Help with Storage Setup for PC Build

[tonsofpuppies]

I'm building my first gaming PC in the fall and I'm trying to decide how to set up my storage situation. I know for sure that I want a Samsung Evo 970 M.2 for my OS / programs. For gaming, I know all of the benefits of an SSD vs a traditional HDD. Due to the capacity / cost limitations of SSDs, I also know that having an additional HDD for mass storage is a good idea. My question is what would be the best way to set it up?

1. M.2 (500GB) + SSD (2TB) + HDD (8+TB)
2. M.2 (2TB) + HDD (8+TB)


Both options will cost roughly the same amount, so it comes down to do I want 2.5TB total (with 500GB being M.2 speed) or do I want 2TB total, but all being M.2 speed. I'm sort of leaning towards the later right now, but what do you guys think? Or do you have any other suggestions for how to set it up? Is there any benefit to going with TWO HDDs (smaller capacities) than ONE larger one?

Thanks in advance!

 

[jojesa]

I'm building my first gaming PC in the fall and I'm trying to decide how to set up my storage situation. I know for sure that I want a Samsung Evo 970 M.2 for my OS / programs. For gaming, I know all of the benefits of an SSD vs a traditional HDD. Due to the capacity / cost limitations of SSDs, I also know that having an additional HDD for mass storage is a good idea. My question is what would be the best way to set it up?

1. M.2 (500GB) + SSD (2TB) + HDD (8+TB)
2. M.2 (2TB) + HDD (8+TB)


Both options will cost roughly the same amount, so it comes down to do I want 2.5TB total (with 500GB being M.2 speed) or do I want 2TB total, but all being M.2 speed. I'm sort of leaning towards the later right now, but what do you guys think? Or do you have any other suggestions for how to set it up? Is there any benefit to going with TWO HDDs (smaller capacities) than ONE larger one?

Thanks in advance!

I will go with M.2 (500GB) + SSD (1TB) + HDD (2 x 4TB)
M.2 (500GB): Windows & Apps
SSD (1TB): DATA that I access most often.
HDD (2 x 4TB) redundancy...I would not like to lose all data if a HDD fails. Also I will keep an image of the system disk just in case.

 

[tonsofpuppies]

I'm building my first gaming PC in the fall and I'm trying to decide how to set up my storage situation. I know for sure that I want a Samsung Evo 970 M.2 for my OS / programs. For gaming, I know all of the benefits of an SSD vs a traditional HDD. Due to the capacity / cost limitations of SSDs, I also know that having an additional HDD for mass storage is a good idea. My question is what would be the best way to set it up?

1. M.2 (500GB) + SSD (2TB) + HDD (8+TB)
2. M.2 (2TB) + HDD (8+TB)


Both options will cost roughly the same amount, so it comes down to do I want 2.5TB total (with 500GB being M.2 speed) or do I want 2TB total, but all being M.2 speed. I'm sort of leaning towards the later right now, but what do you guys think? Or do you have any other suggestions for how to set it up? Is there any benefit to going with TWO HDDs (smaller capacities) than ONE larger one?

Thanks in advance!

I will go with M.2 (500GB) + SSD (1TB) + HDD (2 x 4TB)
M.2 (500GB): Windows & Apps
SSD (1TB): DATA that I access most often.
HDD (2 x 4TB) redundancy...I would not like to lose all data if a HDD fails. Also I will keep an image of the system disk just in case.

This is basically the two options I'm looking at. Keep in mind that this is going to be a very high end system, not only for gaming, but also for game development. With the size games are getting these days, tons of storage is a necessity for me. Also keep in mind that these prices are in CANADIAN dollars.

Solution 1:

Samsung - 970 Evo 500GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive (MZ-V7E500BW) - $305.50
Samsung - 860 Evo 2TB 2.5" Solid State Drive (MZ-76E2T0B/AM) - $725.25
2x Seagate - BarraCuda Pro 8TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (ST8000DM005) - $719.98

TOTAL - $1795.73

Solution 2:

Samsung - 970 Evo 2.0TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive (MZ-V7E2T0BW) - $1144.00
2x Seagate - BarraCuda Pro 8TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (ST8000DM005) - $719.98

TOTAL - $1863.98

The difference is only $68.25, but of course I would be losing a total of 500GB in favour of full M.2 speed. Given my usage, do you think the trade off is worth it?

 

[hellraiser06]

I would vote for solution 2. True, you lose 500GB but the 2TB that you have has the speed that is worth sacrificing 500GB. Both solutions look sweet though!

