TB seagate "7200rpm'' and i planing to buy a 60gb SSD for "C" files

 

[95Viper]

i planing to buy a 60gb SSD for "C" files

Is C:\ going to have Windows OS? I would think bigger... it will need it.
I do a min. of 120gb for an OS drive. Unless, you want to take time to move some things.
This is just from my personal observations of trying 60gb SSDs for the OS drive.

 

[rtwjunkie]

Well, yes, simply for the snappiness of windows operation and other programs you use, as well as boot speed, yes you should get an SSD!! Highly recommend.

With the size of games coming out lately, you'd be hard pressed to put any games on that size SSD, though.

If that's the setup you will have, then install the games on that 1TB Seagate. In which case, you'll see no benefit from the SSD.

With SSD still being rather expensive, they are not cost effective for more than a few games. In any case the only real benefit with using SSD for games is a few seconds quicker loading times at startup and between levels.

As @95Viper said, if you get only 60GB, and have music, I would advise moving your Libraries to another drive after Windows installation.

 

[Pill Monster]

hello everybody
question about the SSDrives... How does it help gamers? i mean, for what should i buy one?
all i do is game\music so should i buy that drive ?
i have a 1TB seagate "7200rpm'' and i planing to buy a 60gb SSD for "C" files

SSD's are best used as an OS drive, not so much for gaming.... So yep SSD for C drive, u can throw your games on the Seagate...

Is C:\ going to have Windows OS? I would think bigger... it will need it.
I do a min. of 120gb for an OS drive. Unless, you want to take time to move some things.
This is just from my personal observations of trying 60gb SSDs for the OS drive.

Windows takes up less than 15GB, a 60GB should be ample.... actually I use a 60GB SSD as well.

If a system managed pagefile is used with tons of RAM or if hibernation is enabled for example, then yeah OS install will become bloated.....but it can be trimmed.

 

[newtekie1]

In this situation, if you have an Intel system, I would recommend using the 60GB SSD as a cache drive for the 1TB Seagate.

 

[trog100]

without a swap file my windows 10 install is around 36 gig with all the basic stuff i need.. it started off at around 16 gig.. my "basic stuff" has added another 20 gig..

i have it on a 126 size ssd.. i keep it this way so as i can make quick C drive system disk back ups..

so with care 64 gig is big enough.. in fact i have an old del browsing machine with win 10 on a 64 gig ssd drive and a win10 to go install on a 32 gig usb drive..

its worth doing because (games apart) you get an easy to back up snappy fast loading operating system..

126 is ideal but 64 gig will do..

trog

 

[Pill Monster]

In this situation, if you have an Intel system, I would recommend using the 60GB SSD as a cache drive for the 1TB Seagate.

Why would he do that when he can install the entire OS on the SSD? Cache drives are old school, they were used when SSD's were only a few GB in size and couldn't hold a Windows installation.

***Windows caches everything in RAM anyway ....check the cached amount in TM after an hour or 2.....

 

[Musician]

thanks for all that, guys.

 

[newtekie1]

Why would he do that when he can install the entire OS on the SSD? Cache drives are old school, they were used when SSD's were only a few GB in size and couldn't hold a Windows installation.

***Windows caches everything in RAM anyway ....check the cached amount in TM after an hour or 2.....

Because then the data most used will be cached to the drive. This include the windows installation as well as the extra things to fill the 60GB. That way the whole 60GB is used and providing benefit instead of just a portion of it for the OS and the rest wasted.

 

[Pill Monster]

Because then the data most used will be cached to the drive. This include the windows installation as well as the extra things to fill the 60GB. That way the whole 60GB is used and providing benefit instead of just a portion of it for the OS and the rest wasted.

That was true when SSD's first hit the market, as they were only around 8-20GB. But now, if the OS and all various program files total 40GB of space on a 60GB SSD, what are you caching from the HDD? There's nothing left to cache.
The remaining files on the HDD will be games or music etc, which don't benefit from fast access the way applications do.
As soon as a file is opened on the HDD it's cached into RAM anyway by the system file manager.....and these days PC's have RAM to burn....

