Windows on 32gb M.2 SSD?

[giorgos50Hz]

I am building my first PC and I am considering installing windows on a 32gb M.2 SSD and using a 1tb HDD for everything else. Would that work? I know that 32 GB is enough space for windows, but could there be something I didn't think of? Or am I better off using a single 275GB SSD. (both options are about the same price)

Also, does using a HDD instead of an SSD impact alot on something else instead of boot times?

Just to make things clear. I plan on using the m.2 ONLY for the OS. Everything else (Program files, media, games) would go to the HDD. Also I will be using 8gb of RAM.

 

[Colif]

Windows barely fits on a 32 gb ssd so I would get the 275 gb ssd instead. There is no guarantee win 10 will always fit in 32gb and depending on ram you were getting, you need to make space for the page file so that bites into the ssd. Not a good idea to not have a page file in win 10 - it hardly uses it but its still needed.

hdd compared to ssd slows down everything, ssd load times for everything is why you also don't just want to run win 10 off the ssd. Its pointless having a fast OS and slow everything else. Better to install applications on the SSD and anything else you use a lot, to get the benefit of the speed.

I would get 275gb ssd/1tb hdd as then you can put all your documents, music, movies, pictures, games onto hdd, they don't need the speed as much,

 

[giorgos50Hz]

Windows barely fits on a 32 gb ssd so I would get the 275 gb ssd instead. There is no guarantee win 10 will always fit in 32gb and depending on ram you were getting, you need to make space for the page file so that bites into the ssd. Not a good idea to not have a page file in win 10 - it hardly uses it but its still needed.

hdd compared to ssd slows down everything, ssd load times for everything is why you also don't just want to run win 10 off the ssd. Its pointless having a fast OS and slow everything else. Better to install applications on the SSD and anything else you use a lot, to get the benefit of the speed.

I would get 275gb ssd/1tb hdd as then you can put all your documents, music, movies, pictures, games onto hdd, they don't need the speed as much,

All google searches show that Windows 8.1 64bit (the one I'm most probably getting) needs 20gb of storage space. But after seeing my "C:\Windows" folder (and that folder only) on my laptop takes up 27gb you might be right. As I said, I can only afford either a 32gb M.2 + 1tb HDD **OR** 275gb SSD. How about a 64gb M.2? I can get one for just €5 more.

 

[Colif]

If you only used it for windows and a few extra applications, a 64gb m.2 would probably suffice. I only use 48gb of my ssd but then you also meant to keep a percentage of ssd blank so it maintains its speed advantage

 

[giorgos50Hz]

If you only used it for windows and a few extra applications, a 64gb m.2 would probably suffice.

I am going to use it for Windows and only for Windows. No extra few applications at all. I have a 5400rpm HDD on my laptop now and I never thought "wow this is slow, I need something faster". So I'm guessing launching programs from a 7200rpm HDD will be good enough for me.

 

[Colif]

You might be surprised by the difference. It will be fine for windows only.