Best SSD for dual boot in this case

[WGem]

I have some query for my ssd purchase. Any help will be very much good for my decision.

I would like to get a ssd that is quite amongst the top ones + it should also be good for windows XP AS WELL.
I have windows 7 but I use xp too, in DUALBOOT.


Q1) So what ssd should I get that suits both - windows 7 + xp as well.

The two big choices are really samsung 830, and the plextor m5.
Samsung 830 because its popular but plextor M5S really I was impressed after seeing the review - which said it was very good for OS without trim support. :-

http://www.anandtech.com/show/6090/plextor-m5s-256gb-review/11

"While the overall performance matches the performance of the M3, there have been some welcome, and unwelcome, changes. The more aggressive garbage collection definitely helps if the drive is used in an OS without open TRIM support (*cough* OS X). However, most buyers will likely be running Windows with TRIM support, so the garbage collection is not a major selling point."



Q2) Also is plextor M3S 128GB better than plextor M5S 128GB ? As everyone recommends Plextor M3 and the plextor M5 which was released later even is not in the picture of the ssd scene at all. Noone recommends it. Why so ?


Q3) Please tell me the extra accessories or adapters needed to buy for using the ssd on desktop.



....


AS A SUMMARY - is the Plextor M5S recommended for me to buy - if would like to use XP too quite some. And would it be not a bad decision for me (for using when I am using windows 7 OS), that I buy M5S and not samsung 830 ?

And second, if Plextor M5s is recommended above, then is plextor M3 better for me considering XP, than the M5 (which is not so popular but as seen from above anandtech review has good support for OS like XP ?

Thanks.

 

[tweakboy]

Your not going to have any space left after installing OSes

Grab a 512GB Sammy or Crucial ........ If you dont wanna put your apps and data and games on ssd then grab a 256GB. If you grab a 128GB you have like 108GB free according to windows and how it handles cluster etc. You put Win 8 on it and Win7 and the drive is full. WTF you still doing with XP lol, gl

 

[iluvdeal]

I'm curious, why do you still need to boot into XP?

 

[Coup27]

Get an 830 while they're still cheap. They're an amazing drive and also come with a toolbox utility which will allow you to TRIM your XP side when booted into XP.

 

[WGem]

Get an 830 while they're still cheap. They're an amazing drive and also come with a toolbox utility which will allow you to TRIM your XP side when booted into XP.

Thanks. Can you show me a link where this toolbox utility is shown, as its nowhere on - http://www.amazon.com/SAMSUNG-2-5-In...s_1292116011_1 Also I have come to know that xp's thing is that it aligns partitions wrongly. Can you or anyone else tell me how to rectify this problem - any software or manual procedure. And guys, I would like to use xp too - quite a bit. Its a personal choice.

 

[Coup27]

The Magician allows you to perform various tasks such as OS optimisation, force TRIM and garbage collection (more useful on systems which do not support TRIM such as XP), secure erasing, benchmarking or firmware updating. Only Intel offers such a comprehensive toolbox so if I wanted to keep XP then I would only consider an Intel or Samsung SSD.

The easiest way to make aligned partitions under XP is to use a Windows 7 installation disc. Boot it, and create your partitions using the editor which will ensure they are all aligned to an SSD friendly boundary. Then reboot with the XP media and do not alter the partitions but just quick format the first one and install XP onto it.

Once XP is finished reboot the Windows 7 media and then install 7 onto another partition.

 

[WGem]

The Magician allows you to perform various tasks such as OS optimisation, force TRIM and garbage collection (more useful on systems which do not support TRIM such as XP), secure erasing, benchmarking or firmware updating. Only Intel offers such a comprehensive toolbox so if I wanted to keep XP then I would only consider an Intel or Samsung SSD.

The easiest way to make aligned partitions under XP is to use a Windows 7 installation disc. Boot it, and create your partitions using the editor which will ensure they are all aligned to an SSD friendly boundary. Then reboot with the XP media and do not alter the partitions but just quick format the first one and install XP onto it.

Once XP is finished reboot the Windows 7 media and then install 7 onto another partition.

Thank you man. So, with this software - I can forget the problems of trim and wrong alignment wholly on XP. And use samsung 830 without ANY issue on xp as well. would be awesome. And i guess I dont need anything special then - just the normal samsung 830 as in - http://www.amazon.com/SAMSUNG-2-5-In...s_1292116011_1 I guess it cant be used on other ssds. If there was some software that could eradicate all problems and was a popular SSD software - I would have bought it.

 

[iluvdeal]

I asked what you actually do in XP as it's possible you can use Windows XP while you are using Windows 7 at the same time by using virtualization. Dual booting is becoming a thing of the past, you don't have to be limited to running one OS at a time. If you have Win7 Pro, XP mode support is already included, you just need to install it.