Hey all im finally running out of room on my 256gb Crucial M4 SSD, and it is time to add a second one. I plan on going with the same ssd for my second storage device and I was seeing if anyone could give me like a step by step guide on how to setup a second hard drive seeing I have never done it before. thanks!
Help on adding second SSD
- Thread starter death791
- Start date
ITLogicSystems
Posts: 29 +7
What type of computer? desktop/laptop
What is the make/model/serial??
PC or Mac?
Is there room in this computer for an additional drive?
Is there open SATA ports in the system for an additional drive?
These are MUST answer questions for someone to be able to give you steps in installing an additional SSD. Especially the type & make/model/serial.
What is the make/model/serial??
PC or Mac?
Is there room in this computer for an additional drive?
Is there open SATA ports in the system for an additional drive?
These are MUST answer questions for someone to be able to give you steps in installing an additional SSD. Especially the type & make/model/serial.
Leeky
Posts: 3,357 +116
Just add it to your system then boot into Windows and format the SSD before using it. There are no additional steps to follow really, and no special instructions you need to follow in order for it to work. Just add it like you would a normal hard drive.
Before you spend so much money on a SSD however, you need to decide if its worth it. If you're running out of space on a 256GB SSD then you'd be better off looking at the way you're using it.
Documents, music, videos, other personal files and games really do not need to be stored on an SSD. For these a traditional 7,200RPM hard drive with multiple TB of storage is a far better idea.
Before you spend so much money on a SSD however, you need to decide if its worth it. If you're running out of space on a 256GB SSD then you'd be better off looking at the way you're using it.
Documents, music, videos, other personal files and games really do not need to be stored on an SSD. For these a traditional 7,200RPM hard drive with multiple TB of storage is a far better idea.
I still have two sata III ports open on my motherboard, im currently running one 256gb Crucial M4 SSD on my desktop and I have my OS, windows updates and all my games installed on it atm, I just planned on going with one more 256gb Crucial M4 SSD to finish off my PC beucase it will be more then enough space for this gaming setup. Btw the PC that I am building is for just PC gaming only so I just wanted the fastest storage drives I could get with my budget, I wont be using this desktop for music, pictures etc.. I have another system I use for that.
So with that said would I just need to purchase another 256gb Crucial M4 SSD and a another sata III cable then hook the drive up to a open sata III port on my motherboard? thanks for the replys!
So with that said would I just need to purchase another 256gb Crucial M4 SSD and a another sata III cable then hook the drive up to a open sata III port on my motherboard? thanks for the replys!
Leeky
Posts: 3,357 +116
Aye, it's that simple to connect up.
However, you aren't getting the best cost per gigabyte with an SSD, especially with gaming. Obviously its up to you, but most people wouldn't be purchasing a second SSD to fill with games, because the only time they give you any real boost in performance is when you're loading a game between levels (and even then it might only be a couple of seconds). When you're actually playing the game it makes little to no difference at all.
The reason SSDs boost performance so much with an OS is because of the almost non-existent access times, coupled with lightning fast read/write speeds. They're ideally suited for the OS drive, and for applications like Photoshop for this reason. You don't really see the same benefits in the real-world with gaming because most of the action is when the game has loaded to RAM and you are physically playing it. The performance enhancing characteristics only come into play when you load the next level of a game, or load/save game play.
A good SATA 3 1-2TB 7,200RPM disk (my preference would be Hitachi GST) will be a much more cost effective solution.
That said, there aren't any issues with using an SSD with games, so if your mind is set, then fill your boots -- just thought the above would give you the right information to make an informed decision.
P.S. The Crucial M4 SSD is highly recommended, so definitely worth grabbing another, but there are others worth considering. You can use different brands without any issues, which could be handy if you find something suitable on sale.
However, you aren't getting the best cost per gigabyte with an SSD, especially with gaming. Obviously its up to you, but most people wouldn't be purchasing a second SSD to fill with games, because the only time they give you any real boost in performance is when you're loading a game between levels (and even then it might only be a couple of seconds). When you're actually playing the game it makes little to no difference at all.
The reason SSDs boost performance so much with an OS is because of the almost non-existent access times, coupled with lightning fast read/write speeds. They're ideally suited for the OS drive, and for applications like Photoshop for this reason. You don't really see the same benefits in the real-world with gaming because most of the action is when the game has loaded to RAM and you are physically playing it. The performance enhancing characteristics only come into play when you load the next level of a game, or load/save game play.
A good SATA 3 1-2TB 7,200RPM disk (my preference would be Hitachi GST) will be a much more cost effective solution.
That said, there aren't any issues with using an SSD with games, so if your mind is set, then fill your boots -- just thought the above would give you the right information to make an informed decision.
P.S. The Crucial M4 SSD is highly recommended, so definitely worth grabbing another, but there are others worth considering. You can use different brands without any issues, which could be handy if you find something suitable on sale.
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