Operating System on SSD.

JerrWolf · Jul 4, 2018

Just a quick question.
I've got 4 SSD. 2 Corsair(500gb total) which I put in RAID, 1 Samsung(500gb) that I have in their RAPID mode, and another Samsung(120gb).

I mainly use my computer for Gaming, which currently the 120gb and corsair SSD are for.
But I also use software within the Adobe and Autodesk groups of software.

Would it be best to put my OS on the 120GB and just the OS. Or should I put it on the 500gb and the programs, then leave my Games/steam on the Corsair and 120gb Samsung SSDs?

USAFRet · Jul 4, 2018

1. RAID? Which specific RAID level?
And why?

2. Samsung RAPID mode only works with the OS drive

3. Seeing as you have several SSD's, the 120GB drive is pretty slim for the OS drive. I wouldn't.

mdd1963 · Jul 4, 2018

Do you have any slow/ spinning platter drives of adequate size for backups, vice needing to use a pair of SSDs for RAID1?

YOu'll want the OS on one of the 500 GB drives, as 120 GB drives just fill up way too darn quickly, even for when 'just an OS drive'....

JerrWolf · Jul 4, 2018

USAFRet :

1. I'm not sure, I've done it such a long time ago. But for why, I needed more space but didn't feel like setting up multiple Steam Libraries, so I just put it together so it was a 500gb which was enough. I might not need them anymore to be honest if I manage my steam folder a bit better.

2. The RAPID mode is for the OS drive, currently the 500gb 850 PRO.

3. So technically speaking there is no benefit to putting only an OS on a SSD, regardless of drive space?

USAFRet · Jul 4, 2018

JerrWolf :

3. I see people here ALL THE TIME, wanting "only the OS" on whichever drive.
It never ever ends up like that. Nor do you really want that. Lots of other things do need to be on the OS drive.

2. I tried the RAPID mode for a while. Never saw any real performance benefit.
So I turned it off.

1. Steam install locations. That's easy...
Multiple drives/folders:
Steam games location
In the steam client:
Steam
Settings
Downloads
Steam Library Folders
Add library folder

So, assuming this is your physical drives:
500GB Samsung
250GB Crucial
250GB Crucial
120GB Samsung.

I would configure them thusly:
500GB Sammy - OS and applications, which is what is on there now. maybe a game or two.
250GB Crucial - Other games
250GB Crucial - music/games
120GB Sammy - docs, and whatever does not fit in the above

And of course, a 2TB external HDD for actual backups.

JerrWolf · Jul 4, 2018

USAFRet :

Okay so "OS only" drives aren't that practical? Good to know then.
Are setting ssds into RAID not a good thing?

I also haven't noticed anything from RAPID either. Was also debating turning it off.
the 500 is a 850 EVO PRO, the 120 is a 850 EVO. The Corsair drives are something like 240gb not a flat 250.

As for backup drives. I DO have 2 older 1TB WD hard drives. But I tend to never store anything on my computer that isn't a program. Any Documents or what not get put on Google Drive or a USB. But the 120 850 EVO was usually my storage drive, but never got used for storage.

USAFRet · Jul 4, 2018

JerrWolf :

OS drive. That also gets your applications. Which makes 'not OS only'...

SSD + RAID
This depends on which RAID and why.
A RAID 0, which you presumably have, gives zero performance benefit. The only thing it does is combine 2 drives under a single drive letter. Applications and the OS have gotten a LOT better handling applications across multiple drives and drive letters.
Little reason for a RAID 0, and lots of drawbacks.

My current config, all SSD:
500GB 850 EVO - OS and applications
250GB 840 EVO - photo work
250GB 840 EVO - video/CAD/3D work
960 GB Sandisk Ultra II - games, and anything that does not fit into the above
120GB Kingston - pagefile and scratch/cache space for the above applications, and temporary landing space for junk

For backups, that is easily automated.

JerrWolf · Jul 4, 2018

What does the Kingston 120 do exactly?

And I'll stop the RAID file then, planning on doing a reset of windows 10.

USAFRet · Jul 4, 2018

JerrWolf :

A lot of my daily applications want some dedicated cache space.
For instance, Adobe Lightroom:

My CAD, video, and other photo applications also want some location for a cache.
Might as well put it on a drive I would not otherwise be using.

