SSD (OS) + HDD (Storage) Combo Suggestion for my Desktop

[TheIgnorantGuy]

(I'm not computer literate!)

Primary desktop use: Gaming

My System Info
Alienware Aurora R1(2010)
OS: Win10 Pro
Motherboard: Alienware (04VWF2) Intel x58 (ICH10R) - 6 Slot DIMM - Max capacity is 24GB
Bios: A11
CPU: (Model 2CH) Intel(R) Core i7 x980 @3.33GHz Bus speed 133.67 MHz
GPU: Nvidia GeForece MSI GTX 960
RAM: 24GB

My desktop was setup with RAID0 (2 HDD), lasted for 8 years, but now they are dying. I need to replace them with a better... combination. I keep reading that RAID failure is high, inefficient, and costly, since both drives fail if only one fails. The upside, so I've read, is higher performance. So I'm battling between getting 2 HDD or a SDD+HDD combination.

1) Can my particular motherboard (or chip) handle a SSD & HDD combo?
2) I'm only looking for 128GB SSD to install my OS (and other relevant programs) on and use a HDD for storage of games and other media. Will the speed of the HDD make a difference? I want speedy loading of everything.
3) Is there a preferred Storage brand/manufacturer for my system (specs)? If not, who is reliable and delivers consistent quality? Who has a good warranty? Will I need to make major alterations when installing a SSD?

My storage budget is $200 to $250. I rather stay below $200, which seems highly possible, but I need for these products to last.

Thank you, in advance!

 

[seagate_surfer]

Hello TheIgnorantGuy. Great set of questions and we can tell you are a serious gamer.

1. The AW should have no problem working with the SSD/HDD combo. However, to get the best answer for this go to AW forums at Alienware Arena and there are many discussions where you can find and ask questions.

2. We have an alternative for you in regards to this question. Our hybrid FireCuda drives are a combination of SSD /Storage comined into one drive. FireCuda drives meld the latest NAND flash technology with a traditional hard drive for a compact blend of capacity and speeds up to 5× faster than typical hard drives, all backed by a 5-year warranty. Basically it will provide fast load times for OS and games (cut scenes included) and store up to 40 games per TB (at 25GB per game).

3. These drives come with 5 years warranty and you can even find retailers whom sell theses drives right on the FireCuda page not to mention they fit your budget nicely.

Independently of the drive you choose, we thank you for considering Seagate and Game On!!