 

[95Viper]

Windows takes up less than 15GB, a 60GB should be ample.... actually I use a 60GB SSD as well.

If a system managed pagefile is used with tons of RAM or if hibernation is enabled for example, then yeah OS install will become bloated.....but it can be trimmed.

Yep, that is basically what I was saying.
Windows may take a 15gb (home)or 20gb (pro) at install... but, it will grow to use more as time rolls by.
Other than, hibernation file and pagefile; if the OP uses the default directories and does not do cleanup every once in a while, move them, or change the pointers to another drive, the default storage folders (music, documents, pictures, videos, log files, saved updates, etc.) may eat up space in no time.
If he adds language packs, Metro apps, app data, the numerous file\data caches\files, and other goodies to the default locations, more space eaten up.
Some programs even default to C: and give no option for anything else.
Considering the slight price difference in the 60gb and larger sizes... it is my opion the OP should look to go larger and be prepared for the unforeseen.

 

[taz420nj]

without a swap file my windows 10 install is around 36 gig with all the basic stuff i need.. it started off at around 16 gig.. my "basic stuff" has added another 20 gig..

i have it on a 126 size ssd.. i keep it this way so as i can make quick C drive system disk back ups..

so with care 64 gig is big enough.. in fact i have an old del browsing machine with win 10 on a 64 gig ssd drive and a win10 to go install on a 32 gig usb drive..

its worth doing because (games apart) you get an easy to back up snappy fast loading operating system..

126 is ideal but 64 gig will do..

trog

Wow. I basically got called an idiot for suggesting 120GB as the minimum in that other thread - with that thread's OP claiming you need 100GB just for windows.. I've also been running a 120GB for years with no issues. 90% of the crap you fill it up with can be either deleted or moved to a network share.

Anyways, did you do an upgrade or clean install of 10? If you upgraded, it's wasting about 10-12GB holding on to the reversion files.. Plus there are at least a couple shadow copies/restore points created as you do updates and install programs, plus the update backups and whatnot. Run disk cleanup/advanced/system and you'll most likely free up at least a few GB. It shouldnt be that big. Fresh installs once cleaned up shouldn't be more than 20 WITH the swap file, and when I create the restore image (Reflect) it compresses down to about 9GB.

 

[Musician]

np i will buy a Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB
at christmas

 

[newtekie1]

That was true when SSD's first hit the market, as they were only around 8-20GB. But now, if the OS and all various program files total 40GB of space on a 60GB SSD, what are you caching from the HDD? There's nothing left to cache.
The remaining files on the HDD will be games or music etc, which don't benefit from fast access the way applications do.
As soon as a file is opened on the HDD it's cached into RAM anyway by the system file manager.....and these days PC's have RAM to burn....

I don't know about you, but I enjoy faster loading times in my games.

Oh, and just FYI, my laptop which has no games at all installed on it and no personal files at all, is currently using 57GB on the 128GB SSD.

 

[Jetster]

I use to make coffee waiting for BF3 to load a map. Now with an SSD I don't have time for coffee

Right now is the time to buy an SSD

 

[manofthem]

@Musician you're going to love having windows and programs installed on an ssd. Going from hdd to ssd is beautiful, so much quicker and more responsive.

I finally got an ssd in the wife's rig after having windows on a hdd for years, and it was glorious! Such a difference

 

[Jetster]

http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/t...0-free-assassins-creed-syndicate-game.217933/

 

[Musician]

@Musician you're going to love having windows and programs installed on an ssd. Going from hdd to ssd is beautiful, so much quicker and more responsive.

I finally got an ssd in the wife's rig after having windows on a hdd for years, and it was glorious! Such a difference

yea yea it is a last decision.. i'm gonna buy that drive

 

[Pill Monster]

I use to make coffee waiting for BF3 to load a map. Now with an SSD I don't have time for coffee

Right now is the time to buy an SSD

That's odd because the slow map loading in BF3 isn't due to the HDD.
https://www.google.co.nz/search?q=B...wSlZVoyqGKPgmAX60ICQAQ#q=bf3+map+loading+slow

I have installed Farcry3, FarCry4, BF3, 4, Crysis 3 GTAV ARMA 2, 3, Fallout 3, NV, Fallout 4, Shogun Total War, Mass Effect 2, 3 on SSD, RAID 0 and a 2TB Seagate.

