Best SSD/HDD set up for EON17-X platform with 2nd Generation Intel Co

[teoabroad]

I am building a dream gaming laptop (no cost issue only performance & reliability & future viability in gaming) on this platform (http://www.originpc.com/shop/pc/configurePrd.asp?idproduct=931).

Please help me choose the best set up for the 3/4 drives available options: only SSDs, SSD/HDD, SSD+HDD, only HDD - nooo way.

The available brands and capacities (in ORIGIN displayed order):
- HDDs: 320GB SATA 3.0Gb/s, 7200RPM, 16MB Cache; 500GB SATA 3.0Gb/s, 7200RPM, 16MB Cache; 750GB SATA 3.0Gb/s, 7200RPM, 16MB Cache; 1TB SATA 3.0Gb/s, 5400RPM, 8MB Cache.
- Corsair Force GT: 60, 90, 120, 240, 480 GB.
- Kingston HyperX: 120, 240 GB.
- Crucial M4: 256, 512 GB.
- Intel 520 Series: 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 480 GB.
- Samsung 830 Series: 64, 128, 256, 512 GB.

1. Only SDDs:
a. All at max capacity or best PCMark Vantage x64 HDD Suite score?
b. OS drive only on best PCMark Vantage score and the
others on max capacity?
c. Which brand?
d. Any R0 - all in one? - 1 SSD for OS + 2/3 SSDs in R0?
2. SSD x 2 in R0 (OS, programs) + 1/2 HDD (data):
a. Which capacities each?
b. Which brands?
c. Any cache for HDD/HDDs?
3. The today's trend: SSD - OS, programs + 2/3 HDDs data:
a. Which capacities each (OS on best PCMark Vantage score?)?
b. HDDs in R0?
c. Any cache for HDDs (I learnt here how to do it from the same OS SSD)?

Thanks for your kind cooperation!

 

[WyomingKnott]

My strongest advice is: Do not use RAID0. A 256 GB SSD in a given line will be faster than two 128 GB drives in RAID0, and much less likely to fail. For your option 1d, can you really fit four drives in a laptop?

If cost is really no object, one or two enormous SSDs will always be the way to go. No need to cache them; they are cache.

However, I strongly suspect that the limiting factor in a small form-factor gaming machine will be the graphics, even if you have two mobile GPUs in crossfire.

 

[teoabroad]

My strongest advice is: Do not use RAID0. A 256 GB SSD in a given line will be faster than two 128 GB drives in RAID0, and much less likely to fail. For your option 1d, can you really fit four drives in a laptop?

If cost is really no object, one or two enormous SSDs will always be the way to go. No need to cache them; they are cache.

However, I strongly suspect that the limiting factor in a small form-factor gaming machine will be the graphics, even if you have two mobile GPUs in crossfire.

Thanks for your input!
Yes Origin can fit 04 drives dropping the DVD one.
So, you say I should get 3 x 512 GB SSDs (like M4?), keeping them un-RAID-ed (and the DVD/Blue ray drive)?
Thanks again,
Teo

 

[WyomingKnott]

If you need that much storage space, yes. If you don't need 1.5 TB, then leave one of them off and spare your battery the load. How much storage do you think that you are going to need for gaming?

Off the top of my head, I would "partition" the files for ease of use and understanding. ("Partition" was a conceptual word; I would not partition an SSD except for backup considerations.) Keeping in mind that some people believe that you should not fill an SSD above 90% of capacity, I would suggest
- A primary drive with the OS and as many program files as will comfortably fit.
- A second drive with data. Game levels are data, but I don't know if your games will let you specify one storage address for the program and another for data. If they will, go for it. If not, install some entirely on your OS drive and some entirely on the alternate SSD(s).
- Only have a third SSD if you really need the storage space. Heck, that argument applies to the second SSD, too.

By any chance, do you have an existing laptop or desktop with everything installed that you will want on this new machine, so that we can get an idea of how much storage space you will actually need? Otherwise I am just picking the most expansive, and expensive, options.