 

[geofelt]

I vote for solution #2.
It is much easier to manage a single large C drive.
A single 2tb drive will tend to be faster and have more endurance.

You can hold a large number of games on a 2tb drive.
Unless you have an immediate need for bulk storage such as video files, you could omit the HDD entirely from the build.
It is easy to add a HDD later.
If you do have one initially, do not have it connected to the pc when you load windows.
Otherwise, you will find a hidden partition on it making it naty to ever run without the hard drive.
Lastly, I think WD and hitachi are likely to be more reliable hard drives.
Such statistics are hard to come by.
Here is a nice article on the WD rainbow:
https://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/articles/Understanding-the-WD-Rainbow-674/

 

[seagate_surfer]

Hello tonsofpuppies, nice setup you are working gone. Whichever you choose we are sure that it will be a success. Just wanted to share the product manual of that BarraCuda Pro drive. The drive comes also comes with a 5 year warranty and a Rescue Data Recovery Plan included.

BarraCuda Pro Comes With Rescue Data Recovery Plans
Your data matters. And you rely on it. Rescue Data Recovery Plans provide peace of mind for creative pros and performance PC users alike, and now they come standard on BarraCuda Pro. Whether there is a hard drive mechanical issue or something accidentally happened to your drive, Seagate has got you covered. A Rescue Data Recovery Plan gives you access to experienced data recovery experts who deliver a 95% customer satisfaction rating. Purchase a BarraCuda Pro drive and you are covered for 2 years—that’s 2 years you don’t ever have to worry about the data on your hard drive.

Let us know if we can answer any questions; we're here to help.

No matter what you choose, we thank you for considering Seagate.

 

[tonsofpuppies]

I vote for solution #2.
It is much easier to manage a single large C drive.
A single 2tb drive will tend to be faster and have more endurance.

You can hold a large number of games on a 2tb drive.
Unless you have an immediate need for bulk storage such as video files, you could omit the HDD entirely from the build.
It is easy to add a HDD later.
If you do have one initially, do not have it connected to the pc when you load windows.
Otherwise, you will find a hidden partition on it making it naty to ever run without the hard drive.
Lastly, I think WD and hitachi are likely to be more reliable hard drives.
Such statistics are hard to come by.
Here is a nice article on the WD rainbow:
https://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/articles/Understanding-the-WD-Rainbow-674/

If you don't mind me asking, what is your personal recommendation in the WD spectrum for storage? I was also looking at the Seagate IronWolf series NAS drives. I've heard that there's basically no difference when using a NAS drive vs a standard one and you can save yourself a bit of money that way.

 

[tonsofpuppies]

Hello tonsofpuppies, nice setup you are working gone. Whichever you choose we are sure that it will be a success. Just wanted to share the product manual of that BarraCuda Pro drive. The drive comes also comes with a 5 year warranty and a Rescue Data Recovery Plan included.

BarraCuda Pro Comes With Rescue Data Recovery Plans
Your data matters. And you rely on it. Rescue Data Recovery Plans provide peace of mind for creative pros and performance PC users alike, and now they come standard on BarraCuda Pro. Whether there is a hard drive mechanical issue or something accidentally happened to your drive, Seagate has got you covered. A Rescue Data Recovery Plan gives you access to experienced data recovery experts who deliver a 95% customer satisfaction rating. Purchase a BarraCuda Pro drive and you are covered for 2 years—that’s 2 years you don’t ever have to worry about the data on your hard drive.

Let us know if we can answer any questions; we're here to help.

No matter what you choose, we thank you for considering Seagate.

Is the Data Recovery Plan the difference between the standard BarraCuda vs the Pro? There are no hardware differences, correct?

 

[seagate_surfer]

Hello tonsofpuppies, nice setup you are working gone. Whichever you choose we are sure that it will be a success. Just wanted to share the product manual of that BarraCuda Pro drive. The drive comes also comes with a 5 year warranty and a Rescue Data Recovery Plan included.

BarraCuda Pro Comes With Rescue Data Recovery Plans
Your data matters. And you rely on it. Rescue Data Recovery Plans provide peace of mind for creative pros and performance PC users alike, and now they come standard on BarraCuda Pro. Whether there is a hard drive mechanical issue or something accidentally happened to your drive, Seagate has got you covered. A Rescue Data Recovery Plan gives you access to experienced data recovery experts who deliver a 95% customer satisfaction rating. Purchase a BarraCuda Pro drive and you are covered for 2 years—that’s 2 years you don’t ever have to worry about the data on your hard drive.

Let us know if we can answer any questions; we're here to help.

