Z68 board. Am I gonna have to reformat to enable SSD caching?

[flossbandit]

I'm getting a 90GB SSD. Am I going to have to reformat?

Or should I just install Windows directly on to it? I play a lot of games (which are huge) and know they usually install in the program files, so that could be a problem when it comes to just a straight up install.

My other HDD's a 1TB 5400 RPM Samsung.

Open to better deals but this one reads up to 560mb/s for $114 which seems pretty good.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226290

 

[flossbandit]

this board:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188096&Tpk=z68%20micro%20sli

 

[flossbandit]

so you want to transfer your existing install over to the SSD and not perform a fresh install.?
and then you want to use the SSD caching feature in the Z68.?

and to address your install question as well..
you install the OS onto the SSD and then all other 'pertinent' apps to the SSD.
for you games and non essential apps you install them onto the secondary HDD, and not the SSD.
you create folders on the secondary HDD and then install apps and games to those.

installing your games to the SSD will eat up the space and then especially when you play and the file grows (cache mostly) in size.
then I might say that gaming on a 5400RPM kind blows and I suggest at least a 7200RPM HDD.
I use 10K WD's for gaming personally.

Naw dood. If I put Windows on the SSD, I'd totally do a fresh install. I was just talking about caching alone. Would I have reformat just to enable that?

But at 90GB I guess I could afford to put the OS on there AND enable caching.

I know next to nothing about multiple drives. I've installed games before, then moved them out of the program files and they didn't work (I assume b/c it puts stuff in the registry that's linked to that original install location)

I'm also not very observant, but could have sworn that I've had a few games just install without asking where to put it... and that's really what I'm afraid of happening.

Yeah 5400 RPM really does suck but I bought that HDD last year for $44 from NewEgg and I'm not ready to fork out more than double that for a slightly faster one now.

 

[RetiredChief]

To use SRT caching i believe you have to set the Bios to Raid. So If your intial install was under ahci then I believe yes you would have to do a fresh install on the HDD. (Not like switching from Ide->ahci).

Srt max is 64 gigs. A portion of that will be the operating system and programs followed by files most often used. Which files are in the cach is determined by the "best" guess of the algorthum used - if file not in cache then speed is of the HDD. If you read up on SRT you will find that most reviews state the the best option, if the SSD is large enough for OS, then Use it as an OS + Program disk, not as a SRT. Only use SRT if SSD is to small.

Intels 40 gig SSD was designed specifically for Caching. It is a SLC drive, not MLC as most SSDs are.

Do not use your SSD as both a OS + program drive and a 2nd partition for caching, not even sure you can.

 

[flossbandit]

To use SRT caching i believe you have to set the Bios to Raid. So If your intial install was under ahci then I believe yes you would have to do a fresh install on the HDD. (Not like switching from Ide->ahci).

Srt max is 64 gigs. A portion of that will be the operating system and programs followed by files most often used. Which files are in the cach is determined by the "best" guess of the algorthum used - if file not in cache then speed is of the HDD. If you read up on SRT you will find that most reviews state the the best option, if the SSD is large enough for OS, then Use it as an OS + Program disk, not as a SRT. Only use SRT if SSD is to small.

Intels 40 gig SSD was designed specifically for Caching. It is a SLC drive, not MLC as most SSDs are.

Do not use your SSD as both a OS + program drive and a 2nd partition for caching, not even sure you can.

You might have to break that down a little further for me. Are you saying I won't be able to put the OS on it AND use it for caching? So if I did choose to use it for caching I'd partition the 64GB for it and only get to use it for storage?

I know I'd probably get a lot better performance from installing the OS with a few programs, but then I'd see no performance in the games, right?

I guess what it boils down to is I'd either get to see a significant improvement in the OS with a complete install, or a mild/moderate improvement in the system overall with caching.

So what would you suggest I do from a gaming standpoint?

 

[Naxos]

You can not use it as a primary OS drive and as a caching drive with intel RST. Your best bet is just to do a clean install and use the SSD as your OS Drive. You should have plenty of room for your frequently played games. As stated before if you just want to use it as a cache drive you need to have installed widows with your intel controller set to raid. You can change it without reinstalling windows doing some editing in the registry. It's upto you but I would do a clean install and use the SSD for your primary OS drive.

 

[flossbandit]

You can not use it as a primary OS drive and as a caching drive with intel RST. Your best bet is just to do a clean install and use the SSD as your OS Drive. You should have plenty of room for your frequently played games. As stated before if you just want to use it as a cache drive you need to have installed widows with your intel controller set to raid. You can change it without reinstalling windows doing some editing in the registry. It's upto you but I would do a clean install and use the SSD for your primary OS drive.

