which SSD size needed

thanks for the tips. i did the following:
- virtual memory manual se tot 400-1000MB (it yelled at me when I set the lower bound to <400)
- disabled the hiberfile in CMD (you really need to do that)
- limited restore points to 3.75 GB (I agree on the images as veldthui, but for some quick installation of a program I may want to revert I don't create an image...)

Including Office 2010 (and MSE, FF, Malwarebytes, fences, virtualclone etc.) and all updates I now use 15.5 GB. this really is slim compared to before.

Since the SSD is for speed, I'm not a friend of installing applications on a HDD to save expensive SSD space. First, some programs are really picky on the C-drive. Second, if it is a large installation (i.e. CAD) I really want them to be fast. If it is a small installation, it doesn't take much space anyway.

With this I'm sure I can get away with a 60 GB SSD. Thank you all for the help.

If you can afford, I would suggest that you get two 30gb SSD's. $105/unit

Put OS on one, put your games and apps on a second. Use your spinners for constantly changing files, movies, pics, downloads etc....

The OS drive in SATA port 0, the 2nd in port 1, cd rom port 6, Your spinner port 5.
When installing OS, only have the SSD for port 0 connected.
I have taken too immediatly installing all windows updates first thing, first the mandatory stuff, then I sift thru the optional stuff minus my hardware drivers. Once OS is finished I install my hardware drivers.
Next 1 by 1 add your other drives and apps, no need to hurry. I have found this to work great.
If you really can afford, buy 3, 30gb SSD's and RAID them, they scream.
Oh and buy an SSD with an onboard cache!

spyknee said:

If you can afford, I would suggest that you get two 30gb SSD's. $105/unit

Put OS on one, put your games and apps on a second. Use your spinners for constantly changing files, movies, pics, downloads etc....

The OS drive in SATA port 0, the 2nd in port 1, cd rom port 6, Your spinner port 5.
When installing OS, only have the SSD for port 0 connected.
I have taken too immediatly installing all windows updates first thing, first the mandatory stuff, then I sift thru the optional stuff minus my hardware drivers. Once OS is finished I install my hardware drivers.
Next 1 by 1 add your other drives and apps, no need to hurry. I have found this to work great.
If you really can afford, buy 3, 30gb SSD's and RAID them, they scream.
Oh and buy an SSD with an onboard cache!

I really don't see the benefit of your suggestion:
- 30 GB SSD are slower than the same type of 60 GB since the NAND has more parallel channels in larger SSD (you can see that well in tests between the 40 and 80 GB Intel)
- having 2 SSD wastes space. If The OS needs 20 GB and my applications need 25, I still have 15 for either OS or applications if I have one 60 GB SSD. If they are split up over 2 SSD, then the one might have space the other SSd needs.
- for the price of two 30 GB SSd I can get one 80 GB Intel, or for $ 60 less one 64 GB Crucial etc.
- putting 2 SSD in RAID 0 doesn't make them faster than the same type 60 GB SSD, but loses TRIM and makes it more complicated and less reliable.

Yes, data stay on HDD (that is some hundred GB, no way I could afford two SSD since i have RAID 1 for data).

I'm going to isntall all my heavy applications (CAD etc.) and see what I end up with. My original plan is to wait till fall when Intel brings its 3rd generation. and their sizes are 40 GB and 80 GB. 40 GB will always be too small for me, so I might get the 80 GB anyway and if it costs $ 100+ that is not much waste. Maybe the 64 GB SSD will get even cheaper, but at that price I can afford to be " wasteful" (Even if Intel is not always the fastest, it seem the most reliable and mature and you know what you get). Only if I get impatient I'll consider a 64 GB now... (this SSD is my graduation present to myself and I already graduated in May...)

Have you seen this Intel SSD roadmap:

Intel 25nm SSD Roadmap Leaked; 600GB, 400GB and 300GB Coming! - Overclockers Australia Forums

ATTO results for a single 30GB SSD.

Just an FYI.

All SSD's pretty much have a 1ms seek time. If you are doing alot of editing write speed would matter.

Your right I have not actually priced SSD's in about a 1.5 years, altho I just got another OCZ Vertex 30GB for $104.

I have had such good performance from this setup that I was just sharing. I have no desire to get into a debate about which is best. The thread was about drive size for an SSD, loaded with OS. I just stated what I did. 1.5 years ago 3, 30gb Vertex were cheaper than
1, X25M.
There is some evidence that filling an SSD to capacity is problematical. FYI

If not interested in performance, theres no need for SSD OS's. Modern spin drives are just fine.

So, I installed all my applications (CAD etc.) and have about 30 GB used. This is a good change to the previous 45 GB
thanks for all the help.

I assume it is safe to say, that for a normal computer without heavy applications (CAD, Game etc.) a 40 GB SSD is more than sufficient. So, with $ 100 one could have a very speedy budget PC. I probably still wait till Q4 when Intel comes out with 25 nm SSD. I don't expect prices going into half (since they also want to make money), but expect all prices to come down a bit once Intel has the fastest SSD again (right now they are not the fastest anymore)