Drive configuration advice

[IndyColtsFan]

Hello,

I recently bought one of the 80 GB Intel 320 series drives during Newegg's recent sale and was looking for some advice/alternatives on what I should do with the drive. In my current system (see sig), I have the following config:

OS drive: Intel 120 GB X25-M G2 SSD
Data drive I: 750 GB WD Black drive (games are stored here currently)
Data drive II: 1.5 TB WD Green (removed from HTPC when I cancelled it and I envision just storing large files here)

Options I'm considering:

1. Install the 80 GB drive as a dedicated game drive.
2. Install the 80 GB drive as an SSD cache drive for data drive I and using the leftover space (16 GB if I max the cache, but I may just split it so I'd have 40 GB left over) for some files or other data.

What do you guys think? I assume option #2 is possible to configure without having to delete data off any of my current drives, right?

 

[IndyColtsFan]

No advice?

 

[BrightCandle]

Personally I think option 3 - set it up as your main OS drive with a reinstall and use the drives as your games drive and you steam mover when for 1 or so games to run games that benefit.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Personally I think option 3 - set it up as your main OS drive with a reinstall and use the drives as your games drive and you steam mover when for 1 or so games to run games that benefit.

But I already have an existing SSD as an OS drive.

 

[Jocelyn84]

I'm with BrightCandle. I'd put your OS/apps on the 320 80GB and turn the 120GB into a static programs/games drive.

 

[bryanW1995]

Use the new drive as cache. You can't split it up 40/40, however. Your only options are 18.6gb or 64gb.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

I'm with BrightCandle. I'd put your OS/apps on the 320 80GB and turn the 120GB into a static programs/games drive.

Ok, for the sake of argument, let's say that's the approach I use. Any good and free software to use which will let me clone my OS over to the 80 GB? I really don't want to reload everything.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Use the new drive as cache. You can't split it up 40/40, however. Your only options are 18.6gb or 64gb.

Oh, thanks, I wasn't aware of that. I thought you could carve it up into any amount up to 64 GB.

 

[bryanW1995]

Options are 18.6, 64, or entire drive if it's smaller than 64.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Options are 18.6, 64, or entire drive if it's smaller than 64.

Thanks. In your opinion, would it be smarter to clone the OS over to the 80 GB drive and then split the 120 GB into 64 cache/56 GB other?

 

[IndyColtsFan]

One more question -- if I decide to make an SSD a cache SSD to cache my data drive using SRT, I understand that I have to change the controller setting in my BIOS to "RAID" from AHCI. How will this affect my current boot drive? My guess is that at a minimum, I'd need to make some changes to boot.ini, and maybe even reload windows.

 

[bryanW1995]

I ended up reloading windows, though I've seen others mention that .ini tweaks did the trick for them.

As far as which drive to use for the OS, which for cache, and size of cache, I'd go for 18.6 gb cache for sure. On the remaining ssd space, I'd run the cache + OS drive on the 80 gb drive, and use the 120 gb ssd for your most commonly used programs and games.