Windows 7: SSD Research help

So I'm starting to research SSD's (not sure when I'm buying)

I've never had or used one(yet) so I'm a little out of touch with them. I'm looking for 240gb/250gb and trying to stay around $200.00(us)
Here are two that I've been looking at...Please give your input on these two, and/or any others in the same ballpark.
Thanks,
Jeep

Mushkin Enhanced Chronos MKNSSDCR240GB 2.5" 240GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

OCZ Agility 3 AGT3-25SAT3-240G 2.5" 240GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

Crucial M4 CT256M4SSD2 2.5" 256GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD):

Keep an eye out for the corsair Force 3 which NewEgg has run for $199 with rebate. My choice would be the Samsung 830...but the 256GB version runs around $275. I prefer it over the Sandforce controller models...because it's not sandforce. They have had a shaky run.

Thanks I'll keep an eye out for it as well. Yea $275 is more than I would pay for a ssd.

The two you linked would not be my first choice. On both I have seen a sufficient amount of negative comments (and failures) that I would stay away.

The ones pparks mentioned are much better choices. To those I would add the Crucial M4 and the Intels (which are the most reliable but most expensive too).

But why do you need 250GBs. If it is for a desktop where you can put the user data on a spinner, a 60GB is ample for the OS and all your programs (no big games though). For a laptop that is a different story though.

And once you are ready to migrate, here is a little tutorial I made that may be helpful: SSD - Install and Transfer the Operating System

Thanks for the TUT.

I did actually look at the M4 but forgot to link it. (I'll edit first post & add it in)

It is for a desktop. I like how I have mine setup the way it is (minus a few games I still need to move). I have a lot of programs I use. 250gb will give me more than what I need (I don't like almost full drives) to keep my setup the same. Then all my programs will get the benefit of ssd speed. Room to grow doesn't hurt ether!

When I do make the switch, I'll use Acronis to clone my drive over. Failing that, I'll use my Img backup. (I'm pretty sure ether will work)

If you think you need such a big SSD, that's OK. I own 7 SSDs in 7 systems and all my desktops run on 60GBs. I never ran out of space although I have a lot of programs installed and I even run additional virtual partitions.

I eliminate the hiberfile and run on a 2GB page file and all my user data is on the spinners. But else I made no tweaks and keep the whole system on the SSDs.

Hi there
Samsung 120 GB does it for me (I've just installed nr 3 -- two in laptops and one on a desktop in a 2.5 in enclosure.

As far as laptops are concerned 120 GB is fine -- just take a 32 GB USB stick or small portable 1 external drive TB drive with you for extra data --these are very small and so portable that there's no inconvenience having them in your computer case.

Incidently even a "largish" Windows 7 / W8 installation shouldn't be larger than around 60 GB (includes things like photoshop, Visual studio 10.0 ultimate , Ms office (complete including Visio and Project) etc so you can easily split the SSD into say 65 and 55 GB partitions and store data you really must have on the smaller partition.

SSD's aren't designed to be large data repositories e.g music / photo / video libraries.

The Samsung 830 comes also with a useful USB===>SATA connector which is great for reading say your old laptop drive that you've replaced with the SSD.

I use my old 320 GB drive which I removed from the laptop as a convenient data store when I'm travelling -- it's very small so doesn't take any noticible space in the computer bag.

I connect it to the laptop via the USB==>SATA connector that came with my SSD drive -- don't even need one of those "enclosures" so the device is really small and portable.

An SSD is DEFINITELY well worth it -- even on a small netbook !!. Up the memory to 4GB as well on the netbook and you've got a great decent PROPER computer not much larger than an Ipad, infinitely more useable and certainly much cheaper too.

Note -- the 120GB's IMO are better value for money than the 60GB's as they are generally "generation 2". Things like life cycle problems are much better with these one's and the 120GB is a good compromise between the 60gb's and the much more expensive 250 GB's.


Cheers
jimbo

As my C: drive sits right now it is just shy of 180gb. Now yes I still have a few games to move(7 I think) and a few no longer used programs. I'm guessing I will come in just over 120gb when done moving & deleting things.
Now if I do come in say around 100-110 or less I might go with a 120-128gb ssd. This is why I'm doing research first, because I don't know what I'll end up using yet. I do really aprecate all the input you guys/gal are giving me, it helps. Thanks.

Hi there
you should only really have the OS say on its own partition (probably 60 GB is more than enough). This is where you install Windows and applications like Office etc.

DATA (Music, Photos, Word documents, spreadsheets, presentations etc) should be on separate partitions.

An obvious advantage of this is that if you have to re-install the OS you don't have to recover all your data items.

I'm sure you'd easily fit your OS on to a 120 GB SSD. Using external drives / usb sticks to save user data isn't a bad idea either as you will have a backup.

If you split the 120 GB SSD into two 60 GB partitions you should have enough on one of the 60 GB partitions for a "temporary" data store.

Cheers
jimbo

I do keep all my music,pics, videos...ect on separate drives.
All that is on C: is.. OS, All programs(minus games) and a small amount of documents. The games that are on there now are being movied and most likely the documents as well. My "program files (x86)" folder by itself is 70gb, though it will go down after moving the few games off.