1Tb vs 2Tb ? Gaming PC , need to store lots of pictures/videos/anime

[acid1drinker]

I have heard that 2tb have more than double the risk of Hard disk failures than the 1tb?
And RAID 0 is also very bad for data protection?

But for a mid-gaming PC the extra performance will be needed?

Also how do i seprate the Hard disk into seperate drives while installing Windows7/Ubuntu?
[Need to have a dual boot]

System specs:

FX 6300
Asus m5a97 Evo R2.0
G.Skill RipJawsX 2x4GB ram
Seasonic S12ii 620W
HAF 912 [with window not advanced]
GPU- 7870 or 7870xt or gtx 760 [not yet decided]

Also more the merrier [In terms of space capacity ]
Mostly i am going for the WD blue [Seems the sweet spot for performance and money]

 

[ssimpss]

Disk failures are very very rare WD and Seagate have some of the best HDD on the market. RAID 0 only increase the speed of right or read heavy tasks for true speed you was an SSD even if it is just for the OS. As for a dual boot not really my area, try looking for videos on youtube.

 

[Pallimud]

Nowadays 2TB drives are much better than in the past since there are now 1TB platters instead of only 500GB. I still run 1TB though and just have multiple drives, but it really depends on your preference.

To do a dual boot, when installing Windows you can partition the drive. Just split it however you want and then continue the Windows install. Afterward, follow a guide to do a dual boot Ubuntu, and then just install it on the other partition you created.

The difference between 1TB and 2TB will only be for space, it won't make your system faster at all. Your HDD is just for storing things, having more storage space will not make your computer perform better (so long as you have enough for virtual memory of course). Overall your system seems like it'll do what you want (without knowing what you'll be playing).

WD drives are excellent. You may want to compare the blue and black though so make sure you're getting exactly what you want in terms of performance. I like them both, but black usually run faster or have more cache.

 

[acid1drinker]

Nowadays 2TB drives are much better than in the past since there are now 1TB platters instead of only 500GB. I still run 1TB though and just have multiple drives, but it really depends on your preference.

To do a dual boot, when installing Windows you can partition the drive. Just split it however you want and then continue the Windows install. Afterward, follow a guide to do a dual boot Ubuntu, and then just install it on the other partition you created.


The difference between 1TB and 2TB will only be for space, it won't make your system faster at all. Your HDD is just for storing things, having more storage space will not make your computer perform better (so long as you have enough for virtual memory of course). Overall your system seems like it'll do what you want (without knowing what you'll be playing).

WD drives are excellent. You may want to compare the blue and black though so make sure you're getting exactly what you want in terms of performance. I like them both, but black usually run faster or have more cache.

So a Blue WD 2tb wont have more failure rates than the 1tb?

I'll be playing almost all the current gen. previous gen, pre-previous gen, next gen, next-nextgen games! [Pretty much every game - but my alltime favourites are The Elder Scroll series, GTA series , Counter strike series , Splinter Cell series , Tomb raider series , Dota1/Dota2 , Looking forward to play watch dogs and also want to play sleeping dogs,Far cry3, hitman absolution and crysis3!

If you want to further assist me with my dilemma about the GPU please do take a look at this thread PLEASE!!:
http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-1802692/confused-7870-7870xt-gtx-760-7950.html

 

[ssimpss]

For gaming right now at 1900 x 1080 or less a single 760, 770 would be more than enough. For resolutions of 2560 x 1440 or higher you need to look at SLI, 780, or a Titan. I would not use AMD if you can avoid it, yes they are cheaper but the drivers are shockingly bad so you can run into issues there.

 

[acid1drinker]

For gaming right now at 1900 x 1080 or less a single 760, 770 would be more than enough. For resolutions of 2560 x 1440 or higher you need to look at SLI, 780, or a Titan. I would not use AMD if you can avoid it, yes they are cheaper but the drivers are shockingly bad so you can run into issues there.

Okay thanks for the information!

I'll mostly be going for a Zotac 760!
Can you please tell me that the 760 will support a dual monitor setup with 1080p and 900p monitors?

 

[ssimpss]

Should do, just don't try and game dual monitor though. If you can get an ASUS or EVGA 760 they are some of the best on the market. I have never had a Zotac so I don't know what they are like.

 

[acid1drinker]

Should do, just don't try and game dual monitor though. If you can get an ASUS or EVGA 760 they are some of the best on the market. I have never had a Zotac so I don't know what they are like.

I'll try for the Asus version.

Anyways there is an 80$ difference between the 7870GhZ edition and the 760! I am not sure if the extra money is worth the performance?

 

[ssimpss]

I recommend nvida but please get other opinions I don't want to put you in a bad place with your budget though push it as far as you can. Look at benchmarks as well I don't really know the current AMD line up as well as I should but I know when people start to push the AMD hardware and in quite a few benchmarks the AMDs can suddenly drop off.

 

[Pallimud]

So a Blue WD 2tb wont have more failure rates than the 1tb?

