Adding 1 more SSD Question

[ashehadeh1]

Hey Everyone, I've been reading alot of threads on here, and everyone seems really helpful & knowledgeable! I just built a new gaming pc and my specs are as follows:

CPU: I5-2500K OC @ 4.3 (done automatically with AI SUITE ii)
MOBO: P8P67-PRO REV 3.1 (RUNNING LATEST BIOS)
GPU: MSI 560 TI TWIN FROZER 11%OC
RAM: CORSAIR VENGEANCE 1600MHZ 8GB (2X4)
SSD: OCZ AGILITY 3 60GB (LOADS OS + STEAM)
HDD: WD BLUE 500GB
COOLER: CM HYPER 212+ EVO (PUSH/PULL) Artic Silver 5 Thermal Paste
CASE: HAF X 922
PSU: ANTEC ECO 620W
FAN SETUP : TOP 200MM EXHAUST, REAR 120MM EXHAUST, FRONT 200MM INTAKE, BOTTOM 120MM INTAKE
OS: Windows 7 64
BIOS: LATEST RELEASE

I'm going to be adding the Patriot Memory Pyro 120gb SSD, and had a few questions which are as follows:

1) Best way to set-up all my drives for best performace?
2) How can I keep all my drives running like new?
3) Is there anyway I can boot my OS off an SSD, but make my HDD the C: / drive?

If anyone could answer any or all my questions, it would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

 

[willard]

1) Best way to set-up all my drives for best performace?

Put your operating system and most used programs on the SSD. Any games you want to cut load times for can live there too. Things I like to call big dumb data, like movies, music and your porn collection can all live on the HDD instead. Since they don't need to be read quickly, putting them on the SSD is a waste of money.

2) How can I keep all my drives running like new?

Get a drive with at least 8% overprovisioning, which is standard. This makes sure there's always free space for your drive to do wear leveling with. Also, never fill the drive to capacity. Always leave 10-25% free space available, which further assists with wear leveling.

Finally, make sure you install Windows fresh on the SSD with AHCI or RAID mode enabled in your BIOS first. Windows will optimize a number of things for SSDs, but it does it on installation. You can do this all yourself after the install, but it's way easier to let Windows do it for you.

3) Is there anyway I can boot my OS off an SSD, but make my HDD the C: / drive?

I suspect what you're really after is making the HDD the default "put stuff here" drive. In that case, the answer is yes. I forget exactly the steps, but it took me about 15 seconds on my computer at home to move my desktop, downloads and documents libraries to my storage drive. Program Files, and its (x86) brother, still need to live on your SSD, though. 120 GB is more than enough space to handle all the little things you install, though, and you wouldn't want to move that to your HDD and get rid of the benefit.

For the most part, it's things like video games you'll need to be conscious of where you install. Not much else is going to eat up gigabytes by the dozen.

 

[jitpublisher]

Nice build, very nice.

1. Just like you have set up now, OS on the small SSD, use the new larger SSD for games or programs you run the most, use the blue drive for music, video, pictures, backup and general storage for data.
2. Windows 7 will configure the SSD's for optimal use, there is really nothing you can do to help. Do not defrag them or perform other maintenance procedures on them.
3. No. Your boot drive must be C: It does become somewhat of a pain, and it requires diligence to keep installs, downloads, etc going where you want them to go, but after a while, you learn to adjust and how to manage it quite well. Not a big deal really. There is a way to set the default place everything goes though, although I am not sure exactly how to do it myself.

 

[ashehadeh1]

Best answer selected by ashehadeh1.

 

[ashehadeh1]

Thank you both for the help!