SSD Newcomer Questions

[Tsaar]

Well, 2012 looks to be exciting for me because I am finally building a new computer after 3 years.

I also am ready to finally get into the SSD realm.

1) Personally, I like to reformat my computer about once every 6 months because I am OCD about keyloggers (I do most of my browsing in Linux VMs because of this). With standard HDDs this really does not effect lifespan. Will this practice kill my SSD lifespan (OS install + Games)?

2) Assuming the previous habit is a terrible thing for SSDs, Windows 8 consumer preview launches in February. I will probably purchase an SSD now (really like the Sammy 830 series price/performance/reliability), and install Windows 8. There is a chance I will not like W8 due to potential bugs or missing features at this stage of development and use Secure Erase and reinstall Windows 7. Even if I keep W8, as an MSDNAA user I will have to reformat and reinstall with the official launch date regardless (the MSDNAA licenses in the past have not functioned as a general retail license and require a specific Windows image install). Should I wait to get an SSD until the W8 launch to avoid these reformat and reinstalls?

3) The Samsung 830 comes with Norton Ghost. Fast forward to the end of the year when I do my MSDNAA fresh install of W8. If I make an image of this with Ghost, will a Secure Erase and reimage cause less wear than a reformat? The only problem with this is Windows updates can get ridiculous over time. Also, as an avid Steam user I will install and uninstall games regularly anyway.

Ignore This Question [EDIT - I really am not worried about price...I want an SSD now...just don't want to kill it in one year with excessive reformats and reinstalls] 4) Currently a Samsung 830 256GB is ~$360. Has anybody seen the market predictions on prices? As a 26 year old with no kids and a well paying job, I don't care about saving 40 bucks by waiting, but if prices have been predicted to go down significantly I may hold off until IB and Kepler is available (I am having trouble controlling myself right now not buying a SB CPU. I work right next to one of the Atlanta Microcenters...)

 

[SickBeast]

Generally the cheapest we've seen SSDs hit is around $1/gb, sometimes even a little cheaper than that. Give it a year or two and they will probably hit 50c/gb.

There are a bunch of really good SSDs out there right now and there is a lot of choice in most of the price ranges. They say that the Intel drives are the most reliable, but you'll pay a bit of a price premium and they won't be as quick as some of the fastest drives.

One thing to keep in mind is that even if two drives perform differently in synthetic tests, when it comes to things like Windows boot speed or game loading times, the difference between the slowest drive and the fastest drive is often only 1 or 2 seconds. All SSDs have really fast access times; in the real world for regular desktop usage, all modern SSDs are "good enough" IMO. It comes down to capacity and price.

 

[Tsaar]

Bump so I do not have to repost since this got buried.

 

[Phynaz]

1. No
2. No
3. No , secure erase will cause many times more wear.

Conclusion...Install SSD and use it. Don't worry, you're not going to harm it.

 

[Charlie98]

Buy it and use it, you'll be fine. If your average new-build window is 3-5 years, you have nothing to worry about re: wearing your SSD out.

I wouldn't want to be first in line for W8... Use W7 with your SSD and when you reload your OS in 6-9 months, after W8 has been out for a bit, then reload with W8.