SSD or SSHD?

[angelblake]

Hello guys! My HDD recently just stopped working, I used it mainly to store my games, I'm getting a new storage device soon but not sure which one I should pick. Either a Samsung 860 evo 250GB or a Seagate Firecuda 1TB. The extra storage space would be great but on the other hand, faster loading times, textures and objects (in a couple of games) would be great too. They are about the same price, so which one should I pick or would you pick?

 

[Phillip Corcoran]

Most users buy an SSD for the OS, plus a regular, larger capacity HDD for extra storage, game & app installs etc.

Concentrate on SSD budget primarily, buy the highest capacity you can afford within reason, because it'll not only have to accommodate the OS but regular Windows updates as well.

For the HDD, avoid Seagate -- every one I've owned has had a very short life. WD or Hitachi are ones to go for in my experience (Hitachi is actually a subsidiary of WD these days).

As for choosing between SSD or SSHD for the OS - - - it's a no brainer - an SSD every time.

 

[geofelt]

I will never again build without a ssd for windows C drive.
Everything feels just so much quicker.

250gb will hold a fair number of games so if that capacity will do you for now, that is the way to go.
You can always add a hard drive later if you need bulk storage for sequential files such as videos.

I do not like the sshd concept except perhaps in a laptop where only one drive is possible and a large amount of storage is needed. the 8gb of nand cache is not large enough to hold what you need most of the time.

If you can find the budget, buy the 500gb version for about $40 more.
Samsung evo is the best in my opinion today for performance and reliability.

 

[angelblake]

I already have a Samsung 960 250GB for the OS, the new storage would be used solemnly for games.

 

[smashjohn]

I find that a 256-512GB SSD hits a nice price/performance point and can hold your OS and all apps and games. I use a traditional HDD storage for my downloads folder, screen captures, cloud sync, camera downloads, etc..

 

[geofelt]

I already have a Samsung 960 250GB for the OS, the new storage would be used solemnly for games.

That puts a different spin on the question.

1. Is 240gb sufficient for your needs over a reasonable time period?
I find that my 500gb is plenty for all I do.
You might find the same with 2 x 250gb

2. I suspect that hard drive performance is the issue for some unexplained stuttering in some games.
Perhaps from loading textures or taking checkpoints.

3. If performance is very important to you, consider another 960 m.2 drive if your motherboard supports it.
The cost is perhaps $10 more.
If you do not have a second m.2 slot, you can buy a pcie x4 adapter card for $15:
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815124167&cm_re=m.2_pcie_adapter-_-15-124-167-_-Product