storage/performance/setup hdd + ssd

[WINTERLORD]

ok my hard drive went out and I'm now looking into a future setup part at a time most likely, I was wondering if I got a HDD and later got say a 256gb or 50gb ssd could I partition it use one regular (I have a Samsung 960pro for OS) but could I partition a 256gb or higher ssd making one partiotion used only to speed up a spinning disk drive and use the other part of that ssd for normal operations such as games and such or does the whole drive have to be used in order to speed up a disk drive?

how would I go about setting up a hard drive enhanced by an ssd? and could I even use a small portion of my nvme drive say only 32gb of it to speed up a disk drive? how would I go about doing that?

 

[USAFRet]

Don't partition the SSD, to try to use part of it to speed up the HDD. It's a waste of space on the SSD, and only marginally helpful, if at all.

Just use the whole 250+GB for the OS and applications.
Use the HDD for whatever does not fit, or does not need the SSD performance.

 

[kanewolf]

MERGED QUESTION
Question from WINTERLORD : "does short stroking a drive and speading it up with an ssd go together"

can you get more speed from a drive by short stroking it and adding an ssd

 

[USAFRet]

Short stroking an HDD, plus using part of an SSD for a cache for that...is an even worse idea.

First....what, specifically, will the HDD be used for?

 

[WINTERLORD]

Games downloaded and such as am going to be trying out a lot of different games through some monthly subscription to try games on origin. main games il put on the m.2 I don't play a lot of games but my m.2 just aint enough space to be housing and trying games I don't even know if I like so basicly for games maybe a movie or so

 

[USAFRet]

The way the cache thing works:

The software learns what blocks on the HDD (not applications or files) are used most often. Those end up in the cache space.
This potentially benefits Read speed. Write speed to that drive is untouched.

So...play Game A. A day or two, the blocks of data from Game A end up in that cache space. Along with other stuff.
Now play Game B. Or a movie. That cache space knows nothing about those blocks. It all has to come off the spinning platter.

Short stroking? Sure...throw away 1/2 the actual drive space.
Yes, the outer portions of the drive are faster. But you've given up 1/2 of it to see that. For little real world gain.
Meanwhile, you've given up a good percentage of the SSD, to serve as a cache for that platter.
You're basically slowing down a segment of the SSD.

If speed is that important...put that stuff on the SSD.

 

[WINTERLORD]

well I was just thinking maybe have 3tears of space not all at once I have my m.2 for games am playing then I was thinking if it helps any to get a ssd kinda use it as tear2 storage and then using a part of that ssd to speed up a hard disk tear 3storage sorta kinda just an idea but maybe more thought then anything think i'l just keep it simple as probably only going to get one drive to replace the 2tb I had that quit. by the way what software would be used if I did have a small ssd to speed up hdd? any that are part of an asrock board?

 

[USAFRet]

well I was just thinking maybe have 3tears of space not all at once I have my m.2 for games am playing then I was thinking if it helps any to get a ssd kinda use it as tear2 storage and then using a part of that ssd to speed up a hard disk tear 3storage sorta kinda just an idea but maybe more thought then anything think i'l just keep it simple as probably only going to get one drive to replace the 2tb I had that quit. by the way what software would be used if I did have a small ssd to speed up hdd? any that are part of an asrock board?

Read this:
https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/reliable-ssd-cache-software.221142/

Or google around for 'ssd cache software'

 

[WINTERLORD]

oh also if I have a sata 2 drive will it make everythinbg on that controller run at sata 2 thus slowing things down

 

[USAFRet]

oh also if I have a sata 2 drive will it make everythinbg on that controller run at sata 2 thus slowing things down

No it will not.
A SATA III SSD connected to a SATA III port still runs at SATA III speed, no matter what is connected elsewhere.

If it were otherwise, a single HDD in the system would screw up the SSD. That is not the case.