install question SSD+HD & Asus P8Z77-V Deluxe

[steveGJ]

I’m a advanced user however I build new PCs, only for myself every few years. This is my first experience with a SSD drive & Asus motherboards. I’m ready to install the OS (Win7 Ultimate). After reading the skimpy motherboard manual it is not clear how I should proceed.

I intended to put the OS and application software on the SSD (windows, programs, + files located in c:users\steve. Media files would go on the Hard Drive.
I set up partitions on the SSD for the OS and a small 100MB partition for the system recovery image. Reading the installation manual for the Asus board software seemed to suggest that I run the Asus motherboard setup to make the entire SSD a cache drive implying that I would install Win 7 on the traditional Hard Disk, then let Asus setup make the SSD into a cache.. The detail in the manual is too skimpy for me to decide if this is correct. Asus tech support is closed until Monday.

Configuration:
CPU Intel i7-3660K
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V Deluxe
Drives: OCZ 256GB Vertex 4 Series SATA 6.0 GB/s SSD
Seagate Barracuda 7200 3 TB 7200RPM SATA 6

 

[Steltek]

You can do exactly what you want and make the SSD your primary OS drive.

Make sure the UEFI BIOS is set to AHCI mode and not IDE mode. Set the system up with the SSD being plugged in to the first SATA3 port and also with it being the only drive in the system during the Windows installation (unplug any other hard drives, then plug them back in once Windows is up and running). Make sure the most recent firmware is installed on the SSD (updating the firmware will many times erase the contents of the drive, so it is a good idea to do it up front).

Do the Windows install just like you normally would and you should be good to go. Once Windows is running, shut down and plug your data hard drive back in and you should be set to install all your software and media files.

EDIT: You can buy SSDs (usually low capacity 32GB or less) that are intended to be used as high speed cache for standard hard drives which is the installation method mentioned by the manual. However, you'll get much better performance by installing your SSD as the primary drive and using your standard drive as data storage.