There's barely any difference bar a few secs loading across all of them.....the slowest was GTA V which took about 45 secs...that was on the Seagate.



Just my experience ofc.... if you got money to burn sure get an SSD for data...otherwise it's not worth the cost imo.

I don't know about you, but I enjoy faster loading times in my games.

Oh, and just FYI, my laptop which has not games at all installed on it and no personal files at all, is currently using 57GB on the 128GB SSD.

Great, so even with the extra 20GB of VMware everything still fits on a nice little 64GB SSD.
Good to know.

 

[Jetster]

BF3 maps went from 180 sec to 32 sec after installing the game on an SSD

I remember this because I timed it

 

[Ebo]

I had my first SSD back when 60GB on SATA II was the top of the pop, it was a Mushkin and it just ran everything over, it was really a nice disk. Then I bourght a Samsung 830 on 128GB SATA III also a very nice disk, just a little bit too small. Now I have a 512GB Crucial MX100, and that 1 meet all my demands as of today, its sturdy, has the place, and most of all its reliable.

 

[Ikaruga]

Yes, get a 120GB SSD and use it for the OS and some apps/game you use the most. It will be night and day compared to the HDD and even the very cheap ones like the HyperX Furry (do not get the V300Now !) will do just fine. I found caching with SSD to be useless, and I experimented a lot, but perhaps I missed something.

 

[trog100]

i keep a usb drive (or drives) for what i call real storage.. i set out to make my machine solid state only and i see a positive advantage in keeping the main operating system drive small and separate.. a fresh install of windows is quite small..

i do have larger 256 and 1T solid state drives for games and other stuff and they could fill up pretty quickly with the size of later release games coming in over 40 gig..

i see no reason why my 36 gig of operating system plus every day apps is gonna grow much.. on a 126 ssd it has loads of spare space..

i might be a bit odd in keeping my C drive small and easy to back up but i think its a good idea..

at present larger solid state drive are still quite pricey.. which i suppose is the only reason those ancient noisy spinning disk things still exist.. but in my case they only exist outside my machine and not in it.. he he..

ssd drives are tiny things and the average PC case could be a lot smaller quieter and cooler without all the room for large ancient mechanical drives built in..

the modern idea which i think is a good one is to stack ssd drives on the back of the motherboard tray.. i to be honest i really cant see the point in tons of mechanical drive bays built into a case.. having it all external makes more sense..

trog

 

[Musician]

i keep a usb drive (or drives) for what i call real storage.. i set out to make my machine solid state only and i see a positive advantage in keeping the main operating system drive small and separate.. a fresh install of windows is quite small..

i do have larger 256 and 1T solid state drives for games and other stuff and they could fill up pretty quickly with the size of later release games coming in over 40 gig..

i see no reason why my 36 gig of operating system plus every day apps is gonna grow much.. on a 126 ssd it has loads of spare space..

i might be a bit odd in keeping my C drive small and easy to back up but i think its a good idea..

at present larger solid state drive are still quite pricey.. which i suppose is the only reason those ancient noisy spinning disk things still exist.. but in my case they only exist outside my machine and not in it.. he he..

ssd drives are tiny things and the average PC case could be a lot smaller quieter and cooler without all the room for large ancient mechanical drives built in..

the modern idea which i think is a good one is to stack ssd drives on the back of the motherboard tray.. i to be honest i really cant see the point in tons of mechanical drive bays built into a case.. having it all external makes more sense..

trog

got it.
فَهـِمـت

 

[newtekie1]

Great, so even with the extra 20GB of VMware everything still fits on a nice little 64GB SSD.
Good to know.

Nope, no VMWare on that machine. And once formatted a and you account for the ~500MB Windows uses for the extra partitions, you only end up with about 55GB of useable space.

But it doesn't really matter since the OP said he is now getting a 256GB drive.