SSD Question / Loading speed

MagicWolf

Reputable
Jan 12, 2015
103
0
4,680
I saw and learned that if a system has an SSD in it, it will load programs etc. way faster than a system without one.

And i actually thought i had an SSD on my PC (before i got into these stuff) but was dissapointed when i checked. The thing is i didn't really notice with all the loading, it seemed normal.

But there is one thing i don't get.

I am speaking mainly for games and i was wondering -- Does the game have to be installed on the SSD to get it's effects ? Before that does the SSD work as an entirely different disk/drive where i can store stuff or is it mashed up with the HDD ? For example 256GB SSD + 1TB HDD will become 1 disk/drive with a total of 1256GB? OR does it go seperately?

I am looking for a laptop to buy & getting an SSD will cost me a lot more and so i searched through the internet and informed myself the best i could, but there isn't any point in getting a laptop with an SSD if i will only get its effects if i install the program there, only because if i choose something with a mere 128GB SSD, that obviously won't be enough for all the programs/games.

TL;DR Does the SSD & HDD Mash up in one disk/drive? And therefore the SSD helps the HDD with the loading. Or is it a seperate disk/drive?
 
Solution
1. An application...the OS, or an application, or a game...must be installed on the SSD to benefit from that performance.

2. The SSD and HDD do not 'mash up', but are rather two individual drives.
Which is a very, very common configuration.
In your example, youd have the 250GB SSD as the C drive. OS and applications, and maybe a few games. The 1TB HDD would be the D or E drive, holding everything that does not fit on the SSD, or that does not need that performance.

Not everything needs to live on the SSD. Your movie and music library for instance. A movie does not play any faster if it lives on the SSD.

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
1. An application...the OS, or an application, or a game...must be installed on the SSD to benefit from that performance.

2. The SSD and HDD do not 'mash up', but are rather two individual drives.
Which is a very, very common configuration.
In your example, youd have the 250GB SSD as the C drive. OS and applications, and maybe a few games. The 1TB HDD would be the D or E drive, holding everything that does not fit on the SSD, or that does not need that performance.

Not everything needs to live on the SSD. Your movie and music library for instance. A movie does not play any faster if it lives on the SSD.
 
Solution

MagicWolf

Reputable
Jan 12, 2015
103
0
4,680


That is why i thought i had an SSD because my Windows was downloaded on a seperate drive C: which i thought was the SSD, but it was just the HDD seperated in 2 disks.

But anyways... Thank you for your answer which covered all of my questions. I don't see a point getting an SSD with a 128GB capacity, as it will be almost full after i get the OS + 1 or max 2 games. The fact that it didn't bother me at all makes me rethink my decision of getting an SSD even more.

Thank you,

E
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator


Yes, a 128GB SSD is right on the edge of being 'too small'.
But I would not have a main use system without an SSD.

All my systems here in the house are SSD only, with the exception of an old cheesy Toshiba laptop that I use as a test box. And of course the NAS box is HDD.