setting up SSD, need help with multiple drives

[Thornton]

i want a SSD for my computer, i plan to put my OS and 3D Dev. programs on it (3d dev programs create constant temp files) and maybe some games, just the ones i use often. my problem is that i dont want to be limmited to the 120-256 GB i may chose to purchase, i want to use my "iolo" to wipe my current HDD at a waping 650gb lol, and be able to use it WITH my SSD. meaning, i would like to have icons on my desktop from my SSD AND my HDD equaling a total 800-956 GB of space, but not all on 1 drive. im having trouble describing what i meen, so if you need more clarification on what im trying to do, post and ill try my best to help you help me some more.

 

[seavixen32]

Have a look at this tutorial: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/149969-ssd-install-transfer-operating-system.html

 

[Thornton]

Have a look at this tutorial: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/149969-ssd-install-transfer-operating-system.html

thank you very much! and just to be sure... if i did this, i could still use aplications on my HDD aswell as the ssd, meaning i could have icons for applications on my desctop coming from both drives simultaneously?

 

[seavixen32]

I don't see why not.

All you can do is try it and see.

 

[Thornton]

I don't why not.

All you can do is try it and see.

well ty, if anyone else knows if this method allows for what im trying to do or if there is something else i need to do, it would be appreciated. cuz if i am just gunna use a SSD for my os, than i will avoid a 120 and go for just a 60 gb

 

[essenbe]

Yes you can do that. Most of us transfer our User files to another drive. It will not affect how you use them or see them in the OS. And, yes you can install programs on a regular hard drive. I have all of my games and several other programs on another drive and the icons on my desktop. There are a number of ways to do it, but the easiest way is to create a folder with the name of the program on the drive you want it installed on, during the install you will get to a screen that gives you an option of where to install it, select that folder you just created. Most programs allow you to do that, some you have no choice about.

 

[Thornton]

Yes you can do that. Most of us transfer our User files to another drive. It will not affect how you use them or see them in the OS. And, yes you can install programs on a regular hard drive. I have all of my games and several other programs on another drive and the icons on my desktop. There are a number of ways to do it, but the easiest way is to create a folder with the name of the program on the drive you want it installed on, during the install you will get to a screen that gives you an option of where to install it, select that folder you just created. Most programs allow you to do that, some you have no choice about.

thank you, so if i had both drives set up, i would just set my SSD as my primary and the HDD as slave then? or just set ssd to primary, and what it comes down to is the install location that i set in the programs setup basically?

 

[essenbe]

There is no master slave. The second hard drive will just be another drive in the system. Once you install Windows to the SSD, it will be the main drive in the system. You can wipe your current drive, reformat it and use it however you want. The OS drive will always be the 'C' drive.

 

[emaraszek]

It's nice if you have a desktop because then you have options. Typically laptops have only one hard drive (unless you get a 17"+) so when I upgraded to a SSD a little while ago, I had been holding out for the larger drives to become cheaper. I picked up a 240 GB OCZ Agility 3 from Newegg for $239.99 as one of their shell shocker deals a couple weeks ago. I figured $1 per gig was the best deal I was going to see for a while

With a desktop you have multiple options. You can add in standard HDDs for storage and run some programs off them. One of the most intriguing things I've seen recently is a capability of the Intel Z68 based motherboards that allows you to use a small SSD as a cache for your hard drive. I recently built a computer for my dad with a Z68 in it and might be installing a small (~40gb) SSD to use with it specifically for that feature. Supposedly it makes the machine almost as fast as a pure SSD setup but is much cheaper since it's a small drive. I haven't seen it in action yet but I'm eager to try it out. Those boards also can switch between integrated graphics on the core i series processors and your video card depending on the application, very cool if you ask me.

