SSD for relitivitly cheap?

Mickmac91

Any suggestions?

I'm running a 2tb SATA 3 hdd @7200rpm ATM, but it's by far the slowest part of my setup (I-7 2600 + 8gb ram @1333mhz and a AMD 6850).

And ofc, the computers only as fast as its slowest part so I'm looking for a smallish (64gb or slightly more would do I think) SSD to boot my OS from and a few most used programmes.

Does anyone know roughly how big win-7 64bit is? Am I right to think about 25gb or so? Cause that would probably be the biggest space hog on the SSD when I get it.

Monotype

That's about the install size of it alright. The 30GB drives aren't enough but 64GB works fine so long as you manage your space well. Main programs on it but huge things like games really have to go to HDD.

For a good quality, reliable drive, go for the Crucial M4. It's about €92 from dabs.
http://www.dabs.ie/products/crucial-64gb-m4-sata-6gb-s-2-5--solid-state-drive-7GL0.html

You'll get free delivery with them if you order over €75 or something + vat, so that's a few € more than the drive. So just add something small and you get free delivery.

Mickmac91

Monotype wrote: »

That's about the install size of it alright. The 30GB drives aren't enough but 64GB works fine so long as you manage your space well. Main programs on it but huge things like games really have to go to HDD.

I'd end up installing one game to it alrite, along with Firefox, steam and possibly iTunes. Tho load all iTunes music from the 2tb drive ofc.

Nothing too big like.

I presume running an antivirus programme on an ssd wouldn't make it run any faster while scanning the HDD?

Moon54

Mickmac91 wrote: »

Does anyone know roughly how big win-7 64bit is? Am I right to think about 25gb or so?

That's about right.
Windows 7 64-bit on my SSD, with all the usual programs installed, Avast, Firefox,
Office etc, is roughly about 30GB.

However, Hibernation and the Pagefile can use up to an extra ~10GB of space,
but they can be easily disabled to save space on the SSD if required.
(Btw, turning off Hibernation is easy, just type powercfg -h off at a command prompt.)

I have found the best way to utilise an SSD with a large HDD like you have
is to use the location feature in the Libraries folder.
(The Libraries folder has folders called Desktop, Downloads, My Pictures etc.)
If you right-click on each folder there is a location tab and you can set the
location from the default to the HDD eg \Desktop, \Downloads etc.

This is handy because the SSD doesn't get clogged up with normal day-to-day downloading etc.

Buceph

If you're a gamer and plan to have your main game installed on your SSD, and swap it around whenever you start playing a different main game, be aware that Steam is a right bollix. I haven't found a way of changing steam directories, or spreading Steam over multiple drives.

Cuddlesworth

Buceph wrote: »

If you're a gamer and plan to have your main game installed on your SSD, and swap it around whenever you start playing a different main game, be aware that Steam is a right bollix. I haven't found a way of changing steam directories, or spreading Steam over multiple drives.

Backup the entire steam directory. Un-install, install to a different drive letter. Copy everything back onto the new drive.

Fluffy88

Buceph wrote: »

If you're a gamer and plan to have your main game installed on your SSD, and swap it around whenever you start playing a different main game, be aware that Steam is a right bollix. I haven't found a way of changing steam directories, or spreading Steam over multiple drives.

Google Steam Mover, very simple easy to use App.

It sets up function points for folders, even works with non-steam stuff.
Basically it lets you move one game folder(or any other folder) over to a different drive but leaves a shortcut/pointer where the original folder was so that steam will still see the game and it will still run perfectly.

Monotype

Mickmac91 wrote: »

I'd end up installing one game to it alrite, along with Firefox, steam and possibly iTunes. Tho load all iTunes music from the 2tb drive ofc.

Nothing too big like.

I presume running an antivirus programme on an ssd wouldn't make it run any faster while scanning the HDD?

There's no need to be overly frugal with the space. A web browser and antirvirus software is hardly going to take up any space. Go ahead and install windows, office programs, even photoshop. You just have to be careful not to get wasteful with programs that you never use. I don't know about itunes, but if there's a lot of music, you should see if the main program can be stored on the SSD and the sound files on HDD.

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

Backup the entire steam directory. Un-install, install to a different drive letter. Copy everything back onto the new drive.

You can just move the entire steam folder to a new drive and it will fix itself up on the new drive when you run it.


As Fluffy said, just get the steam mover program if you want to separate the games on steam across drives.
http://www.traynier.com/software/steammover/
I'll say it again, that it's very poor show that steam doesn't have basic features like this.

Nothingbetter2d

Mickmac91 wrote: »

Any suggestions?

I'm running a 2tb SATA 3 hdd @7200rpm ATM, but it's by far the slowest part of my setup (I-7 2600 + 8gb ram @1333mhz and a AMD 6850).

And ofc, the computers only as fast as its slowest part so I'm looking for a smallish (64gb or slightly more would do I think) SSD to boot my OS from and a few most used programmes.

Does anyone know roughly how big win-7 64bit is? Am I right to think about 25gb or so? Cause that would probably be the biggest space hog on the SSD when I get it.

here is a 90gb sata 6.0 ssd for €124 - this would be more than enough to suit your needs
http://www.pixmania.ie/ie/uk/10816091/art/ocz/agility-3-series-solid-st.html

Serephucus

If you have a look in the bargain alerts thread, there's a 128GB OCZ Petrol for €128.

glynf

Buceph wrote: »

If you're a gamer and plan to have your main game installed on your SSD, and swap it around whenever you start playing a different main game, be aware that Steam is a right bollix. I haven't found a way of changing steam directories, or spreading Steam over multiple drives.

Try SteamTool v1.1, not sure how good it is (I'm in same boat with 20+ steam games), but its on the 'must try this' list.