Solved Help Selecting SSD for PC

[N2Abyss]

I have a Gateway GT5676 that I would like to install a SSD for the primary drive, but have never used or installed one before.
The present drive is 320 GB SATA2 HDD, I would like to move to a SSD drive but don't know much about them.
Any help as to certain specifications or reliable drives compatible with my machine would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
N2

Specifications
Part Number: 1015332RGateway GT5676 Desktop Computer
Model: GT5676The following table provides the specifications for the Gateway® GT5676 desktop computer.

[SIZE=-1]Feature[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]Specification[/SIZE] Processor AMD Phenom™ 9600, 64-bit quad core processor

• Each core operates at 2.3 GHz
• 2 MB L3 cache
• 3600 MHz system bus

Chipset AMD® 780G with hybrid graphics Memory Installed: 7936 MB DDR2, 667 MHz, (PC2-5300) dual channel memory (four 2048 MB modules)
Expandable to: 8 GB (4 DDR2 DIMM slots - 2 DIMMs available)
Hard Drive Two 320 GB, 7200 RPM, SATA II hard drives (640 GB drive space)

 

[ignatzatsonic]

I think that is a traditional tower desktop PC.

And should therefore accommodate pretty much any standard 2.5 inch SSD.

They connect just like a standard hard drive, using the same cables.


They operate much like an HDD and don't require any special treatment other than assuring they are correctly aligned and are not defragmented.


A few questions:

How much space is used on your current 320?

Do you have just a single partition that contains BOTH your data and Windows/

What do you want to do with the HDD after you move to the SSD? Throw it away? Keep it for some purpose?

You need to buy one of the right capacity.

A standard strategy is to use a relatively small SSD (80 to 240) for ONLY Windows and applications and then use the old HDD for your data ONLY. Cost say 70 to 110.

Or if you can afford it, you could certainly put everything on an SSD--Windows, applications, and your data.

Good brands: Intel, Crucial, and maybe Samsung.

Supply answers and all try to point you in the right direction.

 

[Layback Bear]

To my thinking the number one problem people have with SSD's is they get to small of one.

My personal choice in SSD's is Intel and I also like their Toolbox.

 

[Boozad]

I use an Intel 520 series and a Samsung 850 EVO and both have been excellent performers so far. I wouldn't recommend anything below a 120GB when it comes to capacity though, that's the easiest place to trip up.

 

[N2Abyss]

SSD Recomendations

Thank you all for the great replies!
ignatzatsonic, to answer your questions.

Mine is indeed a traditional desktop and presently houses two on-board 320GB 3.5" hard drives.
The primary C: drive a 298GB is partitioned and holds the operating system with 207GB free.
The second drive "Secondary PC (X: is totally free at 297GB of 297GB.
The C: drive partition does indeed hold both OS and data. I use "Macrium Reflect" to back up data and OS to an external HD.

I have a standard power plug and SATA plug on present drives.

I suspect the present HDD is going south, as I have had some boot problems in the past as well as it is constantly making a high pitched electronic sequel and ticking, so it will go away once I get a replacement.

I Have been looking at the Crucial BX100 250GB SATA 2.5" SSD or the Crucial BX100 500GB SATA 2.5" SSD at "TigerDirect" but like I say, I want to be sure they are compatible with my power and data connections.

Here is a link to the exact PC of which I'm working on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yvp-9FBots

I hate to admit it, but I never have really understood the OS on a seperate drive thing? I would like to do that, but I get confused when loading software? I know that sounds stupid, but I can't figure out how to do this! say for example if I have Windows OS on my new SSD and want to install 2007 word, would I install word to the second hard drive? or install it with the OS and store generated data to the second drive? So everytime I save something I have to hunt for the correct drive?

Anyway, thanks for all your help! I really appreciate it!
N2

 

[ThrashZone]

I just finally did a bench test on a 256gb Crucial mx100 I've had installed for almost a year,
Somehow I have my reservations of this bench test
http://www.sevenforums.com/hardware...your-ssd-performance-2-a-193.html#post3124981

All I can say is the system is fast so I can't say I've had any issues with Crucial at all I have 4 of them 2 mx100 128bg I have 1 of them in my laptop which doesn't need a lot of space and 1 in waiting for something

2 mx100 256gb that my old desktop has and the other has Linux mint mate 17.1 on it

New build has a 500gb Samsung 850 evo in it

Newegg does have the 850 evo's on sell = pick your poison 250gb for 109.us
SAMSUNG 850 EVO MZ-75E250B/AM 2.5" 250GB SATA III 3-D Vertical Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) - Newegg.com

 

[ignatzatsonic]

N2Abyss:

I think I remember you from years past as there aren't many Wyoming posters. Are you in Riverton?

