1T SSD Olny Gaming system?

[Gargie396]

Would it be possible to use a SSD (1TB) as the sole drive in a gaming system?

Iv looked around the internet but have only gotten results for low cap drives that would be used in tandem with an HDD or in workstations.I mean would it be practical (not it monetary term ovb) could you depend on an ssd to last for 5-7 years of game installs and uninstalls-Iv read that degradation is over exaggerated.

 

[raisonjohn]

Since SSD > HDD, then, 1TB SSD > 1TB HDD.

I see no problems using a 1TB SSD as the only drive in your PC (these are common in laptops). This is just akin to having a single 1TB HDD (commonly seen in budget PC setups), but with higher risks of failure due to the physical/mechanical spinning platter and larger power consumption/heat.

I would personally go with a single 1TB *or* if total price of 2x 500GB SSD is lesser, I'd also consider that (just to have 2 physical partitions).

 

[madmatt30]

Nand degradation is massively over exaggerated as you suspect.

Had a 240gb in a mini htpc now for around 4 years.

Total writes shown -12tb , that gives it in essence at least another 12 years of lifetime.
As raisinjohn says on a personal level I word still rather have 2 physical drives , 1 for os/scratch disk usage (meaning for game downloads ) , another for the actual game installs.

To me its a more sensible/practical setup.

 

[Chugalug_]

There's nothing wrong with that at all, but its extremely expensive and not worth it unless you have a crazy budget.
What are your specs OP?

 

[guanyu210379]

If you are worried about SSD live, my 128GB Crucial M4 is still alive and kick ass since 2011.

I am now running 1 500GB Samsung EVO 840 (OS, programs), 1 500GB Samsung EVO 850 (games) ^o^
I still have 3TB 7200 rpm HDD for the data.

 

[n0ns3ns3]

I use 1TB SSD as only drive in my system.
Did it since previously used 240GB SSD + 1TB HDD resulted in using the HDD only for Downloads and storing some docs.
A decent SSD like Crucial MX300 or SanDisk X400 have huge endurance and 3-5 years warranty. If you go to more expensive NVMe drives like Samsung 960, there is also nothing to worry about. SSDs will probably outlive most of other components in your system.

 

[USAFRet]

All of my current systems are SSD only.

HTPC - 2 x 128GB
Wife PC - 1 x 250GB
My PC - 5 x SSD. Totalling ~2TB

The eldest drive is a 5 year old 120GB Kingston, still going strong. Previously, it was the main drive in my PC.

The only spinning drives I have are in or connected to the NAS box, or in an old laptop.

SSD's dying from too many writes is massively over exaggerated.
Read this for more:
http://us.hardware.info/reviews/4178/10/hardwareinfo-tests-lifespan-of-samsung-ssd-840-250gb-tlc-ssd-updated-with-final-conclusion-final-update-20-6-2013

 

[Chugalug_]

2TB of SSD storage, rip my wallet.
https://www.pccasegear.com/products/32756/samsung-850-evo-2tb-ssd

 

[Gargie396]

Thanks everyone I just wanted to get an experienced opinion before I settled on buying!
I already knew that a lot of modern devices use SSDs like laptops and phones but I just wasn't sure if in/un-stalling 150-200 gb worth of game data every couple of months would some how nuke it.

There's nothing wrong with that at all, but its extremely expensive and not worth it unless you have a crazy budget.
What are your specs OP?

Its not so much what my current specs are but careful pre planning of a new system,my budget is not astronomical or thrifty 1200-1400 (USD) Ill be reusing my PSU,case and peripherals.

 

[Chugalug_]

Do not get a 1TB SSD, please don't waste your money on that!
Don't put games on SSDs, it only improves loading times, no performance difference AT ALL!
What PSU, case and peripherals do you have?

 

[guanyu210379]

Do not get a 1TB SSD, please don't waste your money on that!
Don't put games on SSDs, it only improves loading times, no performance difference AT ALL!
What PSU, case and peripherals do you have?

Loading time is also important beside fps for games like Skyrim or any games, which have lots of loading.
Just consider carefully what to put in the SSD so that you do not have to buy big SSDs to save money.

 

[Chugalug_]

Yeah, its good to have a 250GB SSD because it gives you a little room for that naturally, but any higher is a waste.

