Setting up SSD as boot drive

[george1992uk]

I'm thinking of getting an ssd to use as a boot drive for my build.The most important question is due to a budget of around £550, should i spend £60 on an ssd or put the money towards a better cpu/cpu? I do intend to upgrade this system continously. If getting an ssd is a good idea, will this one be suitable? http://www.ebuyer.com/product/268239

i understand the process to install it i think:

1) don't install HDD, just install the SSD.
2) when Power on, go to Bios and verif/set HDD controller to AHCI.
3) Install windows, let windows do it's updates, install drivers and software.
4) Once windows is installed on SSD and SSD is set to #1 for boot prioity, then Power off and put your HDD in.
5) Then if it doesn't recongize it follow this Control Panel>Administrative Tools>Computer Management>Storage>Disk Management and then format it and partition it.

However i do have a couple of questions.
1) Will this motherboard support one? http://www.ebuyer.com/363746-asus-p8h77-v-le-z77-socket-1155-8-channel-hd-audio-matx-motherboard-p8h77-v-le
2) when i set it to AHCI is that just for the ssd or is it for the whole computer? if it's just for the ssd how do i do that
3) will TRIM kick in automatically or do i have to turn it on manually? If so how do i turn it on?

Here's a complete list of the compenents:
-HD 6850 1GB GDDR5 Dual DVI HDMI DisplayPort PCI-E Graphics Card
-Samsung SH-222BB 22x DVD±RW DL & RAM SATA Optical Drive
-Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium w/SP1
-Corsair 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1600MHz Low Profile Vengeance Memory Kit CL9 1.5V
-Asus P8H77-V LE Z77 Socket 1155 8 Channel HD Audio mATX Motherboard
-Corsair 600W CX Series V2 PSU - 6x SATA 2x PCI-E
-Intel Core i3 2100 3.10GHz Socket 1155 3MB L3 Cache Retail Boxed
-Seagate 500GB 3.5" SATA-III 6Gb/s Barracuda Hard Drive 7200RPM 16MB Cache
-Casecom 6788 All Black Case
-OCZ 60GB Agility 3 SSD - 2.5" SATA-III - Read 525MB/s Write 475MB/s 80,000 IOPS

 

[Dereck47]

However i do have a couple of questions.
1) Will this motherboard support one?

The motherboard you listed has 6 SATA ports. SATA ports are backwards and forwards compatible so it will support any SATA SSD or any SATA HDD.

2) when i set it to AHCI is that just for the ssd or is it for the whole computer? if it's just for the ssd how do i do that

That depends on the motherboard. On some high-end motherboards you can change the SATA mode on each port individually.
On most boards when you change SATA modes the change applies to all SATA ports. You need to read your motherboard manual to see how to change SATA modes.

3) will TRIM kick in automatically or do i have to turn it on manually? If so how do i turn it on?

Yes, it's automatic, there's nothing you need to do.

 

[george1992uk]

Ahhh ok thanks for all the answers. Assuming i can't set the SATA mode individually, then is it best to put it into AHCI for all ports or leave it on whatever the standard?

Anything else i've missed?

 

[Dereck47]

Yes, SSDs need to be in AHCI mode for best performance.

Your motherboard has 2 6Gb/s ports and 4 3Gb/s ports.
Connect your SSD to one of the 6Gb/s ports for maximum performance.

 

[mesab66]

The 60GB SSD you link will hold your OS plus a very few apps - you might wan't to see if there is a good deal on a size around double this - not critical (60GB will do).
SSD's offer a hugely smoother desktop experience, moreso if you can squeeze a few of your most used programs on as well.

Check out scan's SSD's at http://www.scan.co.uk/shop/computer-hardware/all/hard-drives-ssd/ssd-18-25-sata-ii-(80gb-600gb)/ssd-25-sata-iii-(60gb-180gb).

I don't know much about Sandisk but 120GB for £64 (sata II) seems not bad (ok the speeds are not the fastest but they are much faster than a similarly priced HDD - especially access times.


You've done a nice bit of research on installing an OS on one!

 

[george1992uk]

Yes, SSDs need to be in AHCI mode for best performance.

Your motherboard has 2 6Gb/s ports and 4 3Gb/s ports.
Connect your SSD to one of the 6Gb/s ports for maximum performance.

Ok thank you very much for all your answers you've given.

The 60GB SSD you link will hold your OS plus a very few apps - you might wan't to see if there is a good deal on a size around double this - not critical (60GB will do).
SSD's offer a hugely smoother desktop experience, moreso if you can squeeze a few of your most used programs on as well.

Check out scan's SSD's at http://www.scan.co.uk/shop/computer-hardware/all/hard-drives-ssd/ssd-18-25-sata-ii-(80gb-600gb)/ssd-25-sata-iii-(60gb-180gb).

I don't know much about Sandisk but 120GB for £64 (sata II) seems not bad (ok the speeds are not the fastest but they are much faster than a similarly priced HDD - especially access times.


You've done a nice bit of research on installing an OS on one!

Ahhh good idea, i'll look into a bigger ssd, see if i can save money on a 320gb HDD to get the 120gb SSD!
Thank you on the research, took me all afternoon, reading a ll the guides online and putting it into simpler terms for myself. :lol: