Tom's Hardware > Forum > Homebuilt Systems > General Homebuilt > [Solved] Clean Win 7 Pro install New HDD
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dpnaugle   10-29-2009 at 07:44:00 PM

Hi All,

I am doing some upgrades to my current system and hope you could help with a few questions.

1.Should I install Win 7 Pro on its own partition? If so, any recommendations on size and number or partitions?

2. I am install two more sticks of ram so I will be running 4x1GB Corsair XMS2 PC-6400 C4. I am currently running 2x1 at 4-4-4-12 with auto voltages. Will i need to worry about changing that?

Current system:
Mobo-GA X48-DQ6
PSU-Antec NeoPower 650
CPU-E8500
HDD 500GB Caviar Black new
vidio card-XFX GeForce 8800GTS 512MB

Thanks

Don

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Best answer from photonboy
It depends on how many games you will install. There is software that will allow you to resize your partitions.

Here's a rule of thumb:
1) 60GB (bare minimum)
2) 120GB (most people with a few programs and games)
3) 300GB (heavy gamer)

Personally, I recommend a SECOND hard drive as well like a WD 1TB GREEN drive. I backup most files including a copy of my C-Drive (I use Acronis True Image). I also put all my music and video there.

If in doubt, create at least a 120GB partition for Windows (C:) and the remaining space for your second partition on your 500GB drive.
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JackNaylorPE   10-29-2009 at 08:02:51 PM

On a new HD, windows will create 2 partitions:

1. 100 MB "reserved" partition for system files
2. C:\ Partition

You may have been told that you can then use Win7 Disk Manager to create additional partitions but it doesn't quite work. The MFT apparently sets itself up as usual on the middle of the C partition so you can't shrink your C:\partition by more than half. On a 1 TB drive that gives you a 480ish GB C:\ which most peeps who partition won't find acceptable.

One solution is the Easus Partition Manager which you can d/l for about $31. I used it on my son's box to reduce the size to 64 GB. WE did get a scare cause when windows rebooted it said itw as screwed up and had to repair itself. The repair went, or at least so far, seems to have gone OK. From that point on the Windows 7 disk manager works fine. Though it won't let you create an extended partition until you have used up all other primary partitions.

------------------------------ If a man speaks in the forest and no woman hears him, is he still wrong ?
 Reply to JackNaylorPE
dpnaugle   10-30-2009 at 12:54:22 AM

I went with a 70GB partition for the OS the rest for files as such.

thx
DN

Reply to dpnaugle
photonboy   10-30-2009 at 02:28:29 PM
Best answer

It depends on how many games you will install. There is software that will allow you to resize your partitions.

Here's a rule of thumb:
1) 60GB (bare minimum)
2) 120GB (most people with a few programs and games)
3) 300GB (heavy gamer)

Personally, I recommend a SECOND hard drive as well like a WD 1TB GREEN drive. I backup most files including a copy of my C-Drive (I use Acronis True Image). I also put all my music and video there.

If in doubt, create at least a 120GB partition for Windows (C:) and the remaining space for your second partition on your 500GB drive.

Reply to photonboy
dpnaugle   10-30-2009 at 04:39:52 PM

Thx photonboy

You are the first person to make it this simple. I have searched Many threads on the topic and have had little to confusion info.

I wish I would have heard from you sooner. I made OS partition 70GB. I am not much of a gamer so at most I would have one maybe two games installed.

I think I can increase the size of the OS partition in WIn 7 fairly easily, but I will have to look into that.

I will be installing some sort of MS Office, but no other real space hogs.

Music, movies, videos, pictures will all live on the remaining 400+

Thanks again
Don

Reply to dpnaugle
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