I'm totally following you. That does seem like the best option at this point. But how would I go about that?

Here's what I'm thinking... correct me if I'm wrong:

1) Insert Windows disk
2) Go in BIOS, set to RAID
3) Boot from disk
4) Custom install; format both drives
5) Install Windows
6) ????
7) Profit

If it's not right can somebody point me in the direction of a tutorial (preferably youtube) of how to set all that up?

 

[RetiredChief]

Try again.
Your setup 1 TB HDD + one 90 -> 120 Gigs SSD.
USE AHCI, not raid in BIOS 9You do not want SRT with a 90+ gig SSD!!!

..Disconnect HDD and have only the SSD + DVD drive installed. The SSD should be on the Intel Sata III port.
.. Install windows on SSD
.. Let windows do it's updates.
.. Down load/install drivers. NOTE: you will want the latest Inrtel RST dtriver as SSD performs better with iaSTor than with msahci, I believe the latest version is 10.8. This is available from either your MB website or directly from Intel. Same-same for HD3000 video driver. The other drivers can be obtained from MB manuf website, ie audio, and ethernet driver.
.. Load all programs... Test system for stability

IF everything is OK, then
.. Connect up your HDD. I would use at a min one smaller partition and one for the remainer of the drive.
.. Activate your windows.
.. Create a system image (use windows Backup located in the control panel). Put this image on your HDD. Note I also keep a copy of this image on a external HDD. When the image is done you will be prompted to create a Bootable Restore disk. Your option, I just use the windows installation disk to restore the image should I need to. This step is IMPORTANT as you can use this image to completely restore window + programs WITHOUT having to go thru re-installing, then loading drivers and then re-installing all your programs.

You may be able to find a 120/128 gig Sata III SSD on sale for slightly more than the 90 gig you referenced. COMMENT: do NOT be impressed by the 500+gb/sec for Seqencial read/writes - it is MEANINGLESS for a OS + Program SSD as this is the least important matrix. Go my highest reliability and Highest customer ratings (One that has the lowest number of 1 & 2 eggs at Newegg basted on at least 30+ reviews) - My recommended SSDs are the Curcial M4, Samsung 830 and the Intel. Infact you will only see a slight REAL LIFE difference between the Sata III SSDs.

If you are dead set on using the 90 gig SSD for SRT - Just get a 64 gig SSD as anything above will be waisted. Set Bios to Raid and install windows to HDD With out ssd atached, attach SSD after windows is installed on HDD - just google setting up RST. This is against my better judgement.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGD48ihLQCI


PS appearently I was WRONG, you can partition an SSD and use part for a SRT configuration - NOTE they used a 240 gig SSD:
http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/everything_you_need_know_about_intels_new_z68_chipset
Still don't recommend. My preference is to have one 120/128 gig drive as OS + Program and add a 2nd SSD for overflow and as my work/scratch disk. Which in most cases beet a dedicated OS + Program SSD plus a SRT setup.

 

[flossbandit]

Try again.
Your setup 1 TB HDD + one 90 -> 120 Gigs SSD.
USE AHCI, not raid in BIOS 9You do not want SRT with a 90+ gig SSD!!!

..Disconnect HDD and have only the SSD + DVD drive installed. The SSD should be on the Intel Sata III port.
.. Install windows on SSD
.. Let windows do it's updates.
.. Down load/install drivers. NOTE: you will want the latest Inrtel RST dtriver as SSD performs better with iaSTor than with msahci, I believe the latest version is 10.8. This is available from either your MB website or directly from Intel. Same-same for HD3000 video driver. The other drivers can be obtained from MB manuf website, ie audio, and ethernet driver.
.. Load all programs... Test system for stability

IF everything is OK, then
.. Connect up your HDD. I would use at a min one smaller partition and one for the remainer of the drive.
.. Activate your windows.
.. Create a system image (use windows Backup located in the control panel). Put this image on your HDD. Note I also keep a copy of this image on a external HDD. When the image is done you will be prompted to create a Bootable Restore disk. Your option, I just use the windows installation disk to restore the image should I need to. This step is IMPORTANT as you can use this image to completely restore window + programs WITHOUT having to go thru re-installing, then loading drivers and then re-installing all your programs.

You may be able to find a 120/128 gig Sata III SSD on sale for slightly more than the 90 gig you referenced. COMMENT: do NOT be impressed by the 500+gb/sec for Seqencial read/writes - it is MEANINGLESS for a OS + Program SSD as this is the least important matrix. Go my highest reliability and Highest customer ratings (One that has the lowest number of 1 & 2 eggs at Newegg basted on at least 30+ reviews) - My recommended SSDs are the Curcial M4, Samsung 830 and the Intel. Infact you will only see a slight REAL LIFE difference between the Sata III SSDs.

