Using reduced capacity partition of 3TB HDD

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TheCreepySheep

TheCreepySheep

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Nov 30, 2013
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Hello

As I am planning to reinstall Windows I started to think about options to "make my computer faster". I came to an idea of using for example a 1TB partition of my 3TB drive for all my apps and stuff and should the need come, allocate more. The other 2TB would stay unallocated.
My reasoning to this would be that this way computer doesn't have to leaf through the unused 2TB.
Would it actually work like this and how beneficial would it be?

Thanking in advance
TheCreepySheep
 
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4745454b
You don't even need to leave the leftover space unused. Just format the rest of it and put little used data on there. The OS stays on the outer edge where the transfer speeds are fastest, and the other space hold things that don't need speed like your Itunes stuff or personal files. Put your games on a second drive so their read requests don't interfere with the OS read requests.

In this day and age though I would just use an SSD. They aren't that expensive anymore.
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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Mar 16, 2013
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This is (sort of) what is known as 'short stroking'. Creating a partition to use only the faster, outer portion, of the drive.

Mostly useless. You might see 1.2x-1.5x the access speed, at the expense of capacity and maintenance when that partition turns out to be too small.

If you want real speed, install the OS and applications on an SSD.
 
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TheCreepySheep

TheCreepySheep

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I think 1.2-1.5x increase is good enough for me. I have no trouble maintaining it should it turn out too small. And I'm considering this option only because I cannot afford and SSD right now.
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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Again...it's not because it has to sort through the whole 3TB, but rather because it is using the outer portion of the drive.
At 7200RPM, the outer portion is spinning faster than the inner portion. Hence, faster access.

I'd be surprised if you can actually tell the difference in day to day use.
But do try it. Let us know if you see a difference.
 
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TheCreepySheep

TheCreepySheep

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Alright, I'll give it a try since I have to format anyways. I'll report back here if anything happens. :)
 
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4745454b

4745454b

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You don't even need to leave the leftover space unused. Just format the rest of it and put little used data on there. The OS stays on the outer edge where the transfer speeds are fastest, and the other space hold things that don't need speed like your Itunes stuff or personal files. Put your games on a second drive so their read requests don't interfere with the OS read requests.

In this day and age though I would just use an SSD. They aren't that expensive anymore.
 
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