What size ssd for Windows 10?

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xyeovillian

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#206096 9-Dec-2016 13:12

My 1TB hdd containing current Windows up to date is getting a bit iffy clicking etc and doesn't start easily. So I was thinking of getting an ssd to put OS on there.

Would it be best to clone or do a fresh install don't really fancy all the updates as I have anniversary etc installed.

What size would be best and the best place to get one had a quick look on Trademe

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#1685254 9-Dec-2016 13:20

bigger is always better, i'd just grab one for PB personally.. Warrenty, Fresh and all - SSDs only have a limited amount of write cycles, you have no idea the presure a trademe one has had.

Minimum i'd recomend is a 60GB one, although 120~240GB is alot more comfortable - Managing your files can be a PITA plus its handy to have scratch room.

Reinstalling is always wise, make sure TRIM is enabled etc.. but there are tools to help the migration progress that actually work really well out there.

Personally i run with Two 240GB SSDs currently, possibly will be picking up a third soon. Thats ontop of my 5.5TB of Internal HDD storage and the Fileserver sitting on over 30TB now..

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Jase2985

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#1685276 9-Dec-2016 13:31

120-240gb is fine

my windows 7 to 10 upgrade install and all my applications/games on my desktop is about 55gb

i think a fresh install with not much else was about 20gb

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#1685282 9-Dec-2016 13:37

I currently have a 512GB SSD but the minimum would be 256GB really.

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#1685285 9-Dec-2016 13:39

I had a 120 SSD installed, was ok long as I didnt add too many programs, all games got put onto a 240GB. Recently upgraded the 120 to a 240 as well just to save the hassle of limiting programs I can have installed ;)

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#1685331 9-Dec-2016 14:15

Recently moved from Win7 to Win10 by doing a clean install of Win10 and most apps on a 250GB SSD and just leaving all my data on the HDD. Works an absolute treat, and I still have the option of booting off the old Win7 disk if there's an app on there that I haven't transitioned that I need for some reason.

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toyonut

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#1685332 9-Dec-2016 14:17

I wouldn't use less than a 240GB personally, but if it is just windows alone and a couple of core apps like office, docs etc, 128GB will be more than enough. I don't think you can even buy 60GB SSD drives any more anyway.

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#1685335 9-Dec-2016 14:25

~$100 give or take at PB for a 240GB SSD. Well worth it.

Looks like PB have a sale on at the moment. I do like them but they are basically the Briscoes of the computer world now :)

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#1685336 9-Dec-2016 14:25

Personally would say 120GB plus is fine. Did a fresh install but don't think there was a particular reason for doing so. If you have the physical space i.e. desktop and funds are limited might be an idea to get a smallish SSD plus a 2TB HDD - use the ssd for Windows and your main programs and the HDD for data and the lesser used stuff. With most (though not all) programs you get a choice of where to install.

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#1685369 9-Dec-2016 15:51

I would suggest a minimum of 256Gb as well. You may want to consider separating your data onto a second unit on a different channel (this can also be a mechanical drive as well).

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#1689113 15-Dec-2016 09:29

xyeovillian:

What size would be best and the best place to get one had a quick look on Trademe

it is IMPOSSIBLE to answer this question without more relevant info

some suggest a 60, 256 etc. Well what if you have 400G of data on there ?
What if this is a laptop so can only have 1 HD
What if its a All In One with no provision to install a SSD size HD ?

so, look at used space on the current drive, thats the Minimum size you need , then allow for how much more data you'll add over the years
If its an all in one, it can often be a pain to mount SSD's . If Its a normal PC, you may need a mounting kit.

Your hard drive is failing , so you might get read errors if cloning (it might be OK)
If its a laptop, it may have up to 6 (yes 6) partitions on the old drive, in strange order, that can cause cause issues on clone . Ive had laptops
where I had to try 4 different cloning programs before I found 1 that could cope with its wacky factory partitioning (worst case scenario)

If in doubt, a fresh install is often a good idea . Just download the latest Win10 install ISO from MS . That will have most of the old updates on it allready.

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#1689164 15-Dec-2016 09:57

You should do a fresh install.

People always overestimate the size of the OS disk required. You can easily fit Windows 10 on a 40GB SSD including swap and hibernate files, Office, Photoshop, web browsers, etc, not including data like music, documents, etc. I think a practical minimum is 64GB, but if you want to be able to put some data on there as well then 120GB is fine. My 120GB OS SSD has around 40GB on it, but of course I have other disks in the machine.