Can Bargain SSDs Give Windows A Quantum Performance Leap?

[hundredislandsboy]

Still no buy from me. I just checked Newegg and an Intel SSD that holds a tiny 80GB is $300. There are 80GB for $240 and $250.

On the other hand, a Western Digital 80GB drive is $35. Hmmm... I could go for it or I could have over $200 in my hand to upgrade something else and live with waiting a few milliseconds to load CoD4?

Gee, I can hear all those users out there with their 3 year old machines wanting to upgrade and now you guys got them convinced the best thing to do is drop in an SSD! Lol...

 

[hundredislandsboy]

Also the storage system has always been THE weakest link...

No wonder why upgrading to SSDs has such an impact.

IMO getting an SSD is the single best upgrade you can do to your machine..

In my opinion, if your machine is 2 or 3 years old, the best single upgrade is getting the fastest CPU you can afford and overclock it. If you're a gamer, a faster videocard.
If you're budget is limited and you have to use some old parts, a CPU/mobo combo first, then GPU, then RAM, then etc...

 

[mau1wurf1977]

So you have a windows installation that is 2-3 years old...

And you recommend to upgrade the CPU? Why? Not only are your upgrade options limited (because your board likely won't support all the new cpus). It will also have almost zero impact.

Clone your HDD to an SSD and BAM! Instant benefit.

The processor in a 3 year old machine is usally ok. Its the software that got slow. Windows grew in size, large registry, lots of applications. Machines get slower over time because of software.

Sure you could reinstall windows. But that is a lot of work. The downtime costs way more than getting a new SSD.

 

[ossie]

[citation][nom]mau1wurf1977[/nom]The processor in a 3 year old machine is usally [sic.] ok. Its the software that got slow. Windows grew in size, large registry, lots of applications. Machines get slower over time because of software.Sure you could reinstall windows. But that is a lot of work. The downtime costs way more than getting a new SSD.[/citation]
That's really the lousiest pretense for a SSD... to reinvigorate windoof from it's rotten zombie state.
[citation][nom]mau1wurf1977[/nom]Clone your HDD to an SSD and BAM! Instant benefit.[/citation]
What about cloning windumb before getting regrotten, but with the usefull apps already installed, and configured? Then you just restore the image, and get some instant, and free benefits.
Or, even better, use a real OS!

 

[Guest]

I wish you would have included a "normal" hard drive so that we'd have something to compare with.

 

[dragunover]

Really? SWAP?!?!
Are you that uninformed? That's a great path to hell on your SSD, and if this is supposed to be for people low on cash I think you have the wrong idea, not everyone can buy 1,5k+ in desktop components every year.

 

[Guest]

I thought it was a good article. I have swapped everything over to Intel SSD's. When I threw one into my Dell E3200 2.2G it boots up in 15 sec or so with all of the overhead that comes with a corporate domain. Wow!

I find the types of comments interesting.

"I cannot justify the cost". Because you cannot afford it doesnt mean you should put it down. I cannot afford a Lamborghini but I sure as heck can appreciate the engineering involved in building it.

"What about Netbooks". Seriously?? Who gives a rats a** about netbook anything?? Isnt this a performance site?

"Not enough data". This usually comes from someone with an older drive or who doesnt have the money to upgrade in the near future anyhow. I do want to see only the latest products because those are the ones Im interested in (so I can buy them).

"What about Linux". The reason we are on this site is we enjoy building hardware - does it matter if our first choice is Windows or Linux. Start a Linux site and run these tests for your team.

"Tests are not valid because the voltage might have changed". You will never make these people happy. The premise of this article was normal windows startup times. I dont do a clean format before every test - this is close to real world. I appreciate the attention to detail and the inherent loss of precision in the tests but lets move on....

Are SSD's cost effective? No way!! But Ive got several in my system, my laptop and several lying around (the 80G Intel G1 for example).

Sign me up for more!!!

1-Not justify the cost: there'splenty of reason for these people to be able to buy the same product much cheaper! Some companies just charge too much for a product that does not have the value. If your lamborghini would cost $15.000 to manufacture, would you be willing to pay $80.000 for it in the stores?
2- Plenty of people care about netbooks! And NO, this is NOT a performance site! This is a technology site. For plenty of people computers already work fast enough, they see more benefit in a device that lasts longer than in one that leaks energy like a bucket full of holes for simple word processing and internet!
The Number one complaint worldwide about laptops is NO LONGER that they aren't fast enough, but that they have too little battery!
3- Latest products could also mean latest 40GB SSD's.
4- again, this is a technology site, not a hardware only site! There are plenty of software articles found on toms too! Don't limit this site to your ideals, so Linux is a valid request as it is quickly gaining momentum in the OS market!

 

[pinetree]

With the cold boot times coming close to the hibernation resume times, I wonder what the point of hibernation is now.

 

[suddenstop]

Please compare a dual hard disk raid setup to hybrid ssd boot. I'm wondering if it is worth the trouble of having to split apps among the different drives etc.

