Thanksgiving Gamer

[R4in]

Can you use a SSD as both a boot drive AND cache w/ your HDD?

 

[lehtv]

Yes .. Actually I'm not sure :E

 

[R4in]

Hmm, i was thinking if i could then i would drop to a 64gb SSD for OS and like 3 programs then set up caching for my HDD...

 

[lehtv]

Reading this thread here: http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=677928&page=2

It seems that if a part of an SSD is used as cache, the rest will form a separate partition. But since SRT is set up after installing windows, you can't have your OS on that same SSD. So for best results you'd want two SSDs like the guy in that thread - one for the OS, the other as a cache for the HDD. Otherwise you need to install the OS on the HDD.

 

[R4in]

Guess my hdd wont get caching for now then lol, i think i can hold off

 

[mfenn]

Reading this thread here: http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=677928&page=2

It seems that if a part of an SSD is used as cache, the rest will form a separate partition. But since SRT is set up after installing windows, you can't have your OS on that same SSD. So for best results you'd want two SSDs like the guy in that thread - one for the OS, the other as a cache for the HDD. Otherwise you need to install the OS on the HDD.

I think that you can manually partition your SSD beforehand to get the same effect with a single drive.

Rain, I don't think its worth it though. Why go to the effort of setting of a cache when a 128GB SSD is big enough to just install the programs directly on it?

 

[R4in]

Why go to the effort of setting of a cache when a 128GB SSD is big enough to just install the programs directly on it?

If i was to set up the cache i would just get a 64GB SSD instead of 128, as 64gb is the largest amount you can allocate to cache. But, as you said, i am just going to stick with a 128 no cache

 

[R4in]

Going to re-post my build today. Ive changed a few things around. Ill be ready for everyone to take a swing at me for still going with an EVGA card but hey, LETS DO IT!!

 

[R4in]

Here it is, at least unless the prices change considerably when i actually buy it. Keep in mind there is also $90 worth of rebates but i will not list them as i do not count on them.

HAF 932 Advanced 159.99
Samsung F3 1TB 59.99
ASUS DVD Burner 20.99
ASUS 23" Monitor 179.99
EVGA SC GTX580 499.99
Free Batman
XFX Core PSU 89.99
NT-H1 TC 9.99
G-Skill Sniper 2x4GB 1600 49.99
ASUS P8Z68-V LE 129.99
i5 2500k 219.99
Scythe Mugen 3 49.99
Skyrim 59.99

Total Price 1634.87 (including tax and S/H)

I made a few hard decisions to alter price/performance. Lowered the speed to up the graphics. Also i can just use the 24" monitor i already have as my 2nd monitor. Dropped the SSD and jumped to a 580. I know its expensive but its also the 2nd cheapest on newegg. Since i wont be going SLI then i might as well go ahead and get the best i can right lol? Im am now about $400 lower than my "budget" and can throw in maybe a 64GB SSD or up my psu if need be. Just thought id let everyone know what ive done so far.

 

[lehtv]

GTX 580 SC? Terrible price/performance. You could get something well under $400 and upgrade it in 6 months to a 28nm card that's faster than 580 SC. If you get the 580 SC now, its resale value in the 28nm era will be a lot lower because it's not the fastest GPU anymore.

E.g. www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?...82E16814127582 OC to 580 stock performance, or just get the EVGA 570 you originally planned. This highly overclockable, well cooler 570 will have much better resale value (in % of purchase price) than any 580.

What wattage is that PSU? 650W would be enough, it's just $60 after rebate.

+1 on the 64GB SSD.

Everything else looks good

 

[R4in]

GTX 580 SC? Terrible price/performance. You could get something well under $400 and upgrade it in 6 months to a 28nm card that's faster than 580 SC. If you get the 580 SC now, its resale value in the 28nm era will be a lot lower because it's not the fastest GPU anymore.

TBH I didnt even think about this. You make an excellent point that will save me money. I dont really look too much into resale value but its better to have it than not.

What wattage is that PSU? 650W would be enough, it's just $60 after rebate.

Yeahs its a 650w...with...52A on 12v rail?

+1 on the 64GB SSD.

Will probably grab this and throw OS, WOW, and Skyrim on it. But im wondering if i dont cache it then i may be better off just grabbing the 128GB seeing as how its only $90 more than the 64.

Everything else looks good

+1, thanks man.

 

[lehtv]

But im wondering if i dont cache it then i may be better off just grabbing the 128GB seeing as how its only $90 more than the 64.