Ok. You have two 320 GB SATA 2 drives, one of them empty. The other has 91 occupied on C, with 207 free and may be failing. So, Windows, applications, and data combined amount to only 91 GB.

What's your budget for this SSD?

The Crucial you are looking at should certainly be fully compatible and is a good choice.

You could do this:

Buy a 240 GB SSD and put Windows, applications, and data on it. Throw away the failing hard drive. Use the remaining good and empty hard drive for backup purposes---put your Macrium images on it.

Or this: buy a 500 GB SSD and do the same thing. This would give you a little more free space and room to grown over time if you think that's a possibility. But if you have a 7 or 8 year old PC and use only 91 GB grand total, maybe 500 is overkill.

Or this: buy a 128 GB SSD and put just Windows and applications on it. Put data on the now empty and good 320 GB SSD. I don't know if this is sensible because I don't know how much of that 91 GB you have is data and how much is Windows and applications. If you have 5 GB of data and 86 GB of Windows and applications, you probably would NOT want an SSD that small.

In your situation, there's no over-riding reason to put Windows and data on separate partitions. Your total storage requirements are small. You have plenty of space. You're accustomed to having everything on C. You could still do it if you want to. I used an 80 GB SSD for Windows and apps for a long time, but recently changed to a 128, only because the 80 failed.

If you used separate partitions, you would install Windows and all applications to the SSD, which would be C. You could save files directly to D (that's what I do) or you could save files to C:\users, which is what you probably do now. You'd have to change the location of your user profile so that a save to C:\users would actually be saved to D.

I think this is the tutorial you could use:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/87555-user-profile-change-default-location.html

So--decide on what size SSD you need, what budget, and whether you want to put EVERYTHING on it, or just Windows and applications. Keep in mind you need some type of hard drive for backup purposes. As I understand it, you now have one hard drive in good shape that can be used for something.

Report back.

 

[ThrashZone]

Yep,
I liked the mx series more than the bx series because 1) 8gb more plus the numbers are better

 

[N2Abyss]

Sounds like a plan

Yes ignatzatsonic, I'm the one from Riverton Wyoming - The end of the earth! where men are men and sheep are nervous! I think in talking with everyone I've come up with what I want.

I most likley will go with the crucial BX 100 500GB SATA 2.5" SSD, that way I can mount the OS and save files to the same drive, a 500 should last me forever, and not being a top end user don't think I would notice much performance difference between the "MX" vs the "BX"?
But yet, I think I will enjoy the difference between the old HDD and the new SSD?

The second 320GB drive now mounted in the machine is a standard 3.5" HDD, which although barley used is as old as the primary I'm looking to replace with the SSD. I can utilize it for pictures and such.
The Macrium images for backup are stored to a removable external HDD.

I assume I will need a IDE/SATA Converter Bracket Kit and a power adapter converter plug?
Anymore ideas, my ears are still open! This is an old computer, but I have done alot of upgrades to her and still preforms well.


Any more reasonable places for hardware besides "TigerDirect" or "NewEgg"?

Thanks
N2

 

[ignatzatsonic]

see comments in bold

Yes ignatzatsonic, I'm the one from Riverton Wyoming - The end of the earth! where men are men and sheep are nervous! I think in talking with everyone I've come up with what I want.

Been to Riverton a time or two. I even survived the Thermopolis rodeo over 40 years ago, complete with drunks passed out in the street. Lived in Casper at one time for 6 months.

I most likley will go with the crucial BX 100 500GB SATA 2.5" SSD, that way I can mount the OS and save files to the same drive, a 500 should last me forever, and not being a top end user don't think I would notice much performance difference between the "MX" vs the "BX"?
But yet, I think I will enjoy the difference between the old HDD and the new SSD?

Sounds like a plan. No, you wouldn't notice the difference on the MX/BX thing. You'll notice the SSD mostly in stuff like boot speed, opening large applications, or virus scans. Probably not much when saving a file.

