Windows 7: SSDs have a 'bleak' future, researchers say

Yeah well my 128GB (M4) is steadily getting slower - gets to the flag whereas it got to the blobs and then into it. Mind you once in it does plough from app to app quickly.

But I still reckon that for the money it's only minimally justifiable and mine is filling up real quick

Think you may have missed my point. Glad to give you a laugh though

Not actually! Even a 256gb SSD would still be far from what I would need here. As for storage I had to add on an external enclosure for another 1tb drive to pick up where the pair of 1tb internal Sata 3 HDs were filling too fast.

Now for my next build that may see a good 1tb SSD host/OS drive but with an external fan cooled enclosure for 3 or 4 2-3tb drives! I'll still keep a second internal drive however for testing purposes.

Hi there

the VM's can live on an HDD -- the MAJOR Performance problems for VM's aren't really I/O but RAM. If the host has plenty of RAM most VM's will be just fine on an HDD -- Of course if your VM's are being used by several clients (as servers) or if you are trying to run a lot of simulataneous apps then you could have a problem.

For Windows itself -- if you have a typical Windows 7 say Ultimate or Pro system with Office, Vmware / Vbox, Photoshop and a few other smaller apps the actual OS itself only needs to be around probably 50 - 60GB and that's quite largish.

That means on your 256 GB SSD you've got nearly 200 GB free for System paging (should be a MAX amount equal to the RAM size so tytpically 8 - 16 GB) and the rest available for photoshop scratch files etc etc.

You could even have a VM with a smallish amount of its OS space as one VHD and the other (data) as a VHD on a "Normal" HDD.

perversely (although it's "counter intuitive" an SSD won't really help you much in Multi-media editing since a lot of the time it's HUMAN intervention and keyboard / mouse actions - the initial file load will be quicker but that's about all --so it's a moot point as to whether you would gain significantly in using that option).

Cheers
jimbo

Well my point was exactly as you describe - that if you set up a systems disk of 120gB (or better) then have all the 1tB drives you like (fairly cheap by the way) both internal or external - you will have a quicker system.

Like what my laptop is currently rigged at. 120gB internal drive - 32gB SD Card for storage - and for games and such at home - a 510gB drive external.

Unlike you, who requires enough storage to house five Libraries of Congress on, I have simpler needs lol

Hopefully, soon I will build me a desktop system and that's how I'll craft it. The speed of access from the SSD is pretty remarkable - and when I'm ready to build - the price will be even less than it is now for even bigger drives.

Comparing each of our needs is like my needing a Ford Ranger to get about town and do my errands when you obviously need an F450 with a fifth wheel attachment. lol

I was the only kid on my block to be running Ultra SCSI / Adaptec U2W2 / P166 OC'd to 200mhz - I was the envy of my friends whilst kicking their butts in Doom with my USR 33.6 modem.

I wouldn't call it "five libraries of Congress" but more like several VMs like 60-80gb in size for some right on the OS drive. For someone who only needs the basics and tosses everything else on another drive they can rush at the performance gain for the larger price tag.

The external drive once unmounted from host OS serves the VMs when mounted to become available for use with those. 20gb-60gb doesn't leave room for much on the smallest. SSDs won't be a help there.

thats why i stuck with 64gb it seems going any higher than 128 is destined for failure at some point. and its flash memory, once it goes, its gone and nothing would be retrievable.

A rotating disk of magnetic domains has to end. I think Companies like Intel won't let the SSD product concept go. Way down the track I think it will be full optical storage (non rotating!!!).

Well I am with #1 at the moment and I am NO expert but reading the articles on graphene based tech I get the impression that a whole machine could possibly be built onto one "chip" at the rate that things are getting to be smaller and smaller. The quote for 2024 I think is really stretching it out as I reckon that the aforementioned tech will be with us before then.

My personal worry is that the SSD is easier to "fry" than a chunk of metal based hardware - not that I don't like the speed but the limitations that are imposed like no defragging and stuff that could be missed in setting one up (especially for clods like me).

Having said that it has been a pleasant if steep learning curve for me with the SSD.