Is an 8gb SSD worth it?

[mitya]

I'm sizing up a laptop one of the options on which is an 8gb SSD.

This is clearly very small, so my question is: is it worth it, for such a small size?

What sort of progs would you install on it - games? Music production e.g. Cue Base (in my case)...?

(Incidentally, the other option if I reject the SSD is a low-end GPU and 2gb more memory.)

 

[suraswami]

8GB? is it a typo? did you mean 80GB?

If its 8GB I would just use for windows page file.

 

[Jetster]

Its just a Cache drive. You don't install anything on it. As long as your laptop is running it keeps the programs you use the most ready so they will load fast.
But give us a link so we can check it out

 

[Devon68]

It cant be a 8 GB SSD.
Is it not an 1TB+8GB SSHD (solid state hybrid drive)
If it is a SSHD it serves the function jetster pointed out to store the most used and opened programs and opening them faster when they are accessed again.

 

[Jetster]

They put msata slots on some boards for small cashe drives. You can also use it as a standard drive but the design is to run Intel software for cashing

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_Response_Technology

http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/software/intel-cache-acceleration-software.html

 

[mitya]

Sorry, yes, you guys are right - it's a 1tb + 8gb hybrid SSHD.

 

[RCoon]

Sorry, yes, you guys are right - it's a 1tb + 8gb hybrid SSHD.

Bah, hybrid drives are as useful as snakeoil and wolftickets. Better off getting a 256GB SSD for £130 if you need the space. If you actually need the huge storage space of 1TB, then buy an external HDD.
A proper useful SSHD, should have 1TB of space and 120GB of SSD. That's a real useful hybrid drive, but they costs a ridiculous amount for no reason.

 

[mitya]

Yeah I think we're all waiting for the price of SSDs to come down. Give it a year or so, I reckon.

The Lenovo G505s comes in two options:

- one with an extra, dedicated Radeon 8570M (2gb)
- one with a 1gb + 8gb SSHD and 2gb more memory.

It's these two I'm choosing between. Seems the choice isn't amazing; over on another thread it sounds like the crossfire in this case is largely pointless and here we've established the 1tb + 8gb is largely pointless! Still, 2gb extra memory...

 

[RCoon]

Yeah I think we're all waiting for the price of SSDs to come down. Give it a year or so, I reckon.

The Lenovo G505s comes in two options:

- one with an extra, dedicated Radeon 8570M (2gb)
- one with a 1gb + 8gb SSHD and 2gb more memory.

It's these two I'm choosing between. Seems the choice isn't amazing; over on another thread it sounds like the crossfire in this case is largely pointless and here we've established the 1tb + 8gb is largely pointless! Still, 2gb extra memory...

How much RAM is in the 8570M laptop? The 8570M is a good onboard GPU for light gaming, and if/when hybrid crossfire does work, it will be pretty good!

 

[Jetster]

Yeah I think we're all waiting for the price of SSDs to come down. Give it a year or so, I reckon.

SSD prices have never been lower. Newegg has a 240Gb on there Shell Shocker right now for $119. And its a fast SSD. My bet is prices will go up soon.

i keep thinking about AMD video cards and what happen.

 

[mitya]

@RCoon - it's 6gb.

@Jetster - I must admit, having just consulted a few prices, they are cheaper than I thought. Still pricey.

 

[RCoon]

it's 6gb.

For your use, 6GB is a perfectly servicable amount of RAM. I'd rather have the possible Hybrid crossfire and in general more powerful video performance than a SSHD that isn't going to cache the things you actually want it to alongside a 720M. Besides, you can always swap one of the ram sticks (I assume its 1 x 4Gb and 1 x 2Gb to make it to 6GB) for an extra 4GB module.

 

[Dent1]

Sorry, yes, you guys are right - it's a 1tb + 8gb hybrid SSHD.

Hybrid SSD are very slow, most cases its not much faster than a regular high end HDD. Usually its still disk based, only the cache element is really SSD.

8GB? is it a typo? did you mean 80GB?

If its 8GB I would just use for windows page file.

Rather more RAM, then disable windows page file completely.

 

[mitya]

@RCoon:

>> "The 8570M is a good onboard GPU for light gaming, and if/when hybrid crossfire does work, it will be pretty good!"

Does this mean crossfire owners (of the 8570M sort) are waiting on something to happen - AMD or games developers to release something - and then it will suddenly prove its worth? So even if it didn't do much to start with it might eventually be worthwhile?