 

[oren levy]

hi there is a magic solution for all off u that need space and dosnt want to spend lot off bucks....small ssd g2 80 and diffrent instalation install user profile and appdata on second normal drive with unattended xml
use c as 128k allocation units and walla cold boot 6 sec very fast loading apps and most of the garbage...temporary internet and unistall staff on normal hd. i already built 15 systems like that.
keep in mind to leave the 100 m before the primery par for changing the 128k(acronis) and make image both c and program data/users...
hope it is usefull

 

[dnpate]

For video editing replacing the drive with the video data on it with a faster drive rather than the boot drive would seem to make the most sense since the video data is being shuffled (I think) back and forth from the data drive. Boot up time is an aggravating too long time but not nearly as aggravating as the jitter I get while editing using premier elements 7. thanks for any reply.
david

 

[dnpate]

For video editing replacing the drive with the video data on it with a faster drive rather than the boot drive would seem to make the most sense since the video data is being shuffled (I think) back and forth from the data drive. Boot up time is an aggravating too long time but not nearly as aggravating as the jitter I get while editing using premier elements 7. thanks for any reply.
david

 

[jessew6889]

so, where can I actually find one of the Kingston drives listed for 100? I cant seem to find them anywhere?

 

[Guest]

Bought the Kingston 128GB V- series SSD after reading this review. After 13 Days of operation the drives stutters so badly its almost unusable. I'm taking it out after writing this comment. I know you couldn't tell from the short testing cycle you did but it's the last time i trust Toms Hardware alone before purchasing. I just burnt AU$300 for this drive (parts are expensive in Australia), welcome back 1TB Western Digital SATA drives in raid. Avoid this SSD at all cost.

 

[bennyaltuca]

im already planning on buying an ssd with my next laptop. in one side a 500gb hdd and in the other a 80gb ssd... i dont need more for apps, games and such. my current laptop is only using a 70gb partition and i use it to store some media too. tho i constantly need to delete downloaded videos and such...

 

[tiesemans]

Like a give a rat's @$$
WhatI don't experience at all won't make me think I need to change.
As long as I haven't tasted the SSD performance I won't know what I am missing.
Sure those benchmarks look very nice but their just what they are colored stripes in HTML.
Growing up with a traditional HDD and buying one or two ever two years I am happy with the performance I know and the increase in performance I get every new series I purchase.
However I do agree that once I taste SSD boot up performance and reading speed I will end up being one of the people having taken the red (SSD) pill.
And thus ending up not wanting to accept anything less.
Thus my idea ?
Stay away as long as possible from SSD until a)they are so freakin cheap I can buy a 128 gig for under $150 or b)I win the lottery.
Until a or b happens I will stick to my stable and loyal Windows XP x64 and my current traditional HDD (Raid1) system.

 

[Guest]

i was wondering if its possible to fit the 2.5" velociraptor in a laptop? would there be problems with heat?

 

[xelliz]

Just picked up a Kingston SSDNow SNV425 64GB drive after having read/write error on my boot disc for Windows 7. After reading this article I figured even the slow Kingston would be a great jump, however my newer and faster Kingston then the one tested here takes roughly 26 seconds for a cold boot. While this is a huge improvement its still 6 seconds slowly the the older bargain drive tested in this article.

Any best practices that I should be doing? The system is an i7 920 with 6 GB RAM on a GA-EX58 Extreme MB. So far I haven't been able to flash the BIOS since the CD made from the Gigabyte site doesn't boot and I don't see any drivers or firmware for the Kingston drive.

 

[genocide_jim]

Don't you hate it when you start to read a review only to have that nasty sinking feeling as the experts mock and laugh at your inadequate system and poorly thought out build? Like those dreams where you're at school in front of the class only to realize that you're naked and the cute girl you like is laughing at your privates... No??? Good!!! Er.. Um... Well me neither, and the same goes for this review. I have the Kingston 64GB in question and while at first I thought this article was going to make me regret the purchase, it's done the complete opposite.

Once installed I noticed dramatic speed increases from my old 7200rpm sata drive, with windows starting in a flash, to c:\ programs loading before i have time to blink. If you are on a budget, dont be fooled by the flashy diagrams and charts, the Kingston WILL still knock your socks off (without emptying your wallet) and if you REALLLLLLY need more speed down the track, get another one and raid them (something I plan to do a bit later on).

If you have those few extra 100's laying around and only the best will do sure get the intel, but if like me, you've just spent your food money on a WD 2TB drive for all the ah... movie trailers.. cough... mumble... you're legally downloading, just remember what Will has stated in this piece; Delegate your primary read based apps to the SSD and everything else to a slower drive... That's what I've done and I couldn't be happier.

Hope this has helped all you frugal pc aficionados out there,

Jim.

 

[genocide_jim]

... or you could buy a 2TB raided pci-e hard drive with 1.5GB/s read speeds, yeah thats right, thats a big B as in gigaByte... and for the low low price of $6000. I'll take two!!!! Lol!

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/06/2tb-ssd-runs-crazy-fast-burns-desks/

 

[Ubrales]

SSD for C drive maybe in 2011!