Adding an SSD to current HDD build help

[epicsmokey]

I have had my computer for awhile now and have only had a 1tb HDD drive, and want to add an SSD. My plan is to make my SSD my boot drive and put a few games on it to speed things up, but keep everything else I already have on my HDD. Is that possible? I've read different posts and articles that aren't exactly answering my question:
When I install the SSD and install windows 10 onto it using the Installation Media (Link) from my existing computer, will I end up losing data from my current HDD, or will I keep everything on the HDD and then just have a fresh install of Windows 10 on my SSD?

 

[SkyNetRising]

If you get SSD large enough to hold all the contents of your hdd, then you can clone hdd to ssd and avoid reinstall.
Or you can do clean install of OS on SSD, but this means, you'll have to reinstall all the software also.

 

[rgd1101]

Also, always do backup

 

[epicsmokey]

If you get SSD large enough to hold all the contents of your hdd, then you can clone hdd to ssd and avoid reinstall.
Or you can do clean install of OS on SSD, but this means, you'll have to reinstall all the software also.

Sadly I don't have enough space on the SSD to clone.
When I do the clean install on the SSD and you say I need to reinstall all the software, are you saying that the software I have on the HDD I won't be able to use unless I install it on the SSD?

 

[jsmithepa]

to speed things up

Speed what things up exactly.

If HDD is slowing you down DURING gameplay (HD LED keeps flashing constantly), maybe more ram may help, or if it's constantly loading maps then yes that will help, but then those maps must be kept on the SSD, I don't know how large the maps are. This dictates how large the SSD needs be.

If low frame rate, that's your typically your GPU.

 

[epicsmokey]

to speed things up

Speed what things up exactly.

If HDD is slowing you down DURING gameplay (HD LED keeps flashing constantly), maybe more ram may help, or if it's constantly loading maps then yes that will help, but then those maps must be kept on the SSD, I don't know how large the maps are. This dictates how large the SSD needs be.

If low frame rate, that's your typically your GPU.

I don't really have problems with games, but I figured that it might speed them up a little. My main problem with speed is when I start my computer. Typically it takes about 5 minutes to load all my processes up and even after that my disk says 100% usage. My friend said that I should get an ssd since my HDD is pretty old anyways. That's what I mean by speed things up.

 

[jsmithepa]

That's fine then.

OS on SSD will speed boot and make your system "smoother" in general.

If u have left over room on SSD, installing games on SSD will speed up load time but not necessarily game play.

Back to your original query, when you re-install OS, that obliterates a thing called the REGISTRY you probably heard by now. Every time you install an App, a game, this registry is updated with installing information and tell things where things are, that's why New OS install = must re-install Apps as well, specially when things are moved, like you now may have Apps on D: where previously you had them on C:

 

[SkyNetRising]

Sadly I don't have enough space on the SSD to clone.

What capacity SSD are you getting?
Can you show screenshot from Disk Management?

are you saying that the software I have on the HDD I won't be able to use unless I install it on the SSD?

Some software might work without reinstallation, but most will require it.