Dedicated SSD cache drive?

[IndyColtsFan]

I'm still trying to wrap my head around SSD caching and the best configuration for my upcoming build. Here is a summary of the build specs:

i7-2600K
Asus P8Z68-Pro
16 GB of RAM
Intel 120 GB G2 SSD (OS, Office, and other misc. apps)
WD 750 GB Caviar Black

Some say to split the 120 GB into 80/40 chunks, with the 40 GB piece being used for cache. Frankly, I am a little nervous leaving only 80 GB of free space for OS, patches, and misc. apps. So today, I noticed that Newegg has an OCZ Vertex 30 GB drive on sale for $50 after rebate and I'm considering ordering that to use as a dedicated cache drive. I know it doesn't get the greatest reviews but I think it would probably be OK for that usage. Questions for you guys:

1. What is your opinion of this plan?
2. Is the 30 GB drive too small?
3. What would you do?

I'm also wondering if I should get a second 750 GB drive and make a RAID0 array, but that's probably a different discussion.

 

[Capt Caveman]

I have a 128gb Crucial SSD as my OS drive and plan on putting the few games I play on it as one partition. If you have that much stuff, you can pick up something like this for $75 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-20220602-L02D to use as a Cache drive(I think you can cache up to 60gb, right?)

Or install your games on that instead?

 

[xBiffx]

I just built the new system in my sig yesterday. I went with a 60GB dedicated cache drive since Smart Response Technology is maxed at 64GB. IMO if you have a 128GB drive you are better off installing OS, Apps, and what games you play often to that drive. Then use the HDD for other, less frequent games/apps and media files.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

I have a 128gb Crucial SSD as my OS drive and plan on putting the few games I play on it as one partition. If you have that much stuff, you can pick up something like this for $75 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-20220602-L02D to use as a Cache drive(I think you can cache up to 60gb, right?)

Or install your games on that instead?

Well, I'll likely have VMs and games installed on the hard drive and I've even thought about picking up another hard drive (or two) and making a RAID array to speed things up. I'm not sure how a cache drive would play into that though I know that in certain scenarios, write caching should be disabled for VMs. Of course these aren't critical VMs and are just for my development work so it may not matter either which way. Too many variables and unfortunately I haven't read up on SSD caching the way I should have.

I just want to build this right the first time because I really don't want to have to rebuild it. I bought the board, CPU, and drive with Amazon rewards from my credit card so I suppose I can spend a little to complete the build properly.

 

[Minion4Hire]

I agree with Biff. A 120 GB SSD should offer plenty of space for most of your stuff. I don't know how much software you intend on installing, but (besides games) I have a hard time getting more than 30-40 GBs of software on a drive, and generally I need much less. You can also just move your user data folders onto your HDD(s) to allow for more seemless integration between your files and your programs. I generally don't care if games load a little slower. Games I play frequently I install on the SSD, others I'm only messing with or don't care about go on a HDD. Games I'm not playing I tend to uninstall, so there's also that.

Check how much storage your programs are/have taken up on other computers. If you feel like you will need to install way more games than your SSD will allow for but still want SSD-like performance then an 80/40 split is probably just fine. Your OS, web browsers, media players, office suites and various other frequently used utilities aren't going to consume 80 GBs of storage. But SSDs are cheap enough that there's nothing wrong with going with a dedicated cache drive; it all depends on how worried you are. But I think you'd be fine.

EDIT: Okay, running a VM from an SSD would be very nice. But I'm not sure how well SSD caching would work with that. My guess is not very, but I have zero experience with that.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

I agree with Biff. A 120 GB SSD should offer plenty of space for most of your stuff. I don't know how much software you intend on installing, but (besides games) I have a hard time getting more than 30-40 GBs of software on a drive, and generally I need much less. You can also just move your user data folders onto your HDD(s) to allow for more seemless integration between your files and your programs. I generally don't care if games load a little slower. Games I play frequently I install on the SSD, others I'm only messing with or don't care about go on a HDD. Games I'm not playing I tend to uninstall, so there's also that.

Check how much storage your programs are/have taken up on other computers. If you feel like you will need to install way more games than your SSD will allow for but still want SSD-like performance then an 80/40 split is probably just fine. Your OS, web browsers, media players, office suites and various other frequently used utilities aren't going to consume 80 GBs of storage. But SSDs are cheap enough that there's nothing wrong with going with a dedicated cache drive; it all depends on how worried you are. But I think you'd be fine.

Yeah, I think I'd be fine too but I have a nagging feeling that I should get a dedicated cache drive and just "be done with it." The Patriot that Capt Caveman linked was one I looked at earlier today and it looks like a pretty good drive and is definitely worth consideration. I strongly considered putting the drives in RAID0 and going that route but with my luck, one would fail and I'd have to restore everything from backup or reinstall apps (all my actual data goes onto a server which is backed up nightly).

My understanding is that if I don't go with the dedicated SSD now and then change my mind, I'd have to reinstall Windows and everything to change the config. Is that correct? If a 60 GB dedicated SSD effectively gives me near SSD performance on my hard drive after the cache is built, that seems like a pretty good deal and safer than RAID.

EDIT: I guess I could have an 80 GB partition for OS, Office, and certain apps, a 40 GB partition for certain games, and then everything else on the hard drive with the SSD cache.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Or, I guess asked another way: let's say I build the system and dedicate all 120 GB of my Intel SSD to OS, Office, and a few apps/games. I install a hard drive for the rest of my games and any other data but I don't configure SSD caching. Down the line, can I simply add another SSD, configure it as a cache SSD for the hard drive, and I'll be fine without having to reload Windows?

 

[xBiffx]

Or, I guess asked another way: let's say I build the system and dedicate all 120 GB of my Intel SSD to OS, Office, and a few apps/games. I install a hard drive for the rest of my games and any other data but I don't configure SSD caching. Down the line, can I simply add another SSD, configure it as a cache SSD for the hard drive, and I'll be fine without having to reload Windows?

If you are going to start by installing OS on SSD then you don't need to do any caching later. Caching is only beneficial when you are using a slower HDD and caching a secondary drive IMO is worthless. Also, assuming you have a Z68 board and are using SRT then you would normally install OS on HDD but before you do, you have to make sure you setup your SATA controller as RAID and not IDE or AHCI. You don't have to add the SDD caching drive right away. As long as you have it set to RAID, you can add the SSD anytime and configure the SRT later.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

If you are going to start by installing OS on SSD then you don't need to do any caching later. Caching is only beneficial when you are using a slower HDD and caching a secondary drive IMO is worthless. Also, assuming you have a Z68 board and are using SRT then you would normally install OS on HDD but before you do, you have to make sure you setup your SATA controller as RAID and not IDE or AHCI. You don't have to add the SDD caching drive right away. As long as you have it set to RAID, you can add the SSD anytime and configure the SRT later.

Thanks for the info! I think maybe I'll just skip caching because for my use (caching the secondary drives), it may not be worth it. I'll just install the OS on the SSD and have the drive for secondary stuff.

 

[Spikesoldier]

or, option C:

buy another 120GB ssd and go RAID0.

then you will have more capacity for your VMs and have blazing speed to boot.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

or, option C:

buy another 120GB ssd and go RAID0.

then you will have more capacity for your VMs and have blazing speed to boot.

That probably isn't an option for me. What will likely happen is that I'll just stick with the OS/Office/certain apps and games on the SSD and the rest of the data on the hard drive. If speed becomes a concern for the VMs I use (just test/dev ones), I'll just build a RAID array and be done with it.