Separate SSD for OS?

Jimpy762

Jimpy762

Jimpy762

Associate
Joined
18 Jun 2009
Posts
19
Gents

I just recently received my SSD from Overclockers and I was about to install my OS plus some data streaming intensive games (looking at you Arma 2) when a mate said that it would be better to get a small SSD (like 64GB) for the OS and keep the 240GB one for games.

It would save 20GB but aside from that is there any other tangible benefits? If you consider it a good idea, any recommendations for a small SSD?
 
If you can do it then do it, but I would find 64GB small for my OS drive. I have 120GB in my laptop and a 240 in my PC.

It does all depend on what software you have installed, for example my PC OS drive is 68GB and this is with hibernation and system restore switched off. If you don't have a lot of software will get away with as 64GB drive.
 
There are some tangible benefits, but maybe not for gaming.

If you regularly access 2 sets of files then having them on separate drives would make things faster (for the same reason that RAID 0 makes things faster). In theory, if while gaming, both your OS files and your game files are being accessed at the same time, maybe that would have some theoretical benefit.

One thing to be aware of is how Windows does temporary files:
a lot of programs like decompression programs or the like generate a temp file in the Windows temporary area before moving it to the destination. Something like this means that it is likely that if you are unzipping a file onto SDD2, it might unpack in SSD1 one first, and then be moved onto SSD2. This is a much slower operation than if it was unpacked in SSD1 and moved to SSD1 (since that would just update a link rather than actually do a move)
 
I like keeping my data on a separate drive, or at least a separate partition. This makes it easier to do full rebuilds. Other than that, on an SSD no benefit really.
 
My 64GB drive was not really big enough even though it was for OS and programs only.

Now using a 120GB for OS/programs and storage and games on other drives.
 
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