Question Two SSDs + one HDD, Where should I install Windows, Users folder (including AppData and Temp folder) and my programs and games for best performance ?

[amymor]

i have two SSDs (128GB NVMe M.2 + 128GB SATA SSD) and a 1TB HDD. each of them has one partition. my purpose is gaming and then using some programs like Photoshop CS6. where i should install Windows in term of gaming performance? i think if i install Windows as well as my important games on the NVME M.2 SSD, it might affect the performance of my games since the OS also uses this SSD. i guess installing games and OS on different SSD would be better( OS on SATA SSD and important games on fastest SSD), if im wrong correct me please. on the other hand, i heard that some important files and dlls used in games (like DirectX and .NET Framework) are in Windows folders like System32, so maybe installing OS on second SSD (SATA) is even worse?

Also my important programs are about 5GB (many of them are portable) and rarely used programs and other data are 70GB and my common user folders (like Downloads, Videos, Music, Pictures) are 80GB.

I know i can easily move common user folders with Properties -> Location tab, but how about AppData? yesterday i read an article that said it is possible to move whole Users folder during Windows installation. Do you recommend it? where should i move it? i think its good idea to move AppData to same SSD that I move the important programs to, right? (i guess if their data is near them, they can access it faster)

I'm completely confused and can't test these many things myself because its too time consuming and requires technical knowledge.

 

[white.a.drew]

i have two SSDs (128GB NVMe M.2 + 128GB SATA SSD) and a 1TB HDD. each of them has one partition. my purpose is gaming and then using some programs like Photoshop CS6. where i should install Windows in term of gaming performance? i think if i install Windows as well as my important games on the NVME M.2 SSD, it might affect the performance of my games since the OS also uses this SSD. i guess installing games and OS on different SSD would be better( OS on SATA SSD and important games on fastest SSD), if im wrong correct me please. on the other hand, i heard that some important files and dlls used in games (like DirectX and .NET Framework) are in Windows folders like System32, so maybe installing OS on second SSD (SATA) is even worse?

Also my important programs are about 5GB (many of them are portable) and rarely used programs and other data are 70GB and my common user folders (like Downloads, Videos, Music, Pictures) are 80GB.

I know i can easily move common user folders with Properties -> Location tab, but how about AppData? yesterday i read an article that said it is possible to move whole Users folder during Windows installation. Do you recommend and where should i move it to? i think its good idea to move AppData to same SSD that I move the important programs to, right? (i guess if their data is near them, they can access it faster)

I'm completely confused and can't test these many things myself because its too time consuming and requires technical knowledge.

Os always belongs on the m.2 most important game sata SSD rest hdd

 

[amymor]

Os always belongs on the m.2 most important game sata SSD rest hdd

what about AppData?
and also Temp folder ( C:\Windows\Temp)? it can moved with editing Environment Variables.

 

[white.a.drew]

what about AppData?
and also Temp folder ( C:\Windows\Temp)? it can moved with editing Environment Variables.

They don't take much space and can go on the same drive with the os so the m.2

 

[amymor]

They don't take much space and can go on the same drive with the os so the m.2

so you are saying to install the OS on the m.2 and leave the AppData and Temp as well as move my 5GB programs to the m.2 and install my games only on the SATA SSD, right?

 

[white.a.drew]

so you are saying to install the OS on the m.2 and leave the AppData and Temp as well as move my 5GB programs to the m.2 and install my games only on the SATA SSD, right?

Basically all essentials that are a I'm using keeping and need now m.2 everything else really can go on the hdd I would save the extra ssd for the more essential games you play and more important documents your want to save but don't want on the main drive.

 

[USAFRet]

OS, applications, the whole /User/ space, AppData....ALL that stuff, leave on one drive.

Games, install wherever.


Game performance will not matter which SSD it or the OS is on.
What WILL hurt you is the relatively small size of those SSDs.

 

[white.a.drew]

OS, applications, the whole /User/ space, AppData....ALL that stuff, leave on one drive.

Games, install wherever.


Game performance will not matter which SSD it or the OS is on.
What WILL hurt you is the relatively small size of those SSDs.

Hence the reason I said what I said save the ssd for what you need

 

[amymor]

OS, applications, the whole /User/ space, AppData....ALL that stuff, leave on one drive.

Games, install wherever.


Game performance will not matter which SSD it or the OS is on.
What WILL hurt you is the relatively small size of those SSDs.

what about 5GB of almost portable programs?
yesterday i asked it in browser support chat and answered that install browser on second SSD (STATA) and move its profile to same SSD too.

 

[USAFRet]

what about 5GB of almost portable programs?
yesterday i asked it in browser support chat and answered that install browser on second SSD (STATA) and move its profile to same SSD too.

And what benefit would that gain you?

 

[amymor]

And what benefit would that gain you?

idk, maybe if the m.2 ssd is occupied by both windows and game, the entire browser on the second ssd will remain unaffected.

 

[USAFRet]

idk, maybe if the m.2 ssd is occupied by both windows and game, the entire browser on the second ssd will remain unaffected.

I have no idea what you mean by that.

 

[kathypellerin]

Obviously SSD!

 

[amymor]

I have no idea what you mean by that.

sry eng isnt my main language, i mean, my browser can open fast on the second SSD if the OS and games keep the m.2 SSD busy. this also applies to the rest of the programs like MSI Afterburner and VLC and Social media and etc. is it correct?

