Noob attempting to upgrade storage drives, need help.

[Alex34]

So, I've decided to upgrade the storage on my CCL built PC. It currently has a Samsung 256GB SSD SATA 3 2.5 drive for OS and two Barracuda 2TB HDD drives for storing files and images. I will be upgrading the main OS drive to either one 2TB NVMe M.2 drive... or two 1TB SATA 3 2.5 drives which one will be for OS and the other for games. In both scenarios I will be keeping the two original HDD drives for file and image storage.

What I need to know is how do I go about upgrading the main drive? Do I carry out a fresh new download of Windows to the new drive or do I do some sort of transfer from old to new? All SSD drives involved are Samsung.

Are there any really good guides online that I should follow when upgrading/changing the drives?

TIA

 

[Alex34]

I don't see the logic in having two SATA drives as an alternative to one NVMe. Why not have just one 2TB SATA? Having said that, an NVMe SSD makes the internal wiring neater. Theoretically it will be faster but you probably won't see that much difference.

To do the upgrade, download and install the free version of Macrium Reflect 8, install the NVMe drive, use Macrium to clone the SATA SSD to the NVMe, shut down and remove the SATA SSD then reboot.

Save your money by buying WD SSDs rather than Samsung. Go for a WD Blue SN570 as a baseline but be aware that the WD Black SN750 is the same price for 2TB from OcUK and is an excellent drive - I have three of them.

Once you've finished that upgrade you can start thinking about replacing the spinning rust with SSDs, keeping the HDDs as part of your backup strategy. You do have a backup strategy?

That’s why I’m asking the questions . Not sure what will be the best setup… there is so much conflicting info online.

Backup strategy as far as what, in general or while doing the upgrade?

 

[Alex34]

The cleanest way to do the transfer is to just do a fresh install. Since the OS drive is quite small, you could probably fit whatever you need to keep on the internal HDDs, a USB drive, or an external HDD.

Word of warning though, if you're getting a cheap 2TB nvme, it may well be QLC without DRAM and that's not really ideal for the OS, you'd likely be better off keeping the OS right where it is.

The NVMe drive is a Samsung 970 EVO Plus. That’s not considered a cheap one is it?

 

[Alex34]

I should have clarified this in my original post but the drives I’m looking at are;

1. a Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB NVMe M.2 SSD drive
2. or two Samsung 870 EVO 1TB 2.5 SATA III SSD drives

 

[Alex34]

No, it is fine, but personally I think I'd still not bother to change the OS over

I would not buy an 870 Evo, they have an iffy reputation for failures and bad blocks (970 or 860 is fine).

So keep the OS on the old 256GB 2.5 SSD and use the NVMe for the photo editing and games?

 

[Alex34]

In general.

The HDD drives are the backup.