No matter what you choose, we thank you for considering Seagate.

Is the Data Recovery Plan the difference between the standard BarraCuda vs the Pro? There are no hardware differences, correct?

tonsofpuppies, There are performance differences. The max sustained transfer rate on the 8TB non-Pro is 190 MB/s, while the Pro is 220 MB/s. Non-Pro and Pro. The Data Recovery Plan is for the BarraCuda Pro and not the BarraCuda. Hope the information helps, if you have further questions, just ask.

 

[tonsofpuppies]

Hello tonsofpuppies, nice setup you are working gone. Whichever you choose we are sure that it will be a success. Just wanted to share the product manual of that BarraCuda Pro drive. The drive comes also comes with a 5 year warranty and a Rescue Data Recovery Plan included.

BarraCuda Pro Comes With Rescue Data Recovery Plans
Your data matters. And you rely on it. Rescue Data Recovery Plans provide peace of mind for creative pros and performance PC users alike, and now they come standard on BarraCuda Pro. Whether there is a hard drive mechanical issue or something accidentally happened to your drive, Seagate has got you covered. A Rescue Data Recovery Plan gives you access to experienced data recovery experts who deliver a 95% customer satisfaction rating. Purchase a BarraCuda Pro drive and you are covered for 2 years—that’s 2 years you don’t ever have to worry about the data on your hard drive.

Let us know if we can answer any questions; we're here to help.

No matter what you choose, we thank you for considering Seagate.

Is the Data Recovery Plan the difference between the standard BarraCuda vs the Pro? There are no hardware differences, correct?

tonsofpuppies, There are performance differences. The max sustained transfer rate on the 8TB non-Pro is 190 MB/s, while the Pro is 220 MB/s. Non-Pro and Pro. The Data Recovery Plan is for the BarraCuda Pro and not the BarraCuda. Hope the information helps, if you have further questions, just ask.

Do the same data transfer rates apply to the IronWolf and IronWolf Pro respectively?

 

[seagate_surfer]

Hello tonsofpuppies, nice setup you are working gone. Whichever you choose we are sure that it will be a success. Just wanted to share the product manual of that BarraCuda Pro drive. The drive comes also comes with a 5 year warranty and a Rescue Data Recovery Plan included.

BarraCuda Pro Comes With Rescue Data Recovery Plans
Your data matters. And you rely on it. Rescue Data Recovery Plans provide peace of mind for creative pros and performance PC users alike, and now they come standard on BarraCuda Pro. Whether there is a hard drive mechanical issue or something accidentally happened to your drive, Seagate has got you covered. A Rescue Data Recovery Plan gives you access to experienced data recovery experts who deliver a 95% customer satisfaction rating. Purchase a BarraCuda Pro drive and you are covered for 2 years—that’s 2 years you don’t ever have to worry about the data on your hard drive.

Let us know if we can answer any questions; we're here to help.

No matter what you choose, we thank you for considering Seagate.

Is the Data Recovery Plan the difference between the standard BarraCuda vs the Pro? There are no hardware differences, correct?

tonsofpuppies, There are performance differences. The max sustained transfer rate on the 8TB non-Pro is 190 MB/s, while the Pro is 220 MB/s. Non-Pro and Pro. The Data Recovery Plan is for the BarraCuda Pro and not the BarraCuda. Hope the information helps, if you have further questions, just ask.

Do the same data transfer rates apply to the IronWolf and IronWolf Pro respectively?

The IronWolf Data Transfer Rate (depends on drive size) is 210 MB/s and the IroWolf Pro is 250 MB/s also depending on drive size. You can check the specs on the links.

 

[seagate_surfer]

tonsofpuppies, forgot to mention that IronWolf drives come with Health Management included. Here is more info on it.

 

[tonsofpuppies]

tonsofpuppies, forgot to mention that IronWolf drives come with Health Management included. Here is more info on it.

Thank you for all of the info. If I decide to go with Seagate, which model do you recommend, the IronWolf Pro or The Barracuda Pro? It seems that the IronWolf has slightly better specs, at least for data transfer rate.

 

[seagate_surfer]

tonsofpuppies, If you are putting them in some form of RAID then IronWolf Pro. If not, then BarraCuda Pro. However if you find a deal on either of them, go with the best deal as both of them are a good choice. Game on!

 

[tonsofpuppies]

tonsofpuppies, If you are putting them in some form of RAID then IronWolf Pro. If not, then BarraCuda Pro. However if you find a deal on either of them, go with the best deal as both of them are a good choice. Game on!

Thanks again! I will keep this in mind when I choose my drives.