As for transferring the OS, I've heard many warnings against it. Supposedly you get better performance and overall life out of your SSD if you start from scratch. Personally I opted for this route and then transferred over my user profile with various app data and all of my documents, pictures, etc. It does take much longer but I was back to my exact setup with all of my custom configurations and programs within 1 day. So just take a weekend to start fresh and it should pay off in the long run

 

[Thornton]

It's nice if you have a desktop because then you have options. Typically laptops have only one hard drive (unless you get a 17"+) so when I upgraded to a SSD a little while ago, I had been holding out for the larger drives to become cheaper. I picked up a 240 GB OCZ Agility 3 from Newegg for $239.99 as one of their shell shocker deals a couple weeks ago. I figured $1 per gig was the best deal I was going to see for a while

With a desktop you have multiple options. You can add in standard HDDs for storage and run some programs off them. One of the most intriguing things I've seen recently is a capability of the Intel Z68 based motherboards that allows you to use a small SSD as a cache for your hard drive. I recently built a computer for my dad with a Z68 in it and might be installing a small (~40gb) SSD to use with it specifically for that feature. Supposedly it makes the machine almost as fast as a pure SSD setup but is much cheaper since it's a small drive. I haven't seen it in action yet but I'm eager to try it out. Those boards also can switch between integrated graphics on the core i series processors and your video card depending on the application, very cool if you ask me.

As for transferring the OS, I've heard many warnings against it. Supposedly you get better performance and overall life out of your SSD if you start from scratch. Personally I opted for this route and then transferred over my user profile with various app data and all of my documents, pictures, etc. It does take much longer but I was back to my exact setup with all of my custom configurations and programs within 1 day. So just take a weekend to start fresh and it should pay off in the long run

thank you for the info. so now for the big question, what are some good brands to go with, i saw kingston and corsair, but when i went on new eg there where some other brands i hadnt heard of. any ideas of what will be best?

 

[Thornton]

There is no master slave. The second hard drive will just be another drive in the system. Once you install Windows to the SSD, it will be the main drive in the system. You can wipe your current drive, reformat it and use it however you want. The OS drive will always be the 'C' drive.

thank you, good to know

 

[emaraszek]

I bought OCZ because it was a great sale, but people often complain about them. I remember reading something about these drives that recommended Samsung and Crucial. The crucial M4s are nice but they aren't very fast. I was going to get either that or a Samsung but they were ~$400 so when I saw the OCZ deal I went for it, all is well so far but I keep a backup.

If you don't have a SATA III compatible motherboard then I would go for the Crucial M4 in whatever size you need. It will run as fast as SATA II will allow. Otherwise, Samsung, Intel, Corsair, OCZ etc. are all viable options. At this point, most of the SSD bugs have been worked out. But before you buy anything, read the reviews on the site. On Newegg, I usually do a 'sort by: most reviews' in any given category and then look at the highest rated items before making a decision. Most importantly: make sure you get a good deal!

 

[hybridfan]

I bought OCZ because it was a great sale, but people often complain about them. I remember reading something about these drives that recommended Samsung and Crucial. The crucial M4s are nice but they aren't very fast. I was going to get either that or a Samsung but they were ~$400 so when I saw the OCZ deal I went for it, all is well so far but I keep a backup.

If you don't have a SATA III compatible motherboard then I would go for the Crucial M4 in whatever size you need. It will run as fast as SATA II will allow. Otherwise, Samsung, Intel, Corsair, OCZ etc. are all viable options. At this point, most of the SSD bugs have been worked out. But before you buy anything, read the reviews on the site. On Newegg, I usually do a 'sort by: most reviews' in any given category and then look at the highest rated items before making a decision. Most importantly: make sure you get a good deal!

Nice info so can you run Sata 3 SSD's on a Sata 2? motherboard obviously with lower speeds.

 

[whs]

Nice info so can you run Sata 3 SSD's on a Sata 2? motherboard obviously with lower speeds

You can run a Sata3 SSD on a Sata2 port. For the OS it will make no difference in performance since the OS uses mainly 4K blocks which run even slower than the Sata2 port will allow.

It is, however, a waste of money to buy a Sata3 SSD for a Sata2 port. Buy the same model in Sata2 instaead.

 

[Thornton]

I bought OCZ because it was a great sale, but people often complain about them. I remember reading something about these drives that recommended Samsung and Crucial. The crucial M4s are nice but they aren't very fast. I was going to get either that or a Samsung but they were ~$400 so when I saw the OCZ deal I went for it, all is well so far but I keep a backup.

