Data files on SSD a big deal for general applications

beastman

beastman

beastman

Associate
Joined
13 Jan 2003
Posts
50
Location
Stockport, UK
I am looking at getting a new SSD - got an old Crucial C300 64GB and it does the job fine with just windows on it. Was thinking a speedier drive @ 128GB might be good.
Would a 128GB with my OS and my 58GB dropbox folder on it make any real world difference to reading and writing to the various videos, pictures and office files that are I regularly use?
 
You need to jump to the 250GB models for any significant write speed differences. The new 840 Evo looks amazing. The big difference in speed is going from mechanical hard drives to SSD. Once you have an SSD, upgrading it to a faster SSD won't be anywhere near as noticeable.
 
rotor said:
You need to jump to the 250GB models for any significant write speed differences. The new 840 Evo looks amazing. The big difference in speed is going from mechanical hard drives to SSD. Once you have an SSD, upgrading it to a faster SSD won't be anywhere near as noticeable.
Click to expand...

I gathered the upgrade will make little difference as far as running windows goes
but just having regularly used files on the SSD won't make a noticeable difference?
 
I think you are asking if having your data files on an SSD, rather than a HDD will make much difference. I'm assuming that your OS is currently on an SSD, and your dropbox folder is on a HDD.

I think you will notice a good improvement if your data is on an SSD. Maybe not such a big improvement as having your OS on an SSD compared to a HDD, but loading and saving videos, pictures etc with an SSD will always feel quicker and more responsive than it would to a HDD.

Of course, it's up to you if you want to spend your money on an SSD rather than a HDD for this purpose. If you have a lot of data to store, the cost of a large SSD would probably rule out the upgrade. If you know that a 128GB SSD (along with your 64GB SSD) is going to be capable of storing your data for the next couple of years at least, then going for another SSD may well be worth it for the improved performance. It's all down to how much you access your data, and if you think the improvement (which will be modest) is worth the ~£75 - £110 cost.
 
Dervious said:
I think you are asking if having your data files on an SSD, rather than a HDD will make much difference. I'm assuming that your OS is currently on an SSD, and your dropbox folder is on a HDD.
Click to expand...

Yes I should have made the question clearer and you've summed it up nicely.

Dervious said:
I think you will notice a good improvement if your data is on an SSD. Maybe not such a big improvement as having your OS on an SSD compared to a HDD, but loading and saving videos, pictures etc with an SSD will always feel quicker and more responsive than it would to a HDD.
Click to expand...

think that answers the question. I'm not doing any gaming or video editing - its mainly web browsing, saving and opening word documents, pictures and videos and if that is going to be snappier it sounds like going for a bigger drive with the dropbox data on the SSD is worthwhile.
 
Please note that I did say that the difference will be "modest" if you put your data files onto an SSD. Some will argue that keeping your data on an SSD is a waste of the SSD's space, and you'd be better off sticking with a HDD.

I could quite easily have managed with a 128GB SSD, as I have a couple of "backup" HDDs in my system. However, for the price premium (and we're not talking about a massive cost here), it's nice to have enough SSD capacity so that you can not only install your OS onto it, but you can keep your data and apps on it also.

You have about 60gb of dropbox data and maybe a few other bits and pieces. Your Windows install will be taking up about 25gb, and with basic apps you could well be using around 30-35 gb.

One possible solution (the one I would choose anyway !) would be to go for a 240 - 256gb SSD. You'll be able to install Windows (or clone your current SSD) onto it and have plenty of room for all of your data. Your existing SSD could be used as extra storage, or be sold or used in another system/laptop. I think that if you go for 128gb, you will be not leaving yourself with much spare capacity. Yes, you could keep your existing SSD in your system, but the extra ~£50 that it will cost you for ~250gb over 128gb is worth spending, IMHO. I think you'll see a slight improvement in overall performance due to having a newer SSD and having everything stored on it. You'll also benefit from not having to be concerned about running out of space anytime soon. If your budget is restricted, a 128gb SSD would not be a bad idea, but I just feel that if you are going to "upgrade", then a larger SSD is a better bet.
 
Last edited:
Agree with Dervious. Going from a 64 to a 128 doesn't make a lot of sense. Those kinds of small incremental steps just aren't cost-effective in the long term.
 
You could just add a 128GB SSD as a secondary drive, or use it as the OS drive and keep the 64GB SSD as a secondary drive. It isn't such a bad idea, but a 240 - 256GB SSD is the best option, IMHO.

840 250GB are good value ;)

The 840 Evo will cost a bit more, but looks good on paper.

Crucial M500, Kingston etc have all got good specifications, but the 840 250GB is one of the cheapest 250GB SSDs available, and performs well.

I'd probably stretch to the Evo, but having said that it's unproven, and the extra cost over your original idea of a 128GB SSD might be a bit too much.

Hope we've helped to make your mind up (or probably not helped, due to the extra cost !).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom