Question ssd vs. hhd

[Brouhal]

I bought a computer with ssd of 118gbs and a hard disk drive of 1 tb. the ssd is my os and my data is the 1tb. how do i not fill my ssd with all my games and data. i want to use my tb for my storage and programs and games. and my ssd for the speed. can someone clarify that i can use it like this or if i am wrong. i want my tb to be used not the ssd

 

[gn842a]

Well it's a very tiny SSD and just big enough for your operating systems. The games have to be downloaded on to the big hdd. That's what my son did with Overwatch works fine.

In the end the best thing to do is clone your SSD to a 250 or better a 500 gb SSD. Then keep the original in the closet in case you ever need it because you had something go wrong with the replacement.

Greg N

 

[Brouhal]

Well it's a very tiny SSD and just big enough for your operating systems. The games have to be downloaded on to the big hdd. That's what my son did with Overwatch works fine.

In the end the best thing to do is clone your SSD to a 250 or better a 500 gb SSD. Then keep the original in the closet in case you ever need it because you had something go wrong with the replacement.

Greg N

What do you mean clone my ssd? buy a bigger one? So i can have everything pointed to my 1tb hhd and it will work just like if i have installed into c drive, right?

 

[USAFRet]

I bought a computer with ssd of 118gbs and a hard disk drive of 1 tb. the ssd is my os and my data is the 1tb. how do i not fill my ssd with all my games and data. i want to use my tb for my storage and programs and games. and my ssd for the speed. can someone clarify that i can use it like this or if i am wrong. i want my tb to be used not the ssd

This was written just for you:

Win 7 & 8:

How To - New SSD? Now what? Redirecting static files elsewhere

(NOTE: This only partially applies with Windows 8.1. The Library redirect is a little different) So you've gotten a new SSD, and installed Windows on it. Now what? How do you keep from filling it up with irrelevant junk? Like many, space is an issue. An SSD is waaay faster (and probably more...

forums.tomshardware.com

Win 8.1 & 10:

How To - How to Redirect Folders to Other Drives in Windows

So you’ve gotten a new SSD, and don’t want to fill it up with needless stuff. Redirect those files/folders elsewhere. Open Windows Explorer in Desktop On your proposed target drive, create the relevant target folders. You must do this. If you just designate the drive root (D: ) it will attempt...

forums.tomshardware.com

For Steam games, you can default them to the HDD.
Steam games location
In the steam client:
Steam
Settings
Downloads
Steam Library Folders
Add library folder

 

[gn842a]

What do you mean clone my ssd? buy a bigger one? So i can have everything pointed to my 1tb hhd and it will work just like if i have installed into c drive, right?

In my view 128 gb is too dang small. But I did use one for years. My kid just installed his games on the HDD. That works fine.

The reason I used a 128 gb SSD is that at the time of the build it was pretty expensive. Now that you can get 500 gb for under $100, the 128s are beginning to feel a bit like 3.5 inch floppy disks (to me).

Nonetheless, my128 gb SSD did fill up with....I'm not sure what. Maybe just random programs I downloaded. Benchmarks, whatever. It had Win Office and all that stuff. Presented with the notion of going through it directory by directory vs. just getting a bigger one, the bigger one won. The 128 gb SSD got to the point where it was showing red in the directory because it was getting close to full.

You also can do it more intelligently/efficiently as USAFret indicates. Or be lazy and get the bigger drive. There are some forms of economy that really aren't economic. A 128 gb drive for the OS is in that category in my view.

One way or another though you should have a backup of your OS drive in case you need it some rainy day. Replacing your 128 with a 500 is a chance to do that. Even if it doesn't have your data files it is very convenient to have an OS clone with your drivers installed and whatever apps are critical to you. Mine saved me from a critical meltdown just a week ago.

Greg N

 

[gn842a]

I should mention that I did once upon a time have a C: drive with a humongo D drive that showed as if it were on the C drive. I really shouldn't really read all that stuff on the internet. Anyhow I did it and it worked. But it did confuse the bejeezus out of Carbonite so I had to give it up.

Greg N

Edit: And you can just save word files excel etc to the D drive. These applications tend to keep going to wherever you last went with them, so it's easy. So if you saved your July 1 excel file to D it's very likely your July 8 excel file is going to the same place unless you tell it otherwise. I keep all my data files on my D drive and make copies from there to various backups. I do tend to let downloads of programs go where they want to to go, and if left to their own devices they will park themselves usually in programs or downloads or some such. I never let Windows auto store my stuff in its directories I don't need Windows telling me this or that thing is a photo. It just makes for more complex structure that is all tied up with the OS which is what they want.

Game files can be humongo so the 1 TB drive is a good place to park them.

GN

 

[USAFRet]

Yes, a 120/128GB SSD is too small these days. I gave up on that size 5 years ago.

 

[mdd1963]

500 GB Crucial MX500 SSDs are about $67, with 1 TB drives commonplace at $109....

At those prices, 120 GB SSDs are just shy of obsolete anymore...

 

[Brouhal]

Yes, a 120/128GB SSD is too small these days. I gave up on that size 5 years ago.

What if this would work: use 1TB drive as my OS and just delete or set aside 128gb for now until i can buy a bigger size. 1tb should work pretty good, should it?

 

[USAFRet]

What if this would work: use 1TB drive as my OS and just delete or set aside 128gb for now until i can buy a bigger size. 1tb should work pretty good, should it?

No, leave it as is for now.
Just be careful about the free space on that drive.

 

[Brouhal]

No, leave it as is for now.
Just be careful about the free space on that drive.

So bottom line is, if i keep all my programs and files off of the ssd and keep them installed on the hdd it will be fine, right? i figured out how to move all my stuff and installation and downloads on to the HDD. Could you explain to me what a SSD is beneficial to the computer and how to make it tip top, as in erase anything on the SSD that could be used on the HHD. Thank you for your help. This will be my last post, so im not tying anything up. You guys have been very kind and patience to my cause.

 

[USAFRet]

The only thing you need to do with the SSD is not let it get too full.
For your 128GB, don't go over about 85GB actual used space.

An SSD is beneficial for PC due to its speed and near zero access time.
Much much faster than a spinning HDD.

 

[gn842a]

I don't see how we got round to the idea of just putting it all on the HDD. Although some people do that (OS and data files on one drive), the ones I know of tend to have highly developed back up and imaging systems.

Myself, I prefer to keep the OS and data files on separate drives (I make backups of the data) because the balance between effort and result is easier for me.

So you can do the 128 gig as your OS, that is sufficient room for Win operating system and other stuff as well. But be advised it's going to fill up over time. So don't delay the move to 500 gb SSD too long.

I mean jeeze, I used the 128 gb ssd in my upstairs secondary build up to about three weeks ago, 2014-2019. I actually bought a 500 gig ssd for that machine two years ago but I was lazy about the install since I rarely use that machine.

Recently I went up there and untangled the hideous mass of cables behind the pc and zip tied them in a way that might be more logical. That mass of cables was one of the reasons I didn't like to do basic work on that machine. So anyhow use the 128 for a while but when you have a bit of cash and the 500 gbs are on sale, clone it.