If you are dead set on using the 90 gig SSD for SRT - Just get a 64 gig SSD as anything above will be waisted. Set Bios to Raid and install windows to HDD With out ssd atached, attach SSD after windows is installed on HDD - just google setting up RST. This is against my better judgement.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGD48ihLQCI


PS appearently I was WRONG, you can partition an SSD and use part for a SRT configuration - NOTE they used a 240 gig SSD:
http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/everything_you_need_know_about_intels_new_z68_chipset
Still don't recommend. My preference is to have one 120/128 gig drive as OS + Program and add a 2nd SSD for overflow and as my work/scratch disk. Which in most cases beet a dedicated OS + Program SSD plus a SRT setup.

I've pretty much thrown the caching idea.

S once I've installed the OS on the SSD do I need to format the HDD before plugging it in? I just want to make sure nothing weird's gonna to happen when it detects my previous Windows install.

And yeah, a lot of times I find myself buying stuff from NewEgg if it's cheaper and got better specs. I don't know if it's always the smartest route, but I can always RMA it if things don't work out. User review are awesome but you can kind of assume it's been out for a while if it has like 1,000 reviews. And technology more than out-does itself on a yearly basis - so what good is something if it's 8 months old?

 

[RetiredChief]

I'm guessing that trim is not passed to SSD when in SRT configuration which means that SSD must rely soley on Garbage Collector (CG).

The only time I recommend SRTis when an SSD is NOT used as the OS drive+ program drive, which is what SRT was designed for to allow a SMALL cheaper SSD to cache a HDD - a "poor man's" means of obtaining a faster system.

 

[flossbandit]

Best answer selected by FlossBandit.

 

[flossbandit]

Try again.
Your setup 1 TB HDD + one 90 -> 120 Gigs SSD.
USE AHCI, not raid in BIOS 9You do not want SRT with a 90+ gig SSD!!!

..Disconnect HDD and have only the SSD + DVD drive installed. The SSD should be on the Intel Sata III port.
.. Install windows on SSD
.. Let windows do it's updates.
.. Down load/install drivers. NOTE: you will want the latest Inrtel RST dtriver as SSD performs better with iaSTor than with msahci, I believe the latest version is 10.8. This is available from either your MB website or directly from Intel. Same-same for HD3000 video driver. The other drivers can be obtained from MB manuf website, ie audio, and ethernet driver.
.. Load all programs... Test system for stability

IF everything is OK, then
.. Connect up your HDD. I would use at a min one smaller partition and one for the remainer of the drive.
.. Activate your windows.
.. Create a system image (use windows Backup located in the control panel). Put this image on your HDD. Note I also keep a copy of this image on a external HDD. When the image is done you will be prompted to create a Bootable Restore disk. Your option, I just use the windows installation disk to restore the image should I need to. This step is IMPORTANT as you can use this image to completely restore window + programs WITHOUT having to go thru re-installing, then loading drivers and then re-installing all your programs.

You may be able to find a 120/128 gig Sata III SSD on sale for slightly more than the 90 gig you referenced. COMMENT: do NOT be impressed by the 500+gb/sec for Seqencial read/writes - it is MEANINGLESS for a OS + Program SSD as this is the least important matrix. Go my highest reliability and Highest customer ratings (One that has the lowest number of 1 & 2 eggs at Newegg basted on at least 30+ reviews) - My recommended SSDs are the Curcial M4, Samsung 830 and the Intel. Infact you will only see a slight REAL LIFE difference between the Sata III SSDs.

If you are dead set on using the 90 gig SSD for SRT - Just get a 64 gig SSD as anything above will be waisted. Set Bios to Raid and install windows to HDD With out ssd atached, attach SSD after windows is installed on HDD - just google setting up RST. This is against my better judgement.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGD48ihLQCI


PS appearently I was WRONG, you can partition an SSD and use part for a SRT configuration - NOTE they used a 240 gig SSD:
http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/everything_you_need_know_about_intels_new_z68_chipset
Still don't recommend. My preference is to have one 120/128 gig drive as OS + Program and add a 2nd SSD for overflow and as my work/scratch disk. Which in most cases beet a dedicated OS + Program SSD plus a SRT setup.

Thanks man. All your answers were very thorough.

I would have chosen more than one for best answer if I could.

Thanks for taking the time to help a noob out.

 

[RetiredChief]

Remember:
Don't attach your HDD until AFTER you have installed windows on the SSD.
Then attach your HDD. If it has not been initialized it will NOT show up in My Computer.
Just go to disk management, initialize, partition, and formate from Disk manager.
Done. - ENJOY