I'll be playing almost all the current gen. previous gen, pre-previous gen, next gen, next-nextgen games! [Pretty much every game - but my alltime favourites are The Elder Scroll series, GTA series , Counter strike series , Splinter Cell series , Tomb raider series , Dota1/Dota2 , Looking forward to play watch dogs and also want to play sleeping dogs,Far cry3, hitman absolution and crysis3!

If you want to further assist me with my dilemma about the GPU please do take a look at this thread PLEASE!!:
http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-1802692/confused-7870-7870xt-gtx-760-7950.html

I would suggest going for a Black rather than Blue. Blue is good for storage, like music or images, but if you want to use the drive a lot for gaming or video recording then the performance of the Black will benefit you a lot.

2TB drives do generally have a higher failure rate than 1TB drives. You might be increasing your change by 2%. No matter what you get, just make sure you're backing up your files somehow (not to the same HD, either online or with another drive).

I personally prefer to have two 1TB drives and then use one drive as a backup along with general storage. It'll depend on the space in your case and how much you really require out of 1 drive.

I think the advice here for your GPU is good. You can dual monitor 1080p with GPUs from 4 years ago, so anything on your list will be fine. I'm using an AMD 6850 and have a dual monitor (1080p) setup. I play Dota2 at 1920x1200, and can play most games at high or max. My card is much older and less powerful than the ones you selected, so you'll be good to go.

If you're having trouble choosing between the GPUs you listed, set a budget for yourself and then set a benchmark for what games you want to play and at what settings. Then see what card works best for your budget and performance. You can save a lot of money with the 7870, but the 760 is better than the 7950 and you'll see the difference.

 

[acid1drinker]

So a Blue WD 2tb wont have more failure rates than the 1tb?

I'll be playing almost all the current gen. previous gen, pre-previous gen, next gen, next-nextgen games! [Pretty much every game - but my alltime favourites are The Elder Scroll series, GTA series , Counter strike series , Splinter Cell series , Tomb raider series , Dota1/Dota2 , Looking forward to play watch dogs and also want to play sleeping dogs,Far cry3, hitman absolution and crysis3!

If you want to further assist me with my dilemma about the GPU please do take a look at this thread PLEASE!!:
http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-1802692/confused-7870-7870xt-gtx-760-7950.html

I would suggest going for a Black rather than Blue. Blue is good for storage, like music or images, but if you want to use the drive a lot for gaming or video recording then the performance of the Black will benefit you a lot.

2TB drives do generally have a higher failure rate than 1TB drives. You might be increasing your change by 2%. No matter what you get, just make sure you're backing up your files somehow (not to the same HD, either online or with another drive).

I personally prefer to have two 1TB drives and then use one drive as a backup along with general storage. It'll depend on the space in your case and how much you really require out of 1 drive.

I think the advice here for your GPU is good. You can dual monitor 1080p with GPUs from 4 years ago, so anything on your list will be fine. I'm using an AMD 6850 and have a dual monitor (1080p) setup. I play Dota2 at 1920x1200, and can play most games at high or max. My card is much older and less powerful than the ones you selected, so you'll be good to go.

If you're having trouble choosing between the GPUs you listed, set a budget for yourself and then set a benchmark for what games you want to play and at what settings. Then see what card works best for your budget and performance. You can save a lot of money with the 7870, but the 760 is better than the 7950 and you'll see the difference.

Thanks for the input
Can you give me a link to a reliable benchmark between the 7870 and 760 [Both at stock speeds and both overclocked] ? [Mostly i wont upgrade my gpu for the next 2.5 years ,after which i will be in my final year of undergrad so i wont be playing many games except dota 2 ]

I am thinking of going with the FX 6300 + 7870 because we are on the edge of New Console cycle and a change in node architecture. I dont want to spend much now.
I think the 7870 will manage to play the games at high [not very high or ultra or maxed out] for another 1 year and then on mid for the next 6-7months after which i'll upgrade my gpu .. How is the plan? The max i could do is try and find a 7870XT [ But it's not available with the retailers atm ]

 

[Pallimud]

Here's a good comparison: http://gpuboss.com/gpus/Radeon-HD-7870-vs-GeForce-GTX-760

Here's another good one: http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GeForce_GTX_760/27.html

There are a lot of threads on here discussing the difference, but it to sum them all up, the 760 is more powerful but costs more. You can see the different specs from the above links and just decide for yourself if it's worth it. My experience tells me that if you're getting a newer premium card (like either of those), you'll be fine so long as you're not a graphics enthusiast. If you just want to enjoy your games with good graphics, then the newer cards will all give you that experience for a few years.

I've had my 6850 for 3 years now and I don't really feel the need to upgrade (I upgraded it from a 4850, keeping my PC the same for 5 years now, 1st gen i5 processor). If Dota2 will be your primary game in the long run, you won't find any reason to upgrade your card even 3 years from now.

