I'm new to this soooo...(boot drive question)

[haswellgamer]

I am currently building a computer for the first time, and I was just wondering, what is the function of the boot drive? I mean, I know what it does, but I hear people all the time saying they put some games and the OS on it. Isn't it suppose to be there to boot JUST the computer? Or is it there to boot everything that needs....errr....booting? And if so, how can I tell what amount of storage is right for me?

 

[Dleslie212]

What they are talking about is the main drive that holds the operating system files and certain high-usage software (like PhotoShop for instance). When people say they put some games and the OS on it, they are usually talking about having a solid state drive as the boot drive. The reasoning behind it is that an SSD is so much faster than a tradition spinning mechanical drive, but also so much more expensive. For example, I have a 250 GB SSD as a boot drive, and larger mechanical disks for everything else.

If you're going the SSD boot drive route, I'd recommend getting the largest capacity you can afford, but typically a 64 GB SSD will hold your OS (but not a whole lot else).

 

[haswellgamer]

Well I was planning on having an SSD JUST to boot the computer, and then an SSD to hold everything else. Wasn't sure(and still am not sure) if that's a good idea.

 

[Dleslie212]

If you've got the money to buy a second SSD, go for it. Personally, I wouldn't do it unless I just had cash burning a whole in my pocket and absolutely nothing else to spend it on. Realistically, you'll probably only notice a difference having the 2nd SSD when you copy or past something. A traditional HDD is plenty fast enough to play movies, music, or run software off of. But again, it's completely up to you.