JerrWolf · Jul 4, 2018

USAFRet :

Ah! Okay, I might do that for photoshop and the others too. Will a disk Partition also work?

USAFRet · Jul 4, 2018

JerrWolf :

A partition on the same drive is no different than just a folder on the same drive.
Above is for Lightroom.
Here is for Paintshop Pro:

And one of my video applications, Hitfilm Express:

K is the old 120GB Kingston SSD. Might as well use it for something.

Karadjgne · Jul 4, 2018

It's actually impossible to have an OS only drive. No matter what software is loaded, especially stuff like Adobe, Autocad, Steam etc, they'll always drop files and folders onto the OS drive. Your steam save games will be on C even if the actual game files are on F. Same with Adobe, it has certain requirements as far as drivers and locations go. And the more stuff you add, the more stuff gets loaded onto the OS drive.

As fast as SSDs work, raid is pointless for that application, it's not like combining a couple of Raptors to get unreal map load times, ssd is faster still. Data security. That's what a large backup drive is for. Raid itself just introduces too many possible issues, and is impossible to fix on the fly, you end up loosing more than you can save if you need to redo the whole thing.

I've got a 1Tb hdd with 4x partitions. Scratch, junk, games and keepsakes. If I wear out the sectors in any one, I can transfer the others without issue.

Also makes life easy since any new game etc gets loaded to F:/program files instead of C:/program files.

USAFRet · Jul 4, 2018

Karadjgne :

That cannot be stated enough times.

"Only the OS" exists only on the DVD or USB from Microsoft.. Once you install it in a system, it no longer is "only the OS".

Install the driver for your mouse? Part of the OS.
Your AV? Same thing.
Install some photo application on the D drive? Whatever fonts it also installs exist on the C drive, in the Fonts folder.
etc, etc, etc...

And the Registry has all of that info. You can't spit things like that.

JerrWolf · Jul 4, 2018

So Like you pointed out before. All OS and Application based things should go to the "OS Drive". Would you include Steam and other Game Applications as well, and then just do a Steam Library reference like you showed above. Or just put Steam on the Game SSD?

Do you suggest a HDD in the computer, even if I don't need backup drive?

USAFRet · Jul 4, 2018

JerrWolf :

The Steam client (and Origin/Uplay)...yes, on the OS drive. Those are applications.
The actual game files can live on any drive, as per my image above.

An HDD is completely optional. Needed space and budget dictate this.
My system is SSD only, but that is because the whole movie and music library lives on the NAS box spinning drives. I'm not about to buy 4TB of SSD just to hold a bunch of movies and my music playlist.

JerrWolf · Jul 4, 2018

alright thanks for the info! It helped me figure things out a lot.
As well as the other commenters.

JerrWolf · Jul 5, 2018

One last Question USAFRet. Do you set up your Music/Documents/Download/Pictures to a separate drive than the OS drive?

USAFRet · Jul 5, 2018

JerrWolf :

Yes. And even multiple different drives.

Stuff downloaded through the browser goes directly a folder in the NAS box.
Photos go to a dedicated photo work SSD.
CAD application files go to a different SSD.
Music goes to a music folder in the NAS box. Movies also get their own folder tree.
etc, etc, etc.

Rarely are any "files" saved to the C drive.

JerrWolf · Jul 5, 2018

USAFRet :

Would using an external 1TB drive be a bad idea for storing any sort of files? I was thinking Photoshop files, downloads, music and photos. (A bad idea involving technical problems, not practical).

USAFRet · Jul 5, 2018

JerrWolf :

An external drive is a perfect place for downloads and music. Speed does not really matter for those.
Photoshop files should probably live on some internal drive.

JerrWolf · Jul 5, 2018

USAFRet :

Okay! Thanks again. Should I format my non OS+ Programs SSDs before storing new data on them? Any special settings if so?

USAFRet · Jul 5, 2018

JerrWolf :

Well..if it is not currently formatted, you'll need to format it before use.
If it had something else on it before, (a previous OS drive?), you want to delete all partitions and format it.

JerrWolf · Jul 5, 2018

USAFRet :

Okay. Anything special in terms of allocated space, depending on whats being stored on it?

USAFRet · Jul 5, 2018

JerrWolf :

The whole drive, one single partition.

Operating System on SSD.

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