SSD and SSD caching together worth it?

[Cormag]

Hey guy I was wondering if I could get a little help from the pros. Probably a simple question.

I am building a new i5 2500K box using the Asus Z68 pro board with 8gigs of ram.

I plan to make the jump to SSD. For my OS drive and application drive I plan to get a 120GB M4. I will use my current 500GB Samsung drive for games.

The question I have is whether or not it would be worth while to also get a small 30GB SSD to enable caching for the mechanical drive?

 

[Diogenes2]

Based on my experience --- http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2193447
.. I wouldn't use the stand alone SSD for OS and applications..

I would get a SATA 3 spindle drive of adequate size, and two small SSD's for caching both the spindle drives.

MY 150mb SATA 2 WD Velociraptor, with the 64gM4 cache loads apps faster than my 128gb Vertex 2..

 

[LokutusofBorg]

You might be able to get close to the same overall system performance from a smaller SSD caching your OS/apps drive, but just going with the 128GB M4 for your OS/apps as you said you're planning is a no-lose choice that doesn't cost much more. You won't regret it.

Putting a small, cheap SSD in front of that 500GB will likely bring noticeable speed improvement to your gaming, as well. Just depends on your available spending money.

 

[lehtv]

I would just go with either 128gb for OS+programs+4-5 games, or 64gb as cache.

 

[Elcs]

I would just go with either 128gb for OS+programs+4-5 games, or 64gb as cache.

This seems to be the way to go I think.

120/128Gb SSD with OS and basic programs plus a large cache for one of your spindle drives.

I'm still toying with the idea that you could fit an OS plus basic programs as well as a reasonable 20Gb cache onto a 64Gb SSD but it's probably very close and something that would need to have money spent on it and tested.