Do you run Windows 10 on a seperate SSD?

121 · 1 Aug 2021 at 11:58

I'm building my first PC.

Do you run Win 10 on it's own SSD and the programs on a second SSD?

If so, what size SSD do you use for WIN 10?

I have WIN 10 on a 160GB SSD and I haven't experienced any problems.

andy_mk3 · 1 Aug 2021 at 12:24

No, I do have a separate games drive but programs and all my data on the OS drive. 1TB drive for Windows 10 & programs, 2TB drive for games.

Quartz · 1 Aug 2021 at 12:36

121 said:
Do you run Win 10 on it's own SSD and the programs on a second SSD?

No. Windows and apps are on one SSD or partition. But all data is on another.

mickyflinn · 1 Aug 2021 at 12:45

I have Windows and programs installed on the same drive and games installed on another.

Haze · 1 Aug 2021 at 12:57

I used to, but now everything is on my main ssd, I just have a sata for music and films ect

Alan McFall · 1 Aug 2021 at 13:36

I have a 1tb M.2 for boot and installs and 2 tb HDD for storage.

121 · 1 Aug 2021 at 14:21

I can have two M.2 SSDs on my B360 Aorus Gaming 3.

I could use one M.2 for the OS and programs. Is there a performance boost to having games on a M.2?

dave28 · 1 Aug 2021 at 14:26

C drive with windows 128GB SSD, just because it was the first SSD i bought and it still works perfect

Alan McFall · 1 Aug 2021 at 14:43

121 said:
Is there a performance boost to having games on a M.2?

Just faster loading times at the moment

Cooler running · 1 Aug 2021 at 16:02

Not really? It's more like I put my downloads folder, documents folder and steam library on another drive.

Although really were splitting hairs here, I generally don't install all programs on a secondary SSD, outside of steam.

I've personally found NVME 512 GB primary drive and 512 GB SATA secondary drive gives the highest performance and at a more reasonable cost.

adrichardson81 · 2 Aug 2021 at 14:39

I prefer it separate, just in case I have to reformat the drive. There used to be a performance benefit if you had your OS on a separate hdd, but I'm not sure if that applies to SSDs. It definitely doesn't apply for nvme.

EsaT · 2 Aug 2021 at 16:15

Cooler running said:
I've personally found NVME 512 GB primary drive and 512 GB SATA secondary drive gives the highest performance and at a more reasonable cost.

WD Blue SN550 doesn't cost really any more per GB than SATA SSD.

adrichardson81 said:
I prefer it separate, just in case I have to reformat the drive. There used to be a performance benefit if you had your OS on a separate hdd, but I'm not sure if that applies to SSDs. It definitely doesn't apply for nvme.

Partitioning is for keeping things separate in case of needing to nuke OS.

And if you had proper amount of memory to avoid paging, even in HDD era having OS and say games on same drive wasn't problen.
Once booted, OS simply has very little drive activity and with low data rate.

chroniclard · 2 Aug 2021 at 16:24

Only things separate for me is data. Games/programs all on OS drive (1TB NVME's)

BUDFORCE · 2 Aug 2021 at 16:28

I used to have win on a small SSD, 128GB.

Now I have it on a 2TB nvme, I also have a 1TB sata SSD, and yes, the 128gb sata SSD plugged in.

I don't tend to keep much on my PC though.

121 · 2 Aug 2021 at 16:42

I just bought a 2TB M.2 NVMe and a 2TB SSD.

I already have a 2.72TB HDD, but IDK what I'll need it for now.

Zeebedy · 2 Aug 2021 at 18:40

500gb m2 for OS and apps, 2tb m2 for games and another 2tb standard SSD for games also.

Tetras · 2 Aug 2021 at 19:18

121 said:
I'm building my first PC.

Do you run Win 10 on it's own SSD and the programs on a second SSD?

If so, what size SSD do you use for WIN 10?

I have WIN 10 on a 160GB SSD and I haven't experienced any problems.

Yes, 500GB, just because 250GB SSD is usually poor value.

Grimley · 2 Aug 2021 at 19:26

121 said:
I'm building my first PC.

Do you run Win 10 on it's own SSD and the programs on a second SSD?

If so, what size SSD do you use for WIN 10?

I have WIN 10 on a 160GB SSD and I haven't experienced any problems.

I can get away with 120gb for the OS & a few apps. I keep my files on a HDD.

Digit · 2 Aug 2021 at 19:53

Nope. 250gb nvme for os and programs (Still have more than 50% free even after numerous music software such as FL Studio, ableton live, reason 5 etc. Also photoshop, lightroom. Plus plenty of other software)
2tb ssd for steam/other games.
3tb hdd for music, movies, downloads etc.
500gb ssd as a scratch drive (Basically all temp stuff from C: drive goes to this, so i always only have one place to clean every so often. And these temps files aren't destroying my nvme)

Cooler running · 2 Aug 2021 at 20:05

EsaT said:
WD Blue SN550 doesn't cost really any more per GB than SATA SSD.

You tend to get better quality NAND in a SATA SSD which has price parity with a SN550 - at least if you know which drives are good. For sure the cost difference between these kinds of drives has sharply fallen though, as this kind of setup which I have was more optimized for the market conditions of about ~3 years ago, when I bought my drives.