Fresh install of Windows 7 on new SSD

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Herdo

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Oct 22, 2011
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Hello, I am currently in the process of purchasing a new SSD and I want to insure I do everything correctly (and don't mess something up).

First, let me ask if the Samsung 840 pro 128GB is still the better choice over the OCZ Vector 150 120GB. Thread after thread I have read shows people claiming the Samsung is the much better choice. When looking at the benchmarks, the Vector 150 seems to outperform the 840 Pro, by a lot.

I think the Vector has had an "update" recently, so maybe I reading old outdated threads, and I want to make sure I am still making the right choice. They are both about the same price, so it really is going to come down to performance.

This site for example shows the Samsung 840 Pro 128GB ranked as 62nd:
http://ssd.userbenchmark.com/SpeedTest/1188/Samsung-SSD-840-PRO-Series

And it shows the OCZ Vector 150 120GB ranked as 5th:
http://ssd.userbenchmark.com/SpeedTest/1188/Samsung-SSD-840-PRO-Series

It seems as though the Vector is the much better option, but I know that OCZ has some quality problems, and I've also read that they may be going out of business; is this still true?

The numbers given by the manufactures show the Vector 150 being the better drive as well.

So as of today, what do you think would be the better option?


Ok, moving on to the Windows 7 install. I currently have a Western Digital Caviar Black 7200 RPM 64MB Cache 1TB HDD. I just purchased a second WD Black, same model and everything, and it hasn't been opened yet.

So right now I have everything on my old WD Black drive, and I want to do a fresh install of Windows while keeping all my documents and what not. I think I know what to do, so I will detail that below and please tell me if I am doing something wrong.

My plan is to install the new WD Black drive, and move everything I want to save over to that drive. I then will unplug both WD Black drives, install the new SSD and install windows on it like I normally would. I would then plug in the WD Black drives, then wipe and format the old WD Black drive.

This should give me a fresh install of Windows 7 on my new SSD with 2x 1TB HDDs with no Windows installation correct?

Also, is there anything special I need to move over? Maybe something I am overlooking? And is it necessary to completely wipe the old drive using software, or should a normal format be enough?

Thanks for taking the time to read this, I know it was kind of long!
 
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If your PC's main purpose is gaming, browsing, multimedia, etc, not creating or simulating, then it doesn't matter. I have used Samsung 830 128 GB, 840 Pro 256 GB, and Crucial M550 256 GB. Other than benchmark test numbers, my perceived experience along three SDDs are not noticeably different. Benchmark is benchmark. They are not necessarily reflecting real life situation. Quality control, even the best of best can't escape occasional glitch. Sometimes people on the internet review pour their lamentation on bad apple, as if all others are the same, although they don't have clue how bad or good others are. Unless you see some reliable and professional review, ignore those product review by users, especially about defective goods...
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MKBL

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Nov 17, 2011
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If your PC's main purpose is gaming, browsing, multimedia, etc, not creating or simulating, then it doesn't matter. I have used Samsung 830 128 GB, 840 Pro 256 GB, and Crucial M550 256 GB. Other than benchmark test numbers, my perceived experience along three SDDs are not noticeably different. Benchmark is benchmark. They are not necessarily reflecting real life situation. Quality control, even the best of best can't escape occasional glitch. Sometimes people on the internet review pour their lamentation on bad apple, as if all others are the same, although they don't have clue how bad or good others are. Unless you see some reliable and professional review, ignore those product review by users, especially about defective goods.

For the Win 7 installation, I don't think you will encounter any problem. I've done some complicated set up and installation a few times with SDDs + HDDs, but I now prefer simple set up like yours. The only thing I still do in addition to that is to move My Document folder to HDD. Of course I do some tune ups recommended by many internet guide, although some are controversial, like whether to disable superfetch/prefetch. Those controversies are still active, so I can't tell which is right, although I still follow old guides.
 
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Herdo

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Oct 22, 2011
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Thank you for the quick response. I will be doing a bit of Blender modeling and I use Photoshop, Sony Vegas and recording software regularly, but I don't think I will be recording to the SSD itself. Either way I think you are correct in saying the difference will be negligible and I know Samsung has a much better reputation so I think I will go with the 840 Pro. I get by just fine using an HDD now, so any performance boost will be great.

I've never actually used a system with multiple drives so I feel kind of confused by everything. It's somehow never occurred to me that the "Desktop" for example is located on a folder on a specific drive, haha. It's simple stuff, but like I said I've never had to think about it.

The only thing I still do in addition to that is to move My Document folder to HDD.
Click to expand...

I've seen people mention moving the "My" folders specifically like it is somehow a different process. I've never attempted to move these types of folders before so maybe they can't simply be dragged to a new drive; is that the case? If so, I think maybe I could go into the properties and move the folders location that way.

I should have mentioned that I came across this guide and I plan on preforming the optimizations and tweaks he's mentioned.
http://

Thanks again for the reply!
 
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