SSD Recommendations for New System

[Edward Gelernt]

I'm going to be building a system and need some recommendations for parts. I am going to be installing Windows 8 64-bit and using a Seagate Barracuda 2TB for primary storage. While I'm not a gamer, I am somewhat of a performance enthusiast, so I'd like things to move somewhat quickly.

1. Would you recommend I get an SSD for booting, or just load my OS onto my HDD and deal with a little bit of lag on boot-up?

2. If indeed I should get an SSD, will 64GB be enough? I don't intend to put anything but Windows on it. For that matter, would, say, 50GB be enough?

3. I was looking at http://www.amazon.com/Crucial-2-5-Inch-9-5mm-Solid-CT064M4SSD2/dp/B004W2JKWG/ref=sr_1_16?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1367089287&sr=1-16&keywords=solid+state+drive for an SSD. Is that a good brand? If not, what brand would you recommend? It doesn't have to be blink-of-an-eye fast, but I would like to get at least 7 years out of it.

Thanks in advance for all your help!

 

[Nikolay Savov]

1. Would you recommend I get an SSD for booting, or just load my OS onto my HDD and deal with a little bit of lag on boot-up?
NO - OS over SSD is 10 x performance over HDD
For example you gonna have 3400 points for SSD performance and 1300 for standard HDD in PassMark
Random R/W is killer for HDD - 10-12 ms vs 0,10 - 0,12 ms of SSD

2. If indeed I should get an SSD, will 64GB be enough? I don't intend to put anything but Windows on it. For that matter, would, say, 50GB be enough?
64 Gb will do if you make some tuning of you OS - go for 128 Gb
- you have to get more RAM > 4 and kill the paging to save the SSD and then you kill the hibernate service - you save 10 -12 Gb from you SSD
- you may also migrate you Account Folders to second drive - you save all MyDoc`s Downloads and etc.

3. I was looking at http://www.amazon.com/Crucial-2-5-Inch-9-5mm-Solid-CT06... for an SSD. Is that a good brand? If not, what brand would you recommend? It doesn't have to be blink-of-an-eye fast, but I would like to get at least 7 years out of it.
I`ll go for TRANCEND 720 SSD or SAMSUNG 840 - samsung have better software support - you can use theyr tool to tune you PC for SSD

I hope this will help ya.
http://www.passmark.com/baselines/V8/display.php?id=4242045185