 

[n0ns3ns3]

You kinda miss the OP's question.
The question is "is it possible to use single 1TB storage drive" - yes it is possible.
Can it be SSD - yes it can and it will be better if OP can afford it.

Good 240 drive will cost ~80-100$ + 1TB HDD 50-60$ = 130-160$. 1TB SSD will cost 240-600$.
It's up to OP to decide if the extra 100$ worth the benefit of single drive, much quieter system, much faster launch and load times and less messy and compact system with no cables if the disk is in M.2 format.

Your opinion on price to performance is valued as a side note, but not the ultimate/universal.
IMHO, someone buying Crapen coolers and 850w platinum PSU while living with 250GB SSD has wasted his money. In your opinion, someone with over 500$ cooling, but "aging" CPU and mid range GPU is wasting his money. Those are opinions and there is nothing wrong in having one and ignoring one due to some personal reason/preference.

 

[Chugalug_]

Just answering the question isn't the most helpful answer you can give, I'm here to provide options an help out, not to give a yes no answer to get points. 😛
I did answer the original question though, see above.
You state the value of opinions, but in a $1200-1400 build, spending $500 of it on a 1TB 850 Evo SSD is simply a poor investment imo in terms of balance, hence why I mentioned it above. There's matters of opinion, then there's matters of facts and statistics sometimes that sort of oveS rrule opinions (not to sound like an ass).
Even if it is a slower SSD, 1TB of solid state storage isn't necessary unless you do heavy media transfer or otherwise, HDDs are a better investment in this respect.
A 240-250GB SSD is a good choice here.
Dunno where you got this from or why its relevant though, is it meant to give an example of a somewhat irresponsible or silly opinion? "In your opinion, someone with over 500$ cooling, but "aging" CPU and mid range GPU is wasting his money"

 

[madmatt30]

I'm with Chugalug in the fact I much prefer 2 physical drives.

Honestly if you want ssd only storage then consider a good fast 240gb os/working drive & a secondary like the mx300 750gb.

That drive model costs (at least in the UK) only around double the price of most premium 240-250gb drives.

You've then got your 1tb storage but spread across 2 physical drives which IMO is beneficial.

 

[Chugalug_]

The MX300 usually sits between the SP550 and the 850 Evo.
Prices are funny though, and it may be better value to go for either one of the two mentioned above most of the time since the MX300 generally can get pretty expensive sometimes with price spikes.
For example, in Aus right now the MX300 costs $127 while the 850 Evo is only $8 more.
Varies depending on location.

 

[madmatt30]

^ yep the issue is the same in the UK on the 275gb model which is sitting at £90 .

The 750gb mx300 (which I'm talking about as a secondary drive if he's really insisting on ssd only)
Is sitting at £159.99 - that is a blistering good deal for that much ssd space.

 

[Chugalug_]

Ditto.

 

[n0ns3ns3]

@Chugalug_ the thing you quoted was a "balancing" possible opinion on my build, since just before it I said that IMHO your build is "wasteful and unbalanced".
HDDs are noisier, larger, slower, and less reliable. SSDs like MX300 are fast enough (even M.2 are just SATA), but cheap enough 240$ for 1.1TB.
Most people don't need that. In a couple of years 250GB SSD will be too small for anything and will be just laying around. a 1TB SSD can be reused for things.
Having partitioned (physically or logically) storage is wasteful.
I see you recommending overkill PSUs many times - it's also unnecessary. even 1500$ build can run well for many years with 40$ PSU.

 

[Chugalug_]

I never recommend overkill PSUs.....
If you could find one of these quotes i'd appreciate it.
An S12II or CXM for most rigs is completely sufficient, and a 1060/R 480 system only draws around 300w under load.
250GB SSDs will still be heaps in a few years time, data storage isn't taking off in terms of capacity any time soon unless you're talking 4k video which would be stored on a HDD anyway unless you want to drop the cash on a 3TB SSD.
Obviously SSDs are better than hard drives, but they're not very cost effective, and a good 7200RPM HDD will be plenty for most people.
HDDs are only a tiny bit bigger, but we have 3.5" drive bays for a reason.
If you prefer more SSD space over performance that's great, that's your personal preference, but a 250GB SSD is heaps for a gaming PC, and is more cost effective.