[SOLVED] Isolate my Windows10 boot drive to achieve better boot speeds?

[rexenor]

Hi there!

I am building a new PC.

On my latest build I installed Windows10 (64bit) as well as all software in a SAMSUNG 970Pro NVMeM.2 drive and kept my project files separately . As more software got installed I noticed that boot times start to increase significantly. So I consider the possibility of separating Windows installation from software to achieve great boot speeds for a long time.

My concern is that some if not all programs (x86) (x64) my need to generate and store files and documents at C thus filling up a potentially small 16GB drive (solely for Windows) and run in to issues. Plus do all software need to get installed in C program Files?

I've never separate Windows drive from applications and I'm unaware of potential implications if any...

Any idea?

 

[Colif]

a potentially small 16GB drive (solely for Windows)

that is too small for windows... I mean it will fit but it won't have enough space for updates. I would give it at least 50gb to use.

i wouldn't put applications on another drive, it just gets messy when you eventually reinstall win 10 again (it happens)

no, you can install most things on other drives if you want to, although things like drivers need to be on C drive

 

[alceryes]

Having other 'things' on the Windows boot drive, alone, will not increase boot time one bit. The better option would be to identify what is slowing down your boot process and correcting that issue (if possible). Do you have UEFI and fast boot enabled? Do you have a spindle hard drive or CD/DVD drive attached?

The things that will increase boot time are -
As you install programs, and utilities and such, things get added to the startup process of Windows. This will slow down your boot time.
Most, if not all, SSDs show some kind of speed degredation when you come close to filling up the drive (above 80%ish).
Not having UEFI and fast boot enabled. (these can't just be changed on the fly. Read up on what needs to be done)
Having spindle hard drives or CD/DVD drives attached.

...and as @Colif says, 16GB for Windows 10 is waaaay too small. It needs 50GBs at the minimum and, if you plan to be using the OS for the next 3+ years, it really should get 75GBs.

 

[Colif]

i didn't notice the slow boot part.

I would suggest updating drivers as that can also help reduce time loss.

How much slower as nvme should be pretty much instant after the bios flash screen, my 970 evo plus is

 

[Endre]

Hi there!

I am building a new PC.

On my latest build I installed Windows10 (64bit) as well as all software in a SAMSUNG 970Pro NVMeM.2 drive and kept my project files separately . As more software got installed I noticed that boot times start to increase significantly. So I consider the possibility of separating Windows installation from software to achieve great boot speeds for a long time.

My concern is that some if not all programs (x86) (x64) my need to generate and store files and documents at C thus filling up a potentially small 16GB drive (solely for Windows) and run in to issues. Plus do all software need to get installed in C program Files?

I've never separate Windows drive from applications and I'm unaware of potential implications if any...

Any idea?

So, let me see if I understood this correctly:
You own a Samsung 970 PRO 1TB SSD and you’ve created two partitions:
C = 16GB; D = about 900GB.
And the system is running slow.

Did I understand this correctly?

 

[rexenor]

Hi guys! Thank you for taking the time to respond, I really appreciate it.

Thanks for addressing the capacity issue, I used the 16GB as an example...a bad example

"You own a Samsung 970 PRO 1TB SSD and you’ve created two partitions:
C = 16GB; D = about 900GB. " -- No I have not created 2 partitions, I've just loaded Windows and programs on C drive.

I have an ASUS x299 mobo (Prime-A) I could definitely have a look at the BIOS as mentioned by Alceryes! Also I plan to download lates BIOS on my new Pro WS Sage II

Basically, my PC used to Boot in approximately 12 sec and that has now doubled over the years. Plus 3DsMax takes forever...especially with version updates

I also consider an 512gb Intel OPTANE H10 M.2 memory as a boot Drive with all my apps loaded there.

Any thoughts?

 

[geofelt]

If a ssd nears full, it will have a hard time finding free nand blocks to do updates.
Boot will involve updates.
I think one is much better of to lat the C drive have full capacity of the ssd and not partition it.

That said, why normally boot at all?
Use sleep to ram.
sleep/wake should be a handful of seconds.

About the only time you really need to boot is when there is a windows update or other maintenance that requires a clean new boot.

 

[rexenor]

I found this very interesting benchmark review about OPTANE mem
https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/intel-h10-qlc-flash-optane-caching,6094-2.html

 

[kanewolf]

I found this very interesting benchmark review about OPTANE mem
https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/intel-h10-qlc-flash-optane-caching,6094-2.html

I believe Intel has stopped making the device shown in that article. The article is two years old.

 

[rexenor]

I believe Intel has stopped making the device shown in that article. The article is two years old.

True, its hard to find one these days and it hardly makes any difference compared to other SSDs.

 

[kanewolf]

True, its hard to find one these days and it hardly makes any difference compared to other SSDs.

Which is why Intel stopped making them.

 

[Endre]

Hi guys! Thank you for taking the time to respond, I really appreciate it.

Thanks for addressing the capacity issue, I used the 16GB as an example...a bad example

"You own a Samsung 970 PRO 1TB SSD and you’ve created two partitions:
C = 16GB; D = about 900GB. " -- No I have not created 2 partitions, I've just loaded Windows and programs on C drive.

I have an ASUS x299 mobo (Prime-A) I could definitely have a look at the BIOS as mentioned by Alceryes! Also I plan to download lates BIOS on my new Pro WS Sage II

Basically, my PC used to Boot in approximately 12 sec and that has now doubled over the years. Plus 3DsMax takes forever...especially with version updates

I also consider an 512gb Intel OPTANE H10 M.2 memory as a boot Drive with all my apps loaded there.

Any thoughts?

Hello!
Optane memory has been created to speed-up SATA drives. It doesn’t work with NVMe drives! (Your Samsung is an NVMe drive).

The only faster option is an Intel Optane SSD, like the 900P, 905P, DC P4800X, etc. (Those are very expensive).