How to install ssd help please?setup?programs?

[swolenator]

So i was looking at getting an ssd since battlefield 4 has 3 minute plus load times for me currently. I have never installed another hard drive before and was looking for advice on setup. Currently I have windows 8 with a 500gb older hard drive and I think i am sata 2. I was looking to keep my old hard drive for storage and have an ssd for like maybe windows and games. I am not very familiar with ssd so treat me as a novice in this area.

The main game I currently play is battlefield 4 , and then eventually probably titanfall as well as one steam game. Most of my games are origin and steam and I want to be able to only install certain games on the ssd that are important and not just a casual game i play here and there that are on origin and steam.

Firstly I am not sure about the install process of an ssd, files, windows, boots etc. But from what I gather i plug in the ssd set it as boot drive and install windows on it? Will it matter that I have windows 8 system builder? When it comes to things that run on startup like say razer synapse, evga precision x, antivirus, video drivers, sound drivers, do I install all of those on the ssd or will they be fine staying on the old hard drive?

Any tips on installing and file setup would be great. As for a hard drive I was looking at either a 240gb or 120/128gb crucial or samsung ssd.

 

[scoobydenon]

We need to know what motherboard you have. Please post all the specs about your PC that you can think of. All the hardware that is in the machine. If it's a store bought PC give us the model of it and we can help you better, thanks...

 

[swolenator]

It is a dell xps 730x. It has an i7 940, 6gb ddr3 1066, gtx 660 and 1000 watt psu. i think it is an x58 board that is about all I know.

 

[swolenator]

anyone have information?

 

[scoobydenon]

It is a dell xps 730x. It has an i7 940, 6gb ddr3 1066, gtx 660 and 1000 watt psu. i think it is an x58 board that is about all I know.

You could buy a SSD. Your system will only support SATA, not SATA II or SATA III, so the SSD may not perform as fast as it should.

 

[popatim]

It definitely wont perform at full speed but still will outperform a harddrive.
If you are only interested in speeding up BF4 then install the ssd on a spare sata port and drive bay. Windows should ask you to initilize the drive when you boot up. Reinstall BF4 to the SSD.
If you want to use the SSD as a boot drive as well that another procedure all together. Usually the best way is to reinstall windows from scratch and then all your programss & stuff.

 

[swolenator]

btw does it matter that my windows disc is a system builder one? Can I have it on both drives?