More RAM or an SSD?

[/quotemsg]SSD once you use one you will wonder why you never used one before now[/quotemsg]

I find it depends on whether or not "you are looking".... if you put one in and stare at the screen, it's a "wow" thing... if ya just "going about your business", then not so much. On it's own, doing scripted tasks the SSD is incredible ... but when user input is required between each of those tasks, the advantage is lost.

We had 5 users in a SOHO use a PC with (2) SSDs (2) SSHDs and a HD over a 6 week period. The box was capable of booting from any of the three alternatives which was set in the BIOS w/o their knowledge. They were told that I thot the PC was behaving erratically and to advise me if they noticed any issues. One user reported that boot time was slow on one occasion (off the HD) tho not on other occassions with the same boot.

Windows Boot:

HD = 21.2 seconds
SSHD = 16.5 seconds
SSD = 15.6 seconds

Load an 8MB AutoCAD file w/ detailed hatch patterns

HD = 39 seconds
SSHD = 39 seconds
SSD = 39 seconds

Load MMO to point where can move toon

HD = 46 seconds
SSHD = 46 seconds
SSD = 46 seconds

Repeated this test with two laptops that we used for engineers to do field work ... these were taken on road, and users would play games at night in their hotel rooms. One had SSD + HD, one had SSD ... no one ever noticed a difference ... well i did. It was back when 120 GB SSD was all that was basically affordable and I had to clean out the junk.

It's simply a matter of perspective. So yes if you are into benchmarks or like staring at the screen to see if you can pick up the difference, you might be able to notice difference for example in boot time between an SSD and SSHD but no secretary every typed more legal briefs, no CAD operator finished more drawings and no gamer has ever reached a further waypoint because they had an SSD instead of a SSHD.

However the concept of having a SSD to boot off and 95% of your gaming library on a HD escapes me completely. I'd say about 85% of the builds we do or are consulted on have an SSD + SSHD and 14% use an SSHD by itself.