New build SSD help??

[sirgray]

I am building a brand new pc (specs below) and I was just thinking. I ordered one intel 520 240gb ssd and I was wondering if I should order another and put them into Raid 0 with two. Would this be a good idea? I hear they don't have trim yet? or maybe they do now. But I am not sure what that is. Will running two 520's in raid0 lower there lifespan dramatically? basically should I go for it or stick with the single 520 240gb?



Case: Antec Darkfleet 85 | http://tinyurl.com/38fbwxu

CPU: Intel Core i7 3770K Unlocked Quad Core Hyperthreading LGA1155 3.5GHZ | http://tinyurl.com/bv3s4e8

CPU cooler: Corsair Cooling Hydro Series H100I | http://tinyurl.com/d24vrnv

Mobo: ASUS Sabertooth Z77 ATX LGA1155 | http://tinyurl.com/bwhlosu

SSD: Intel 520 Series 240GB 2.5in SSD MLC 25nm SATA3 Solid State Disk Flash Drive OEM | http://tinyurl.com/cl94umy

PSU: Seasonic X850 Gold | http://tinyurl.com/chr3s93

Memory: Mushkin Enhanced Blackline Frostbyte PC3-12800 16GB 2X8GB DDR3-1600 9-9-9-24 1.5V | http://tinyurl.com/cxx4c8v

Video Card: ASUS GeForce GTX 680 DirectCU II 1006MHZ 4GB GDDR5 6GHZ PCI-E 3.0 | http://tinyurl.com/d9by7rv

Sound Card: ASUS Xonar Essence STX PCI-E1 SPDIF Sound Card 124DB SNR | http://tinyurl.com/c8eaz9s

 

[manofchalk]

Not much point in RAID0'ing SSD's. They are already ridiculously fast and not in a way that RAID can help with, Access Times.

I have heard that TRIM is now available in RAID arrays, but I dont know how to make sure it is. Might have to do some research on the topic.

 

[DarkSable]

This is a double post, dude.

Also, this is for gaming, from what I picked up in your other thread. With that in mind, you're spending WAY too much money in places that give you ZERO extra performance.

This build is miles cheaper, and yours is perhaps all of... 5% faster? Less, after overclocking of both.

Case: Spending $80-$100 will get you a case that is JUST as good, if not better.

CPU cooler: Noctua DH-14. It undercuts the h100i both in noise and cooling efficiency, and the best part is? The Noctua isn't going to kill your computer if something happens to go wrong.

CPU: i5-3570k. The only difference between this and your i7 is hyperthreading and $100 in your pocket. (Most games don't use hyperthreading, and the others get slowed down by them.)

Mobo: AsRock Extreme 4. The Sabertooth is about the worst motherboard you could possibly get - they took a low-mid end board and stuck "thermal armor" on it - the thermal armor does nothing but make the motherboard hotter. So why would you pay through the nose for THAT?

SSD: 248GB Samsung 830. (Personal preference, this. The 520 is a great SSD.)

PSU: Seasonic X750 Gold. This will be enough for two GTX 600 cards, should you so desire. If you don't want SLI, get a 550w.

Memory: Samsung 8GB (if you overclock) or low profile 1600MHz Cas 9 8GB kit. You don't need close to 16GB of ram, even if you have the money. With photoshop, battlefield 3, and 20 tabs in chrome all at once, my PC doesn't even hit 7GB, and that's without a page file.

GPU: EVGA 670 Signature 2, 2GB. (Okay, first we'll talk about 4GB vs 2GB. All that number is is the amount of VRAM you have... it doesn't make the card faster in any way, shape, or form. If you're playing on three monitors, get a 4GB card, but you'll need two of them. If you're playing on one monitor, then 2GB is more than enough.) [As for why I got a 670... the GTX 680 is about 5% faster; when you overclock both cards, that narrows to about 3%. That's not worth $100 by any stretch of the imagination.]

Sound card: Onboard. This will be plenty for gaming and listening... the only time I would get a sound card is if your computer is directly hooked to a receiver and full sound system. (You did the right thing by buying a $200 one, though - that's what it'll take to get an appreciable upgrade.)

So... even if you keep the sound card, I just saved you probably $500 right there, and gave up NOTHING. (Perhaps 4fps, at the most.)

Now, even if you have the money to spend, there's no point in being an idiot and buying things that give no performance benefits AT ALL. That's like taking five $100 bills and flushing them down the toilet.

Instead, I suggest you take that money and spend it on the following:

1) A gaming monitor. If you don't already have a 60Hz, 1080p monitor, this is the bare minimum. If you do have that, consider a 120Hz monitor if you play a lot of FPS's.

2) A good set of speakers - if you don't already have them - to go with your sound card. If you're outputting amazing sound but trying to play them through tin cans... you see how pointless that is, right?

3) A gaming mouse if you don't already have one. I suggest the Intellimouse Explorer 3.0 if you can find one, and the Razor Deathadder Black if you can't. (Coming from someone with big hands and a mix between claw and palm grips.)

4) I cannot stress this enough: A mechanical keyboard. I bought one, and after 5 minutes of getting used to not having an ergonomic keyboard any more, my words-per-minute jumped by 20. It's just... unless you need an ergonomic keyboard, this is the way to go. (I like Leopolds with brown switches. I'd also look at wsad keyboards.)