SSD's, Windows, and Steam: A Confused Noob

[Folkrod]

I know that SSD's are frequently used as a Windows Boot Drive but one thing I have never seemed to get a clear answer on is if you install Steam onto your computer doesn't Steam create a file structure located within your Windows file structure and every game you download through Steam is located within that structure how do you tell your computer to install ALL of those games onto your mechanical hard drive? Do you move all of them to the mechanical HDD once they've been downloaded onto the SSD? Are there settings within Windows you can alter to tell the system to do this? I just don't understand. Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Currently, I am just considering to purchase a 64GB SSD and use it in conjunction with "Intel Smart Response" as a system cache for the Mechanical Hard Drive. Has anyone had any significant success with this method?

 

[evan1715]

uh. i have steam installed on my hard drive and it downloads all the games to that steam folder on the HDD. if u put it on ur SSD all the games will install on the SSD.

if ur asking does steam install games within the windows folder i really dont think it does, it probably has a file or folder in there like any other program but not a big one at all.

 

[Dereck47]

There's a program called Steam Mover to have your games on another drive after you've originally installed them on your boot drive. http://www.traynier.com/software/steammover

If you don't want to use the software and want to manually do what Steam Mover does then read this tutorial: http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=664376

 

[unksol]

I *think* his issue might be when he installs steam he's doing a default install. A custom install needs to be done with steam installed on the HDD. Steam installs all games inside its own folder, and then as said steam mover works well to swap whatever your playing on and off the ssd

 

[blackhawk1928]

I know that SSD's are frequently used as a Windows Boot Drive but one thing I have never seemed to get a clear answer on is if you install Steam onto your computer doesn't Steam create a file structure located within your Windows file structure and every game you download through Steam is located within that structure how do you tell your computer to install ALL of those games onto your mechanical hard drive? Do you move all of them to the mechanical HDD once they've been downloaded onto the SSD? Are there settings within Windows you can alter to tell the system to do this? I just don't understand. Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Currently, I am just considering to purchase a 64GB SSD and use it in conjunction with "Intel Smart Response" as a system cache for the Mechanical Hard Drive. Has anyone had any significant success with this method?

STEAM will install ALL games in the same directory as steam itself installed in. Install steam on whatever HDD/Partition/Directory that you want your games installed in.

 

[Folkrod]

Best answer selected by Folkrod.

 

[Folkrod]

Thanks for all the input, you guys! So is it better that I just purchase an SSD as my boot drive now as opposed to using it as a system cache?