 

[USAFRet]

sry eng isnt my main language, i mean, my browser can open fast on the second SSD if the OS and games keep the m.2 SSD busy. this also applies to the rest of the programs like MSI Afterburner and VLC and Social media and etc. is it correct?

No, that is not correct.
Which drive it is on will make no difference.

As space permits, just have all of your applications on the C drive.
Games, movies, music,....those can live on other drives.

But do NOT, repeat DO NOT, try to make the whole /Users/ folder tree, or AppData, live on a different drive.
Tears will result.

 

[amymor]

No, that is not correct.
Which drive it is on will make no difference.

As space permits, just have all of your applications on the C drive.
Games, movies, music,....those can live on other drives.

But do NOT, repeat DO NOT, try to make the whole /Users/ folder tree, or AppData, live on a different drive.
Tears will result.

as you said i will install Windows on m.2 SSD and leave AppData and etc, then just move my almost portable programs to second SSD for saving 5GB space for my important games , so after winows installation i have about 100GB in C (m.2 SSD) and about 115GB in D (second SATA SSD) and finally i can install two big game (one on C and another on D).
is it good idea?

 

[USAFRet]

then just move my almost portable programs to second SSD

"move" and "almost portable" don't really go together.

And applications don't really take up that much space.

 

[amymor]

"move" and "almost portable" don't really go together.

And applications don't really take up that much space.

i said "move" because they are on my HDD. yes, they don't take up much space, but if i install a game that takes up about 80-90 GB, only about 5-10 GB is left empty for Windows, but if i save 5 GB, about 15 GB remains empty for Windows.

 

[USAFRet]

i said "move" because they are now on my HDD. yes, they don't take up much space, but if i install a game that takes up about 80-90 GB, only about 5-10 GB is left empty for Windows, but if i save 5 GB, about 15 GB remains empty for Windows.

If you have a game that consumes 80+ GB, a 120GB drive is NOT going to work if it also has to contain your OS.

A 120GB SSD is really only about 85GB actual usable space. You NEED to leave 10-15% free for the TRIM function wo work.
Windows will consume 20GB minimum.

 

[amymor]

If you have a game that consumes 80+ GB, a 120GB drive is NOT going to work if it also has to contain your OS.

A 120GB SSD is really only about 85GB actual usable space. You NEED to leave 10-15% free for the TRIM function wo work.
Windows will consume 20GB minimum.

10% of 120 is 12GB and 15% is 18GB, i assumed a raw Windows installation that takes up 20GB, but i will install customized and tweaked windows like Atlas it would consume about 13-14GB after updating Store and XBOX and etc:

https://imgur.com/bK1XaXB

View: https://i.imgur.com/bK1XaXB.png


120-14=106, that means i can install a game that takes up space up to 94GB (for reserving 10%) or 88GB ( for reserving 18GB) but if i move my programs to C too, i can only use 89GB(for reserving 10%) or 83GB(for reserving 15%).

also i think if i compact the OS can save about 5GB.

 

[USAFRet]

And a drive advertised at "120GB" is only seen by Windows as 111GB.
So start your calcs from that number, not "120".


The problem and solution is simple.
A 120GB drive is on the wrong side of TooSmall for the OS drive these days.
Especially if you are thinking of putting a game on it as well.

250GB drives are relatively inexpensive.

Or, simply don't install your game(s) on that small OS drive.

 

[USAFRet]

120-14=96, that means i can install a game that takes up space up to 84GB (for reserving 10%) or 78GB ( for reserving 18GB) but if i move my programs to C too, i can only use 79GB(for reserving 10%) or 73GB(for reserving 15%).

If you're shaving the margins that closely, your drive is too small.

 

[amymor]

And a drive advertised at "120GB" is only seen by Windows as 111GB.
So start your calcs from that number, not "120".


The problem and solution is simple.
A 120GB drive is on the wrong side of TooSmall for the OS drive these days.
Especially if you are thinking of putting a game on it as well.

250GB drives are relatively inexpensive.

Or, simply don't install your game(s) on that small OS drive.

no i have 128GB that seen by windows as 119GB.

 

[USAFRet]

no i have 128GB that seen by windows as 119GB.

I'm just going by what you mentioned in #20.

8GB diff is still not enough to consider.

Good luck with the next major Windows update.
Those temporarily require 20-30GB actual free space.

 

[Bob.B]

i have two SSDs (128GB NVMe M.2 + 128GB SATA SSD) and a 1TB HDD. each of them has one partition. my purpose is gaming and then using some programs like Photoshop CS6. where i should install Windows in term of gaming performance? i think if i install Windows as well as my important games on the NVME M.2 SSD, it might affect the performance of my games since the OS also uses this SSD. i guess installing games and OS on different SSD would be better( OS on SATA SSD and important games on fastest SSD), if im wrong correct me please. on the other hand, i heard that some important files and dlls used in games (like DirectX and .NET Framework) are in Windows folders like System32, so maybe installing OS on second SSD (SATA) is even worse?

Also my important programs are about 5GB (many of them are portable) and rarely used programs and other data are 70GB and my common user folders (like Downloads, Videos, Music, Pictures) are 80GB.

I know i can easily move common user folders with Properties -> Location tab, but how about AppData? yesterday i read an article that said it is possible to move whole Users folder during Windows installation. Do you recommend it? where should i move it? i think its good idea to move AppData to same SSD that I move the important programs to, right? (i guess if their data is near them, they can access it faster)

I'm completely confused and can't test these many things myself because its too time consuming and requires technical knowledge.

Keep it simple.

Get a 256 ssd for the OS and apps.
Put the games on the hdd.