Best way to organize PC storage

[Tweed]

Like do I have an 1 SSD just for OS, 1 for games, 1 for applications? I was thinking of getting just a 1 TB SSD and partitioning it for the OS, but I am also aware of PCIe M.2 SSDs (512GB PCIe M.2) but they aren't really that faster than traditional SSDs for their price point.

 

[alth0triplemadang]

1TB SSD?
If I were you, I will get an 128GB SSD for OS and drivers, 500GB SLC SSD for games and your applications, then 1/2TB HDD that will store your important data.

PCIe M.2 SSD will perform faster because of PCIe's high bandwidth transfer rate.
SSD capacity bigger than 256GB will lose its efficiency depending on its controller, NAND types, and usage factor.
Good SSD controller can handle more than 500GB of NAND capacity.

 

[smorizio]

for cost and performace look at 500meg ssd m2 or nve. place the os and most used games on it. then use a storage hard drive. with any ssd of any size you dont want to keep wrinting to it an wearing it out. the other issue is with storage drive is having another drive or online backup. with todays hard drives if you sneeze to hard they die. if you look at them wrong they die....the mods here will tell you ever few days there a help me thread on a user who drive has dies and they had no back ups. if your a steam users then you want to back up your steam folder or you have to download all your games again.

 

[USAFRet]

Like do I have an 1 SSD just for OS, 1 for games, 1 for applications? I was thinking of getting just a 1 TB SSD and partitioning it for the OS, but I am also aware of PCIe M.2 SSDs (512GB PCIe M.2) but they aren't really that faster than traditional SSDs for their price point.

Individual drives, not partitions.
1 x 250 or 500GB for the OS and applications
Other drives, either SSD or HDD, in whatever size your budget allows.

 

[Tweed]

So is it better to get a separate small/medium sized SSDs for like OS, Applications, Games? Or just get a 1 TB SSD for everything and not partition. Is there a difference between 1TB and 500GB other than amount of storage?

 

[USAFRet]

So is it better to get a separate small/medium sized SSDs for like OS, Applications, Games? Or just get a 1 TB SSD for everything and not partition. Is there a difference between 1TB and 500GB other than amount of storage?

1. Yes. 250-500GB for the OS and applications
2. With a 1TB and everything on it...when you need to reinstall the OS, it is far more of a pain.
3. No real difference between a 500GB and 1TB, except for twice the space.

 

[Tweed]

So is it better to get a separate small/medium sized SSDs for like OS, Applications, Games? Or just get a 1 TB SSD for everything and not partition. Is there a difference between 1TB and 500GB other than amount of storage?

1. Yes. 250-500GB for the OS and applications
2. With a 1TB and everything on it...when you need to reinstall the OS, it is far more of a pain.
3. No real difference between a 500GB and 1TB, except for twice the space.

Curious, sorry if it's a stupid question, but why would I need to reinstall OS? The pain would be transfering my games and applications to another storage so I could reinstall OS correct?

 

[USAFRet]

Curious, sorry if it's a stupid question, but why would I need to reinstall OS? The pain would be transfering my games and applications to another storage so I could reinstall OS correct?

Some major virus, other corruption, or an actual dead drive.

OS and applications are easily reinstalled. Your personal data...vacation pics, music, video, etc....not so easily replaced. If that lives on a different drive, no problem.

 

[Tweed]

Curious, sorry if it's a stupid question, but why would I need to reinstall OS? The pain would be transfering my games and applications to another storage so I could reinstall OS correct?

Some major virus, other corruption, or an actual dead drive.

OS and applications are easily reinstalled. Your personal data...vacation pics, music, video, etc....not so easily replaced. If that lives on a different drive, no problem.

Ok think I'll get 500GB for applications and OS and 500GB for games. Or is 500GB for OS and applications too much? I plan to have adobe suite, microsoft office, animating software, virtual reality applications, game developing, programming, graphic design.

 

[USAFRet]

Curious, sorry if it's a stupid question, but why would I need to reinstall OS? The pain would be transfering my games and applications to another storage so I could reinstall OS correct?

Some major virus, other corruption, or an actual dead drive.

OS and applications are easily reinstalled. Your personal data...vacation pics, music, video, etc....not so easily replaced. If that lives on a different drive, no problem.

Ok think I'll get 500GB for applications and OS and 500GB for games. Or is 500GB for OS and applications too much? I plan to have adobe suite, microsoft office, animating software, virtual reality applications, game developing, programming, graphic design.

A 250GB will work for that. I have a lot of that same application stack, and it fits quite well in a 250GB drive.

 

[Tweed]

Say I just got a 1TB SSD and had games, OS, applications on it and I get a virus, or something. The problem I would have is that I would have to move everything to an HDD so that I would have only my OS on it so it could reinstall. That would be the only trouble right or is it that I would have to delete the stuff on my SSD and then reinstall the OS?