The second 320GB drive now mounted in the machine is a standard 3.5" HDD, which although barley used is as old as the primary I'm looking to replace with the SSD. I can utilize it for pictures and such.
The Macrium images for backup are stored to a removable external HDD.

Here's what I'd do:

Your SSD will be huge relative to what you actually need. You'll have close to 400 GB of unused space.

You may as well save everything (your "original" versions of files) to it. No need to put pictures on the HDD when they will certainly fit on the SSD. Why not take advantage of that speed?

I'd use the barely used 320 GB drive as my primary backup. Leave it as an internal drive. Backup to it will be quick because it's an internal drive and stuff saved to it would not have to navigate that USB port and cable to the external drive. You may as well use that drive for something. I'm assuming it performs well enough.

Use the external drive as a secondary backup. Leave it in the closet and connect it once a week or once a month and copy whatever you want to it.

I'd consider my Macrium images as another piece of valuable data. I'd save them to the D partition on the SSD and back them up to the internal 320 and the external periodically.

Here's an alternative if you want to keep your data on a separate partition:

Split the 500 GB SSD into 2 partitions: C of maybe 150 for Windows and applications and D of maybe 350 for all data. Make Macrium images of C ONLY, save them to the data partition D on the SSD. Back up everything on D to the internal 320 and periodically to the external drive WITHOUT using imaging. There are free applications that can automate that process.

Have you ever restored an image? Have you tested your Macrium recovery disk? Maybe you should do both if you haven't.

I assume I will need a IDE/SATA Converter Bracket Kit and a power adapter converter plug? Anymore ideas, my ears are still open! This is an old computer, but I have done alot of upgrades to her and still preforms well.

That bracket kit should work. You'd need it unless you don't mind just duct taping the drive into a regular drive bay. Nothing wrong with that. I did it for a while until I changed cases.

Some SSD packages come with brackets, but most don't.

Not sure about what you mean by a power adapter converter plug. Your SSD should connect using the same cables as your current failing C drive since I think it is a standard SATA drive.

Any more reasonable places for hardware besides "TigerDirect" or "NewEgg"?

Amazon. Their prices sometimes are better, but you may have to pay tax. I've never dealt with Tiger Direct, so I can't really comment on them.

 

[ThrashZone]

Yes ignatzatsonic, I'm the one from Riverton Wyoming - The end of the earth! where men are men and sheep are nervous!

:roflmao:

BX series is fine and 500gb is also

 

[N2Abyss]

Bios settings

ignatzatsonic, If my original HDDs are SATA I assume I'm probably okay to leave bios settings where they are?
As well, the Crucial drive is rated sata III, I probably have sata or sata II but I assume the drive is backwards compatible?

Thanks
N2

 

[ignatzatsonic]

ignatzatsonic, If my original HDDs are SATA I assume I'm probably okay to leave bios settings where they are?

Thanks
N2

Generally, yes.

Do you intend to do a clean install to the new SSD?

Or do you intend to transfer your current HDD installation to the new SSD?

 

[ignatzatsonic]

As well, the Crucial drive is rated sata III, I probably have sata or sata II but I assume the drive is backwards compatible?

Yes, it would be backward compatible.

 

[N2Abyss]

Was thinking a clean install might be best!

Thanks
N2

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Was thinking a clean install might be best!

Thanks
N2

Yeah, particularly if you've got a 3, 5, or 7 year old install on the HDD.

Do you have an authentic and legit install disc and Product Key for Win 7? I'm guessing that PC did not come with Win 7.

 

[N2Abyss]

Well, I'm showing a OEM Win7 disk for the gateway, but it's been a while!

Thanks
N2

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Well, I'm showing a OEM Win7 disk for the gateway, but it's been a while!

Thanks
N2

Do you or don't you have a 25 character Product Key for Win 7, not for whatever operating system came on the Gateway from the factory?

How do you intend to activate a clean install of Windows 7??

 

[N2Abyss]

Yes I DO have the product key, but have had trouble in the past with preloaded OEM's software!

 

[mjf]

Clean install if you want but you could use Macrium reflect to image all your partitions to say a Samsung* 250GB SSD. If you have a spare sata port install an extra 1TB WD/Blue, Black for data.

* Unfortunately my after sales experience with Samsung hasn't been great.