Best SSD for ISRT

[irCRiz]

ok so im going to be getting a 2500k and a MSI Z68A-GD65. I got a z68 chipset because i want to use intel's smart response technology but i can choose a good ssd i should buy with. I dont want spend over 100 dollars and the faster the better. Please let me know which one i should get or which ones i should be looking for.

 

[WyomingKnott]

A small one! The consensus seems to be that this technology was intended for people who are only going to buy a 10-20 GB device. Once you get up to 64 GB, you might as well install the OS on it and get much better results.

Look here: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-price-ssd,3070-2.html

In theory, the fastest will be one with SLC flash, but I doubt that you would notice the difference.

 

[JohnnyLucky]

There is a lot of misunderstanding about caching. Intel developed caching for clients and businesses that could not afford a large capacity ssd. A few years ago when the concept was on the drawing board, Intel hoped clients and businesses would purchase a small 10Gb or 20GB ssd like their M11 for about $100.00. Microsoft Windows 7 and all software applications would remain on hard disk drives. The cache only produced a minor boost in performance. Intel hoped that once clients saw the slight performance boost they might be inclined to purchase a larger ssd.

Intel also researched the size of the cache. Intel determined that a 60GB ssd was the point where it made no sense to use the ssd as a cache for a hard drive. Instead if you have a 60GB ssd, then Windows 7 and software applications should be installed on the ssd to take full advantage of the ssd capabilities.

Prices for ssd's have changed. $100.00 will get you a lot more than a 10GB or 20GB ssd. Since you have $100.00 to spend on an ssd you could could easily get a 60GB or 80Gb ssd. A good sale price would work out to about $1.00 per GB. It makes more sense to install Windows 7 and your software applications on an ssd. The ssd performance boost is much higher than the hard disk drive performance increase.

Windows 7 Pro 64 plus all the updates will use up a just a little over 20GB leaving plenty of room for software applications and a few games.

 

[nordlead]

I agree with the above. A cache drive doens't make a lot of sense with the price of SSDs. I got a 90GB Sandforce 2xxx based drive with asynchronous NAND flash for $100. Not the fastest SSD out there, but for the price it was a good buy and makes my computer load a lot faster.

 

[irCRiz]

so with that said what ssd would you guys recommend.

I also play tons of games so i have a spinpoint f3 1tb drive to store my games. I like to reformate my computer a lot since i try out a lot of different programs. Reinstalling all my games is a hassle so could i just put my games on the spinpoint f3 and then up all my applications and os on the ssd. If i do that will it improve my pc preformance alot of from i have now( A amd phenom x4 955 with a standard HHD.) Anyway thanks guys and let me know what you think since im a total pc noob. With the SSD i will also be getting a 2500k.


edit: Oh yea i looked at the OCZ Agility 3 and it had terrible reviews

 

[JohnnyLucky]

The Crucial m4 is popular with gamers and enthusiasts.

For stability and reliability consider the Samsung 830.

 

[nordlead]

The OCZ got bad reviews because it is based on the second gen sandforce controller and until around October there was a bug in the driver. Sandforce (and the corresponding manufacturers) released new firmware and it fixed most of the problems. Sure there are some people who still have problems but it is not like before.

I have a 90GB Corsair Force 3, which is a second gen sandforce controller with asynchronous NAND FLASH. It was cheap at $100 (or $1.1/GB), but you can get faster drives. Synchronous NAND performs better but it is a bit more expensive. Depending on the prices it might be worth the step up.

The Agility 3 is essentially the same as the Force 3. The OCZ Vertex 3 (and Corsair Force GT) uses the same controller and Synchronous NAND FLASH.

Outside of the Sandforce controller based SSDs, there are intel, samsung and whatever the m4 runs on. All of those are probably "superior" to the sandforce based devices but they are more expensive and I don't know a lot about them.

 

[irCRiz]

I was really looking at the m4 but the only think im worried about is that it does have trim support(at least of what i saw). I heard that trim is also a very essential feature to keep a ssd long lasting.

 

[JohnnyLucky]

1. TRIM is a Microsoft Windows 7 feature that compliments a solid state drive's garbage collection.

2. The Crucial m4 solid state drives use the Windows TRIM feature together with garbage collection. This was confirmed in a technical review at AnandTech:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4253/the-crucial-m4-micron-c400-ssd-review/2

3. The Windows TRIM feature will not work when multiple ssd's are used in a RAID array. That is about to change. In the very near future it will be possible to make use of the Windows TRIM feature with ssd's in a RAID array.

4. Modern ssd's have a much improved garabage collection that can function quite well without Windows TRIM.

 

[irCRiz]

so the m4 is a good choice for me right?
but what about the low write speeds at like 95mbs

 

[irCRiz]

Best answer selected by irCRiz.