Personally I wouldn't use an SSD solely as cache. The 64GB drive is big enough to install the OS and programs on it, that's the most important thing. The extra $100 for a drive twice as big benefits only the games that you could install on it, but I don't think that alone is worth $100. It'd be more useful to get one 64GB drive for OS, and another for caching so that everything that's not on the OS drive benefits from fast reads and writes.

E.g. Crucial M4 64GB system drive + OCZ Vertex 3 / Corsair Force GT 60GB as cache. These sandforce drives have superior write speeds compared to M4, which is important for moving data from a HDD onto the cache drive.

 

[R4in]

These sandforce drives have superior write speeds compared to M4

Honestly I'm not digging what I've read about the SF drives failure rate. I think I may just grab 2 of the M4s. One for OS and a couple games, the other for caching.

Can you set up a SSD to cache for a HDD raid? Like the M4 cache for 2 1TB F3s in RAID-0? Guess I could do some more googleing lol.

 

[lehtv]

Yeah, I'm not sure about that

 

[R4in]

Ill do more research but I believe it is possible to cache a HDD RAID with an SSD.

Setup

2x F3 1TB HDD in RAID-0
1x Crucial M4 64GB to cache RAID
1x Crucial M4 64GB for Win 7 x64 HP and 2-3 games

Any ways to improve with upping the price too much?

 

[R4in]

Im starting to think my mobo doesnt have enough connectors to power all my case fans plus cpu fan, do psu's come with connectors to power fans?

 

[lehtv]

You can use splitter cables to connect two fans into one mobo header. Or you can buy 3-speed PSU fan cables.

 

[mfenn]

GTX 580 SC? Terrible price/performance. You could get something well under $400 and upgrade it in 6 months to a 28nm card that's faster than 580 SC. If you get the 580 SC now, its resale value in the 28nm era will be a lot lower because it's not the fastest GPU anymore.

E.g. www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?...82E16814127582 OC to 580 stock performance, or just get the EVGA 570 you originally planned. This highly overclockable, well cooler 570 will have much better resale value (in % of purchase price) than any 580.

What wattage is that PSU? 650W would be enough, it's just $60 after rebate.

+1 on the 64GB SSD.

Everything else looks good

I agree with all of this, though I don't think that I could stomach paying $160 for a 932 when cases like the 922 or 400R are available for 2/3rds the price.

Ill do more research but I believe it is possible to cache a HDD RAID with an SSD.

Setup

2x F3 1TB HDD in RAID-0
1x Crucial M4 64GB to cache RAID
1x Crucial M4 64GB for Win 7 x64 HP and 2-3 games

Any ways to improve with upping the price too much?

You're seriously getting into the realm of diminishing returns here. Just stick with a single F3 and 64/128GB SSD.

 

[R4in]

I agree with all of this, though I don't think that I could stomach paying $160 for a 932 when cases like the 922 or 400R are available for 2/3rds the price.

The case is what I have to look at everyday. I would rather pay the 160 for something i enjoy looking at instead of 2/3 that for something i find to be rather...ugly.

You're seriously getting into the realm of diminishing returns here. Just stick with a single F3 and 64/128GB SSD.

Sounds good, i was just thinking since i had managed to get the price down a wee by dropping a monitor i play around with the drive setup. Since i store all movies/music/etc on externals then a single hdd and ssd would suffice?

 

[mfenn]

The case is what I have to look at everyday. I would rather pay the 160 for something i enjoy looking at instead of 2/3 that for something i find to be rather...ugly.

I agree with the overall sentiment, but the 922 and 932 look exactly the same!

Sounds good, i was just thinking since i had managed to get the price down a wee by dropping a monitor i play around with the drive setup. Since i store all movies/music/etc on externals then a single hdd and ssd would suffice?

Yes.

 

[R4in]

but the 922 and 932 look exactly the same!

Mid-Tower vs Full-Tower...i am over compensating lol

 

[mnewsham]

Mid-Tower vs Full-Tower...i am over compensating lol

It is a huge son of a gun, that sucker takes up so much freaking space. If you can look at it in person first (or measure it out using online measurements) I didnt quite realize how big it would be until i used it in a build for my friend, we had trouble finding a place to put it!

 

[R4in]

not sure the dimensions of my current FT, its a thermaltake armor series from bout 3 years ago. im giving that to my parents if it doesnt sell or anything

 

[mnewsham]

not sure the dimensions of my current FT, its a thermaltake armor series from bout 3 years ago. im giving that to my parents if it doesnt sell or anything

About the same size then, but still there are alot better looking (albeit smaller) solutions.

 

[R4in]

Not for me, i just like the big beefy cases. Its like a damn xmas tree year round lol