If you don't have a SATA III compatible motherboard then I would go for the Crucial M4 in whatever size you need. It will run as fast as SATA II will allow. Otherwise, Samsung, Intel, Corsair, OCZ etc. are all viable options. At this point, most of the SSD bugs have been worked out. But before you buy anything, read the reviews on the site. On Newegg, I usually do a 'sort by: most reviews' in any given category and then look at the highest rated items before making a decision. Most importantly: make sure you get a good deal!

so about a dolar per gig and i would probably go with corsair, because i trusht them probably way more than i should

 

[whs]

thank you for the info. so now for the big question, what are some good brands to go with, i saw kingston and corsair, but when i went on new eg there where some other brands i hadnt heard of. any ideas of what will be best?

Crucial, OCZ and Intel are good makes. i have three OCZ Vertex, two Intels and one Crucial M4. They all run well - some already since nearly 4 years. The say that the Crucial M4 is very reliable, so I bought one. But that was very recently, so I cannot say much about it yet. It is fast though, on a Sata3 port.

As to your setup, I would approach that differently. If you are intersted, I will post my approach for you. But since this is a lot of typing (with my 2 finger search method), I'd like your input first.

 

[emaraszek]

Nice info so can you run Sata 3 SSD's on a Sata 2? motherboard obviously with lower speeds

You can run a Sata3 SSD on a Sata2 port. For the OS it will make no difference in performance since the OS uses mainly 4K blocks which run even slower than the Sata2 port will allow.

It is, however, a waste of money to buy a Sata3 SSD for a Sata2 port. Buy the same model in Sata2 instaead.

Depends on the deal you can get. My OCZ Agility III is a SATA III but my laptop is only SATA II. Since it was $239 for the 240 gig I bought it instead of a SATA II drive which would have been more expensive. Then once I get a new laptop I'll be able to take advantage of SATA III

 

[whs]

Nice info so can you run Sata 3 SSD's on a Sata 2? motherboard obviously with lower speeds

You can run a Sata3 SSD on a Sata2 port. For the OS it will make no difference in performance since the OS uses mainly 4K blocks which run even slower than the Sata2 port will allow.

It is, however, a waste of money to buy a Sata3 SSD for a Sata2 port. Buy the same model in Sata2 instaead.

Depends on the deal you can get. My OCZ Agility III is a SATA III but my laptop is only SATA II. Since it was $239 for the 240 gig I bought it instead of a SATA II drive which would have been more expensive. Then once I get a new laptop I'll be able to take advantage of SATA III

I guess. I never looked at the Agility. It always looked like the OCZ stepchild. I always bought Vertex.

 

[emaraszek]

You can run a Sata3 SSD on a Sata2 port. For the OS it will make no difference in performance since the OS uses mainly 4K blocks which run even slower than the Sata2 port will allow.

It is, however, a waste of money to buy a Sata3 SSD for a Sata2 port. Buy the same model in Sata2 instaead.

Depends on the deal you can get. My OCZ Agility III is a SATA III but my laptop is only SATA II. Since it was $239 for the 240 gig I bought it instead of a SATA II drive which would have been more expensive. Then once I get a new laptop I'll be able to take advantage of SATA III

I guess. I never looked at the Agility. It always looked like the OCZ stepchild. I always bought Vertex.

From what I understand, Vertex always uses Samsung flash while Agility varies. So while the Vertex remains consistent, any given Agility could be faster or slower than a Vertex - luck of the draw.

 

[essenbe]

Read all the reviews on Newegg. The crucial M4 is very reliable as is Intel. OCZ sandforce drivers have had problems. The Samsung 830's have received some very good reviews. I have an Intel X25, a Vertex2, and 3 Crucial M4's. The M4's are far from slow. On my sataII laptop it gets a 7.9 WEI and good scores in all of the benchmarks. But, whatever you decide, read the user reviews. The users are the best judge of which are reliable and which ones are not. Reliability is most important no matter what the speed and the price.