Question Storage Upgrade Suggestions

[zerox92]

Hello!

thanks for supporting me as a new comer 🙂

So far I have the following system:

• AMD Ryzen 7 1700 8x 3 GHZ
• 16GB DDR4, 500W be quiet
• MB ASRock X370 Gaming K4 https://www.asrock.com/mb/amd/Fatal1ty X370 Gaming K4/index.de.asp
• SSD 500GB Samsung 960 Evo M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4
• GeForce GTX 1080 EX
• (External USB HDD Storage 2 TB)

My applications:

• mainly office work (office suite, video calls)
• managing photos/videos
• some video editing (Davinci Resolve)
• and sometimes some games.

My 500GB SSD storage is almost full.

I would like to leave the OS and APPS on it.

On a second SSD I would like synchronize all my cloud data (documents and media, around 1 TB).

My backups I put regularly on the external HDD. But when I read this post: https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads/ssd-upgrade-suggestion.3737337/ and the message from Lutfij I was thinking to also include 2x normal HDD as backup storage internaly.

What can you recommend in terms of hardware?
For the 2nd SSD I thought about WD_BLACK SN850 NVMe Gaming-SSD-Festplatte (1 TB, SSD, Gen4, PCIe, M.2 2280, 3D NAND, bis zu 7.000 MB/s – WDS100T1X0E) https://www.amazon.com/-/de/dp/B08K...-2-2280-PCIe-3-0-x&qid=1638518927&sr=8-2&th=1
In my understanding because of the 2nd M2 slot on my mainboard I will only have rates about 500MB/s?

Or as an alternative 1000GB Crucial MX500 2.5" (6.4cm) SATA 6Gb/s 3D-NAND TLC https://www.amazon.com/-/de/dp/B078...6+gb/s+3d+nand+tlc&qid=1638519082&sr=8-1&th=1

THANKS
Best regards

 

[Lafong]

Clarify on this point:

Suppose you write up a new shrimp salad recipe.

Where does it first get saved? On the 500 GB Samsung 960?

And then later that day or so, it is backed up to the external 2 TB?

I'm with you that far if that is correct.

But then you refer to 1 TB of "cloud data". Is that stuff that does not also exist on the Samsung nor on the external 2 TB?

If that's so, I'd say you are right to make some changes. I wouldn't want my "cloud stuff" to be the only copy of whatever is up there.

Here's what I do:

OS and all apps on internal SSD 1

All data on internal SSD 2. All new data is saved here originally. Including an image file of all partitions on internal SSD 1 (a backup of internal SSD 1).


Everything on SSD 2 replicated at least daily to internal drive 3, using a dedicated backup program. Including the image file.

I like internal backups of data because of the quick and immediate access to files as needed. I don't have to go fishing around on a slow or possibly disconnected external.

My "most critical" data is also backed up separately to 2 or 3 different external destinations on an ad-hoc basis....not on a daily schedule.

None of these backups are "automated". All strictly manual to keep me in the game and on the ball.

I don't use the cloud at all. I can understand why someone would.......but I could not understand why someone wouldn't also want the "cloud stuff" to be saved locally as well. But I'm not sure of exactly what you are doing.

The WD SN850 is a fine drive, but maybe more costly than you need for a purely data drive. Excellent if you are putting your OS and applications on it.

The Crucial MX500 is also solid as a mainstream 2.5 inch drive. It would be a good choice if you are looking for a "data only" drive. OK for a boot drive too, but not as fast as the WD SN850.

 

[zerox92]

@Lafong thank you very much for the answer! Now I am hungry, I love shrimps.

I will do it like you proposed:
1st SSD: OS and all aps
2nd SSD: all data, backup of SSD1 --> I will get the Crucial MX500 (1TB or 2TB)
drive 3: daily backup of SSD2 --> maybe 1 or 2 WD Blue 2 TB in a Raid?
(sometimes a year backup on external HDD of drive 3)

Best regards,
zerox

 

[Lafong]

Sounds OK to me.

Size the OS drive properly. I've been using a 128 GB OS/app drive for 10 years with only 45 occupied right now. You might be able to do fine with 250 or 500 GB. Leave room for expansion over time. Ideally this drive would be a fast NVMe model IF your motherboard has the correct port for that.

The data drive: size it correctly too, leaving room for expansion. You need to estimate how much your data grows per year. Doesn't have to be ultra-fast. Could be M.2 2280 or 2.5 inch. SATA or NVMe. Whatever your budget and motherboard allows.

The backup internal: I'm still using a spinning WD Green 3 TB, only because of price. If it failed tomorrow, I'd probably get something like an MX500 4 TB 2.5 inch, despite the price....now around 350 I think?

Do you now intend to move your cloud files to your internal data drive and then make a second copy of them on the cloud?

The image file backup of your boot drive will be large......somewhere around half the size of the occupied space on your C partition. I have 45 occupied on C and my image files are around 25 GB.

I wouldn't use RAID at all unless you have some strong over-riding reason.

 

[zerox92]

Thanks 🙂

1st OS/app drive: For the first OS/app drive I will continue to use SSD 500GB Samsung 960 Evo M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4.

2nd data drive: For the 2nd drive I think I would go with Crucial MX500 because I don't see a reason to use a NVMe on my 2nd slot on the mainboard. I understand that this is only M.2 (PCIe Gen2 x2 & SATA3) with 500 Mb/s and the Crucial MX500 would be perfectly fitting?

3rd drive that drive sounds perfect 🙂

 

[Lafong]

For the data drive:

I know nothing at all about your motherboard or what it will support.

I'm using an Intel 660P NVMe 2 TB for data. Cost 220 a couple of years ago. The 670P is the newer version. Not extremely fast, I wouldn't be able to tell it from an MX500 in actual use. Either would be fine.

No over-riding reason to use an NVMe for data, but what other purpose might you have for that second m2 port?

WD SN550 is another good mid-range NVMe choice.

The Crucial MX500 will attach to any ordinary SATA port.

Do you have enough of those teeny tiny screws required to affix the end of an m2 drive to the motherboard?? God help you if you don't. They are hell to find at a hardware store. They come with motherboards, but are NOT included with drives. I lost mine, so had to attach my Intel 660P to an add-in card rather than the motherboard.

 

[Nighthawk117]

You won't get the full benefit of the WD_BLACK SN850 as you don't have PCI-E gen 4. Though you can take your storage with you if you upgrade in future. Not sure about prices where you are but you could probably get a 2TB MX500 for similar price to a 1TB SN850.