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Should I Install Windows 7 On My New SSD?

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Berty

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Hi.

I am putting the final touches to my new build shortly and am wondering about the best way to install windows. I have a Gigabyte-Z68X-UD3H-B3-Motherboard which has Intel's SRT and am planning on buying 120gb SATA III SSD to go with a 1TB WD Caviar Black HDD. Would it be best to install Windows 7 on to the SSD or have it on the WD and just let the SSD be used by SRT as a cache?

My initial hunch is to put it on the SSD but thought best to ask. Also I am a bit worried about some reliability issues that seem to be plagueing current SATA III SSDs, also I have noticed some posts on the net by people saying that they have had to re-install their OS several times due to their SSD deleting stuff.

Could some of you let me know how you have set your systems up regarding this method and any problems that I might face. Or is it better to put this idea off for now and install Windows on the WD to be on the safe side?

If using the SSD is the way to go which ones are the best/most reliable at the moment. I can spend up to about £145 ($230).

Many thanks!
 
SRT is generally only useful for very small SSDs in conjunction with a mechanical OS drive.

If you want reliability then have an SSD main drive, then do a complete backup of the SSD onto the mechanical.


As far as which drive is best, Intel has some amazing lifetime numbers.
 
So go with the OS on the SSD as well as a selection of most used programms (thinking BF3 etc.) and have the WD for other stuff. Sounds perfect. Many thanks!
 
SSD will arrive on Friday so good to go....

Hi, I decided on a 128gb Crucial M4 SSD and am hoping that it comes with rev 0009. It should be here Friday. As it will be put into a whole new system how do I go about getting it ready. Do I plug it in to my current (soon to be old) system first to do the erase (I need some advice on that aswel) and then flash rev 0009 if need be. After that do I pop it in the new build and begin the Windows 7 installation - will everything go OK doing it that way? Also I have read that I can create a USB boot device but also am not too sure what I should be doing there. I hope it's easier than my soggy brain thinks it will be.

Any help would be fantastic.
 
the install should go fine no problem. unless it was a refurb their should be no need to format the drive. plug and play bro. but make sure you put your bios in AHCI mode.

After its installed. (leave page file on SSD)

and do stuff listed here.

http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/showthread.php?t=134954&highlight=ssd+tweaks

have fun. REMEMBER essential programs only. I personally install games and other random shit to a diffirent drive.
 
What I did to make my drive bootable was go to Computer Management (you can type that in run), go to Disk Management, right click on the drive and click Mark as active. After that what you need to do is dump all the files from the Win 7 install dvd onto the flash drive.

Just pop it in the motherboard, fire the system up and either modify the bios so that it boots into the flash drive, or open the boot menu (usually F11 or F12) while the system is initializing and choosing from there. The process from here onwards is the same as having the DVD in.

I might have skipped something on the bootable drive creation, but it's been some time since I have done it and my brain isn't 100% here at 3:15am, so please correct me if I need correction.
 
Ah that's great guys! Many thanks, i'll post back when I have it up and running (or when I get stuck haha).
 
Mucho Gracias for the help, accidently installed the 32 bit version of windows 7 to start with haha. All up and running and purring like an Evil Kitten!
 
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