Notebook HDD Question

[mrog71]

I'm installing a new 5400 rpm drive in my Dell to replace the 4200 rpm stock drive, and I'm wondering if I will take any performance hits if I partition it into 2 partiions: 1 for the OS, and the other for data. I was thinking it may take a hit becasue when it has to reference program files, it has to go to the beginning of the disk, then to reference data files, it has to swing back out to the outer part. Am I crazy?

 

[Teq]

It's unlikely you will notice much of a hit by splitting the drive. In any case, the organizational gain of having data separate from software would outweigh any price you might pay in speed.

Also there is a "hidden" advantage in partitioning as you describe. If you ever have to format and reinstall your software you won't end up also wiping out your data. I always do a two partition setup, OS/programs/games on C: user data (music, word pro, graphics, multimedia etc.) on D: for just this reason.



--->It ain't better if it don't work<---

 

[LumberJack]

Defenitely partition your drive... Leave windows with say 10gigs or so and the rest for data.. that way you can defreag your windows drive quickly to help keep things efficient... Also.. for that old notebook hard drive... you can use it on your desktop with an adaptor if you don't have space for it in your notebook.. hehe



To err is human... to really screw things up you need a computer!

 

[s1n9]

I didn't know that having many partitions will affect performance. :redface:
I always have many partitions on all my HDDs. I use the partitions to organize my data & programs. Also, they're used for multiple OSes. Nowadays, I usu use only Windows, but I always have at least 2 copies of the version I use for my main OS installed, one for emergency bootup if the main one is corrupted, etc.