 

[acid1drinker]

Here's a good comparison: http://gpuboss.com/gpus/Radeon-HD-7870-vs-GeForce-GTX-760

Here's another good one: http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GeForce_GTX_760/27.html

There are a lot of threads on here discussing the difference, but it to sum them all up, the 760 is more powerful but costs more. You can see the different specs from the above links and just decide for yourself if it's worth it. My experience tells me that if you're getting a newer premium card (like either of those), you'll be fine so long as you're not a graphics enthusiast. If you just want to enjoy your games with good graphics, then the newer cards will all give you that experience for a few years.

I've had my 6850 for 3 years now and I don't really feel the need to upgrade (I upgraded it from a 4850, keeping my PC the same for 5 years now, 1st gen i5 processor). If Dota2 will be your primary game in the long run, you won't find any reason to upgrade your card even 3 years from now.

Thanks a lot bro! I wasnt able to decide which gpu to buy for about 2months now! Now i think i have got my answer, i'll be going for 7870 [since dota1/dota2 and CS:GO will be the love of my life no matter what]
Thanks a lot!!!!!!!! i love you seriously!
I'll be buying my pc by this weekend!
Thanks once again!

 

[Pallimud]

Thanks a lot bro! I wasnt able to decide which gpu to buy for about 2months now! Now i think i have got my answer, i'll be going for 7870 [since dota1/dota2 and CS:GO will be the love of my life no matter what]
Thanks a lot!!!!!!!! i love you seriously!
I'll be buying my pc by this weekend!
Thanks once again!

Awesome, glad you were able to decide!

 

[acid1drinker]

Here's a good comparison: http://gpuboss.com/gpus/Radeon-HD-7870-vs-GeForce-GTX-760

Here's another good one: http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GeForce_GTX_760/27.html

There are a lot of threads on here discussing the difference, but it to sum them all up, the 760 is more powerful but costs more. You can see the different specs from the above links and just decide for yourself if it's worth it. My experience tells me that if you're getting a newer premium card (like either of those), you'll be fine so long as you're not a graphics enthusiast. If you just want to enjoy your games with good graphics, then the newer cards will all give you that experience for a few years.

I've had my 6850 for 3 years now and I don't really feel the need to upgrade (I upgraded it from a 4850, keeping my PC the same for 5 years now, 1st gen i5 processor). If Dota2 will be your primary game in the long run, you won't find any reason to upgrade your card even 3 years from now.

Thanks a lot bro! I wasnt able to decide which gpu to buy for about 2months now! Now i think i have got my answer, i'll be going for 7870 [since dota1/dota2 and CS:GO will be the love of my life no matter what]
Thanks a lot!!!!!!!! i love you seriously!
I'll be buying my pc by this weekend!
Thanks once again!

Awesome, glad you were able to decide!

I got confused again and now i think i am going for the 760 lol

 

[Pallimud]

Haha, best of luck. Either way you'll be happy, so long as your wallet is happy too then you're good to go

 

[acid1drinker]

Haha, best of luck. Either way you'll be happy, so long as your wallet is happy too then you're good to go

Hehe thanks.
Also Just to confirm there's no harm in buying a 2TB WD BLUE right?
Can i still use two 5 year old hdd? One of them is 320gb [windows OS] other is 160gb [ linux OS]

 

[Pallimud]

Hehe thanks.
Also Just to confirm there's no harm in buying a 2TB WD BLUE right?
Can i still use two 5 year old hdd? One of them is 320gb [windows OS] other is 160gb [ linux OS]

So long as you have extra space in your case and SATA/Power supply cords you can connect the older drives too.

There's no harm in the 2TB WD blue, if you're using it more for storage then it's a good choice.

I would probably continue with the 160GB drive for linux, the 360GB drive for windows, and use the 2TB for my files and games. Down the road I'd upgrade the 360GB windows OS drive to a SSD drive.

 

[acid1drinker]

Hehe thanks.
Also Just to confirm there's no harm in buying a 2TB WD BLUE right?
Can i still use two 5 year old hdd? One of them is 320gb [windows OS] other is 160gb [ linux OS]

So long as you have extra space in your case and SATA/Power supply cords you can connect the older drives too.

There's no harm in the 2TB WD blue, if you're using it more for storage then it's a good choice.

I would probably continue with the 160GB drive for linux, the 360GB drive for windows, and use the 2TB for my files and games. Down the road I'd upgrade the 360GB windows OS drive to a SSD drive.

I posted the images of the HDD to see if they are compatible or not over here http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-1812287/hdds-work-system.html
Please take a look thanks
I am in a hurry, if i dont need the hdd's i need to give them away to my cousin who has come home

How to select an answer?

 

[Pallimud]

Looks like you got some good answers on the other thread.

 

[acid1drinker]

Looks like you got some good answers on the other thread.

Yeah but i just realised this is a poll and i can't select your answer as the best answer

 

[Pallimud]

O well, glad to have helped anyway.