 

[RCoon]

@RCoon:

>> "The 8570M is a good onboard GPU for light gaming, and if/when hybrid crossfire does work, it will be pretty good!"

Does this mean crossfire owners (of the 8570M sort) are waiting on something to happen - AMD or games developers to release something - and then it will suddenly prove its worth? So even if it didn't do much to start with it might eventually be worthwhile?

Hybrid crossfire (aka AMD dual graphics) only works for a few dozen games. It's been improved upon, but as it stand Richland APU's won't see any more improvement I don't think in terms of whatit supports. AMD will most likely be focusing on improvements for hybrid crossfire on their new Kaveri chips whenever they come out of laptops. I wouldn't count on AMD making improvements to 8570m dual graphics in honesty, as it's a small market. Truthfully, even without hybrid crossfire, that 8570m is more powerful than a 720m. I get the feeling I'm replying to the wrong thread, you have a few on different subject matters and I get confused.

 

[mitya]

I get the feeling I'm replying to the wrong thread, you have a few on different subject matters and I get confused.

Haha yes I sympathise; I started a couple of threads with different intentions, but they sort of conjoined towards the same fundamental points.

OK that's great, continued thanks for your help. The only thing I believe I'm yet to get an answer to is: if I play a game that doesn't support my dual GPU set-up, which GPU gets used: the on-board or the dedicated? Presumably, like with any dedicated GPU set-up, the dedicated?

[EDIT] - Game Debate even suggests the on-board GPU is better than the dedicated... now I'm really confused. What would be the point of that!?

 

[RCoon]

Haha yes I sympathise; I started a couple of threads with different intentions, but they sort of conjoined towards the same fundamental points.

OK that's great, continued thanks for your help. The only thing I believe I'm yet to get an answer to is: if I play a game that doesn't support my dual GPU set-up, which GPU gets used: the on-board or the dedicated? Presumably, like with any dedicated GPU set-up, the dedicated?

[EDIT] - Game Debate even suggests the on-board GPU is better than the dedicated... now I'm really confused. What would be the point of that!?

Game Debate is completely wrong, drastically so. I don't understand their review, they're claiming the iGPU is better than the dedicated for no discernable reason whatsoever. It's literally completely wrong!

4.3 GPixels vs 20.8 GPixels. Huge difference.

Even the bar charts say opposite to the rating! As for playing games, it will switch to the deciated GPU, and back to the integrated for low power situations, like watching films etc.

 

[mitya]

Thanks, @RCoon. Not the first time doubt has been cast on the reliability of GD's GPU comparisons.

 

[TheBrainyOne]

Let's see what this G505s is. EDIT: Woot??

 

[RCoon]

Let's see what this G505s is. EDIT: Woot??
View attachment 55851

That made me chuckle on a dreary sunday afternoon

 

[Athlonite]

Let's see what this G505s is. EDIT: Woot??
View attachment 55851

now that's some funny Sh@t right there made laugh quite hard and I'd have to agree with RCoon on the dual graphics I'd take that over the skimpy SSHD it's not going to do you much good as it will probably never cache what you really want it to leaving you as if you were only using an HDD anyways

 

[sneekypeet]

I ripped the SSHD out of my Lenovo, its nothing like an SSD at all, and mostly felt the crawl of a 5400 RPM spinner!

 

[BarbaricSoul]

I ripped the SSHD out of my Lenovo, its nothing like an SSD at all, and mostly felt the crawl of a 5400 RPM spinner!

Heh, I'm pleased with my 7200 rpm desktop SSHD. It's not as fast as a actual full fledged SSD, but it's definitely faster that a regular or high performance hard drive.

 

[cameronh779]

Based on your choices I would personally go with the better graphics no matter what you decide to do with your laptop. Although I must say, if you don't plan on doing anything graphic intensive then might as well go with the larger HDD and the SSHD. It couldn't harm anything even though I see that it seems to be an opinionated space when considering the performance or necessity of it. You said you were ''sizing up'' a laptop and I am not sure if that means you are purchasing a new one or deciding on upgrade options of one you already own. Either way it would be nice to know how much this is costing you because I am assuming you can buy a HDD that is much cheaper and install it yourself and save lots of cash.

cameronh779

 

[Schmuckley]

No.Make RAM Drive