Storage, which is the way to go?

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J

jco28

Oct 2, 2018
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What should I pick for my new ITX build?

Due to the small form factor, I'm limited to 2 2.5 inch drives only, and I wonder, what would be best:

1. M.2 256GB SSD + Sata 500GB SSD
2. 500gb ssd + 1TB WD Black + Optane 32GB

Or any other suggestion, given I have a ~$180 budget and that I intend to use this build for gaming.
 
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Barty1884

Barty1884

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Apr 16, 2015
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In a perfect world, all SSD storage would be the way to go.

For most, a smaller SSD + bulk HDD storage is the best balance of cost/capacity.

Of the scenarios given, #1 would be the 'best' IMO, provided ~750GB is sufficient storage for your use-case.

A 1TB 2.5", or even M.2 SSD might be just as cheap though.

Optane, to me at least, doesn't have much benefit when you're already pairing with an SSD (although can be used as a cache for a secondary drive IIRC, so there is some added benefit).
 
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J

jco28

Oct 2, 2018
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I was considering Optane to boost the HDD while using an SSD as bootdrive. So I don't really have to juggle games between drives.

I could go for HDD + SSD while leaving the M.2 slot for a future upgrade also.
 
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delaro

delaro

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Aug 23, 2011
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Two questions to ask yourself.

1. Do I play lots of different games?
# 2 is a better option because you flat out have more storage.

2. Do I play only a select number of games at a time?
# 1 is a better option overall.

You have to consider the size of the games you play, the average size now is between 60-120GB per title. 2.5 inch hard drives are generally slow so disk caching becomes a bottleneck even with Optane if you have a large number of games.

 
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