 

[USAFRet]

Say I just got a 1TB SSD and had games, OS, applications on it and I get a virus, or something. The problem I would have is that I would have to move everything to an HDD so that I would have only my OS on it so it could reinstall. That would be the only trouble right or is it that I would have to delete the stuff on my SSD and then reinstall the OS?

If *everything* is on a single drive, you may not have the opportunity to move the other stuff elsewhere.
If that drive dies....oh well.

With current prices, a 1TB is almost exactly the same as 2 x 500GB drives.
Or 500GB vs 2 x 250GB.

 

[Tweed]

Say I just got a 1TB SSD and had games, OS, applications on it and I get a virus, or something. The problem I would have is that I would have to move everything to an HDD so that I would have only my OS on it so it could reinstall. That would be the only trouble right or is it that I would have to delete the stuff on my SSD and then reinstall the OS?

If *everything* is on a single drive, you may not have the opportunity to move the other stuff elsewhere.
If that drive dies....oh well.

With current prices, a 1TB is almost exactly the same as 2 x 500GB drives.
Or 500GB vs 2 x 250GB.

What about offline backups? External USB Hard Drive?

 

[USAFRet]

What about offline backups? External USB Hard Drive?

Yes, and external would work well.
I use a couple of different schedules.

Using Macrium Reflect:
An image of the C drive, to another drive in the system every night at 2 AM
An image of the C drive to another PC (an external drive) every Sunday at 3AM.

Data drives are copied, file and folder, to other drives on a similar schedule, with SyncBackFree.

 

[Tom1243]

Hello everyone,

I have just got new PC. So far only OS was installed on it and I need some guidance about SSD / hard drives before I install anything else.

My setup consist only one SSD drive which is Western Digital WD Blue SN550 1TB (PCIE).

My thinking was to get bigger drive for OS and then create separate partitions for Installs , games and some personal stuff.

Is this a good idea of should I get a separate drive for installs / games and other stuff leaving this 1TB SSD only for OS ?

Please advise - many thanks.

 

[Endre]

Hello everyone,

I have just got new PC. So far only OS was installed on it and I need some guidance about SSD / hard drives before I install anything else.

My setup consist only one SSD drive which is Western Digital WD Blue SN550 1TB (PCIE).

My thinking was to get bigger drive for OS and then create separate partitions for Installs , games and some personal stuff.

Is this a good idea of should I get a separate drive for installs / games and other stuff leaving this 1TB SSD only for OS ?

Please advise - many thanks.

Depends on who you ask.

I’d, personally, create 2 partitions on that 1TB PCIe SSD:

1. Partition C (250GB) - for the OS.
2. Partition D (750GB) - for personal files.

The idea behind having a separate partition for the OS is the fact that sometimes you’ll have to re-install the OS clean, and in this way, with 2 partitions, you won’t lose your personal files (located on D).

Some say, you should use a small drive for the OS only.
That is not a terrible idea, but please keep in mind that there’s a catch:
Small SSDs have small LPDDR caches! Which will translate into slowdowns everytime an app exceeds that cache size.
Bigger SSDs (even if they are the same model, usually, have a bigger cache).

 

[Tom1243]

Thank you. I think that i will stick to this plan and your suggestion for now.

I will Create two partitions , one for OS (250GB) and D for other stuff.

Should i install everything such games , programs, office on this D drive ? So C is for OS and nothing else ? Would that work well.

To be fair this is what i have done with my laptop drive , separate OS on C, and D only for Installs / Games , and I had E partition for pictures, movies and other documents.

 

[Endre]

Thank you. I think that i will stick to this plan and your suggestion for now.

I will Create two partitions , one for OS (250GB) and D for other stuff.

Should i install everything such games , programs, office on this D drive ? So C is for OS and nothing else ? Would that work well.

To be fair this is what i have done with my laptop drive , separate OS on C, and D only for Installs / Games , and I had E partition for pictures, movies and other documents.

The partition C should be used for the OS.
Also, every program that you’ll install will be located on partition C, in Program Files or Program Files (x86).

The D partition should be used for personal files:
Program installers, photos, music, movies, games installers, etc.

 

[USAFRet]

Hello everyone,

I have just got new PC. So far only OS was installed on it and I need some guidance about SSD / hard drives before I install anything else.

My setup consist only one SSD drive which is Western Digital WD Blue SN550 1TB (PCIE).

My thinking was to get bigger drive for OS and then create separate partitions for Installs , games and some personal stuff.

Is this a good idea of should I get a separate drive for installs / games and other stuff leaving this 1TB SSD only for OS ?

Please advise - many thanks.

Please start a NEW thread for your particular situation.
This one is 5 years old.

Thanks.