how do i choose a gaming/3d media storage setup

[monkeyskin]

hello again,
first off my current rig specs
Zotac GTX 560ti gpu
MSI FM2-A55M-E33 mobo
AMD Quad-Core A10-5800K 3.8GHz cpu
Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB ddr3 1600mhz memory
Corsair Hydro Series H60 cpu cooler
Sentey Black Box Series BX1-4237 v2.2 case
CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 psu

currently i have an hp 5400 rpm 500gb hard drive running windows 7 home premium

im interested in moderate but graphics intensive gaming. currently beta testing world of warplanes

id like to set my storage up for gaming and multimedia with fast response times. my gpu is 3d ready and although i currently do not have a 3d monitor i am working toward that point in the near future so i want to purchase storage to support this media. i always try to research as much as possible and so now ive come here for answers .

i have read about ssd, 10k rpm hdd and hybrid drives but would like the best bang for my buck and still be capable of handling my future prospective media. i am open to suggestions. id like to stay under 200.00 including the storage drive(s) and any adapters. i have 1 open pci slot but unfortunately the pci e slot is unavailable due to the huge graphics card covering it.

ive read that 210 mbs is the highest transfer rate achievable currently but i dont remember how old that post was. it also mentioned that 6.0gb/s was a 'marketing term' ? it said a 7200 rpm seagate barracuda was able to operate at this speed and i see they are relatively inexpensive depending on size. i am open to multiple drives if needed but would need advice on how to set up the drives and retrieve my information from my old drive if/when i have to remove it.

thanks ahead of time for the advice
ricky

 

[corbeau]

If your main concern is the performance of the programs and not your boot time, I would get an SSD and install the games and programs you want to run quickly on it. If boot time is of concern, then just throw your OS on the SSD and a few programs and games, but keep your old hard drive for data. Looking around right now it looks like there are some quality SSDs right under $200 that will get you between 180-256 GB of storage.

SATA 6Gb/s isn't a marketing ploy, it gives you better performance with SSDs, however, your motherboard only supports SATA II so you'll be limited to around 240MB/s. A traditional 7200 RPM hard drive gets between 70-120MB/s (the throughput on an HDD isn't stable, it jumps up and down depending on how much the mechanical arms have to move) but with any quality SSD you'll get 240MB/s.

 

[game junky]

I agree - Samsung's 840 Pro 256GB is pheonomenal, it's probably the best drive in terms of performance and reliability. Unfortunately, you'll top out at about half the access times because of your SATAII ports. I have used Crucial's M series, Intel's 520 series and Samsung's 830/840 Pro series and Samsung is the best bang for your buck. If you stick with your current motherboard, go for the Crucial M-series - very reliable and since your write speeds aren't going to be optimal you will be in good shape.

I have a SSD for my Programs/OS & a 3TB hard drive for all my media. It's the best of both world