New build with Windows 7 on an SSD - what do I need to do different to normal?

Donkeyfumbler

Donkeyfumbler

Donkeyfumbler

Associate
Joined
20 May 2011
Posts
308
Hi Guys,

Just about to take delivery of a load of parts to build a (mostly) brand new system with my first SSD (a Crucial M64).

Not having used or even seen an SSD before, is there anything I need to do different to if I was installing Windows 7 64bit on a regular HD? My mobo is brand new (MSI p67a G45) and supports Sata 6gbps. I've read somewhere about a bios settting for AHCI - is that likely to apply to me? Anything else I need to do, or would need to do once Windows is up and running?

Cheers.
 
Well - all up and running with my new build and SSD. I've done everything as described and it's all gone fine. The only thing I haven't done though is the intel RST drivers. It seems to be working fine as it is, so I was just wondering what the drivers are for and what the benefits would be of using them rather than what seemed to be automatically installed by Windows? Are they just for RAID as well as I only havea single drive? Finally, are they also definitely compatible with my P67 chipset mobo, as I can't see it listed on this page:

http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Det...duct=Intel®+Rapid+Storage+Technology&lang=eng

Thanks.
 
Thanks Wizardmaxx.

I've been taking a look today at a variety of articles and most of them do mention the same tips which are basically obligatory, which as I can see are mainly:

1. Check that Windows has disabled Superfetch, Prefetch, and ReadyBoost as well as disabling scheduled defragmentation operations for the SSD. It should so this after running the WEI that DragonQ mentioned.

2. Install the Intel RST drivers as they improve performance over the Windows ones.

3. Disable indexing on the SSD

4. Check that Trim is enabled in Windows 7

5. Disable hibernate - it takes up space and it takes more time to resume from it than to boot from cold with an SSD

Then there are a few that are more in the way of personal preference, as they have advantages and disadvantages:

1. Move the temp file location from the User\Appdata\Local\Temp on the SSD to a different drive, or move the whole users folder. Reduces writes to the SSD but will slow performance.

2. Move the Firefox disk cache to a different hard drive, or disable the disk cache entirely. Reduces writes to the SSD but will slow Firefox startup time and initial peformance (more than usual!).

3. Move the page file to a different hard drive, or disable it entirely. Reduces writes to the SSD but effects performance. Debates about whether removing the pagefile altogether is a good idea, especially with 4gb ram or less.

4. Enable write caching on the SSD. Speeds performance but at the risk of losing data in the event of sudden power cut or other event.

5. Disable system restore. Reduces disk writes but you miss out on the benefits of system restore.

Most of the optional stuff is about reducing writes to prolong the life of your SSD, but is this really necessary with current models, especially when they are being used for just a few hours a day, as mine will be - not 24/7?

What do you all reckon, and are there any other tips I may have missed?
 
Do you mean the second list, or some/all of the first lot as well DragonQ? I wasn't actually planning on doing any of the second list (apart from checking that Write Caching was enabled) as, like you say, it seems like a lot of effort or reduced functionality for either little or no gain.
 
Thanks for the link Reaga - I hadn't seen that article before and it does go into a bit more depth than the others. It does show that all these tweaks have a negligible effect on performance, and so it's really more about either recovering space, which is a personal choice, or reducing writes, which may not be really necessary with modern drives as DragonQ and others have said.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom