Seperate HD for windows instalation? Worth it?

[Jurenic]

Like the title says. I'm wondering if I should buy 10000RPM hd with less capacity, and use it only for Windows instalation, and use my curent HD for program files and evrything else. How will this contribute to the performance? Does HD RPM make a difference?

 

[joefriday]

What's your current hd?

If you want a speed increase, you'll have to keep the program files on the windows installation as well. Put things that don't need speed when accessed, such as music and video on the other hd.

Do you think the slight performance increase will justify the cost?

 

[davemar14]

Here is my setup. I currently have 2x74GB Raptors in RAID 0. These drives have my Windows installation and all my programs. By doing this, you get the maximum performance either by accessing files or programs. For security of the RAID 0 array, I have an 80GB 7200 RPM drive as a backup. Any music, videos, important files, program installs, are copied to this drive. This is especially nice when I do a reformat of the RAID, because after Windows installs, I just copy and paste my data back over. Had this setup for a few years, and never had a problem. In extreme backup circumstances, it gets backed up to my server.

My System:
http://amdgamingrig.dyndns.org

 

[Codesmith]

I hate reformating. I hate losing data.

So I use a single 74 GB Raptor and two mirrored 400 GB WD Raid Edition 2 Drives.

Raptor has two partitions, first gets all my installed software, 2nd all my personal files, desktop folder, my documents folder, mozilla profile.

True Image 9 is used to backup my OS on a regular basis. Anything goes wrong and I am up and running in under 15 min. I keep a image made after a clean install so I only have to install once.

Dantz Retrospective takes snapshots of my personal data. So I get not only backups of the current version, but all previous versions.

Backups are stored on the RAID 1 array if I am lazy, on DVD+RW when I am not.

Three simultaneous hard drive failures need to occur before I have to reinstall my OS or lose any personal data.

True Image 8 didn't like my RAID arrays which rules out RAID 0 for my primary drive. It could backup from within the OS, but not backup or restore from the CD.

True Image 9 see's the RAID 1 no problem.

Someday I will pop in a couple 120's in RAID 0 and see if True Image 9 can handle it.

Then maybe I will buy a 2nd Raptor. But if I start playing a game which my ATI X800XL can't handle, I would buy a better graphics card instead.


----

As far as how much you should spend on your hard drives, you have to think about how much you are putting into your system as a whole.

I bought the Raptor only after I was comfortable with the quality of every other component in my system. I added the two 400 GB WD RE's a year later after upgraded my motherboard/CPU/RAM/Video card.

Unless the rest of your system is already top notch, it is a usually a waste to invest in a faster hard drive.