Should I buy SSDs for my desktops?

Forums › Desktop computing › Should I buy SSDs for my desktops?

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Networkn
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#631635 28-May-2012 19:55

timmmay: RAID 0 with an SSD sounds risky. Also I read the Intel disk controller on motherboards can't keep up with raid'd SSDs, you need a better controller to do it.

Well it was coping fine with 3, but with 4 it just wasn't seeing the potential. The ICHR10+ controllers from Intel max out at about 465MB/s

I got another controller and now I can fairly often sustain over a GB a second transfer rates.

networkn

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#631637 28-May-2012 19:58

timmmay: RAID 0 with an SSD sounds risky. Also I read the Intel disk controller on motherboards can't keep up with raid'd SSDs, you need a better controller to do it.

SSD in RAID 0 is perfectly fine, so long as you have a backup (Which I certainly do, and which gets regularly tested for restorability).

I'd rather have the performance each and every day and take my chances with RAID 0. I have actually run 2-3 Raptors in a RAID 0 since they were 36GB in size, and my latest before my SSD's and I have done the same for selected customers and family members, and thankfully in 10 years never had a problem. But each and every person understands the performance/backup/increased likelihood failure math and are happy with that.

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#631649 28-May-2012 20:17

Why do you need reads that fast?

networkn

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#631650 28-May-2012 20:18

It's not about need, it's about want :)

kyhwana2

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#631662 28-May-2012 20:50

With modern SSD's (As in SSDs from the past few years) write endurance isn't an issue.
Even once your MWI SMART value hits 0, you can still keep writing at least 2-3x that amount to the SSD. (At least this is my experience with Intel SSDs, can't say about any others)

alexx

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#631724 28-May-2012 22:39

kyhwana2: With modern SSD's (As in SSDs from the past few years) write endurance isn't an issue.
Even once your MWI SMART value hits 0, you can still keep writing at least 2-3x that amount to the SSD. (At least this is my experience with Intel SSDs, can't say about any others)

Most people seem to be fine with Intel SDDs, but from that link to the XtremeSystems Forums I posted earlier, there are certainly some that that didn't meet their MWI ratings.
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=127142&d=1338136963

While others such as Intel, Crucial and Samsung appear to exceed their ratings by a considerable margin.
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=127140&d=1338136960
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=127143&d=1338146963

Start of that thread with summary table that gets updated from time to time here:
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?271063-SSD-Write-Endurance-25nm-Vs-34nm

Cheap, fast, reliable... pick two (then make backups anyway).

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#632322 29-May-2012 23:10

SSDs do perform as fast as touted... so long as cost isn't an object.

OCZ make some pretty zippy Vertex and Agility models, although Crucial and Intel seem to have a better track record on reliability.

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timmmay

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#632403 30-May-2012 08:33

OWC (other world computing) make good SSDs and ship to NZ relatively cheaply.

hellonearthisman

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#632657 30-May-2012 15:21

I just saw this today, OCZ Agility 4 Solid State Drive, 128GB, SATA3 $266.62 : Ascent Technology 405563
If I only had some money for one of these... I don't think I have seen a 128GB sub $300 before.

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#632660 30-May-2012 15:26

OWC 6Gbps 120GB SSD is NZ$200 from here including air mail or $230 by Fedex. I have their 3G SSDs and they work well, but the 6G is quite a lot better. 60GB is NZ$125 inc air mail.

sidefx

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#632725 30-May-2012 16:47

hellonearthisman: I just saw this today, OCZ Agility 4 Solid State Drive, 128GB, SATA3 $266.62 : Ascent Technology 405563
If I only had some money for one of these... I don't think I have seen a 128GB sub $300 before.

playtech has 128GB Crucial M4s for $199 and have for a while. I grabbed one a little while back and very happy... and at the time Amazon was shipping them to NZ on special for even less I think.

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Elpie

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#633283 31-May-2012 12:03

Running an Intel 520 120Gb at 6 Gb/s and an Intel 320 80Gb at 3 Gb/s, the first for OS and highly-used apps, the second for lesser-used apps and games. I also have a SATA3 1Tb HD for data and another, slower 1Tb HD for backups. Combined with 16Gb RAM and this system does everything I need.

While adding more RAM is useful for people running 64-bit systems or non-Windows systems that can use additional RAM it won't do anything if you are running Windows 32-bit. So, my advice is - upgrade RAM first *if* your system can make use of more than 4Gb RAM (and you should be running at least 4Gb) then add an SSD. 80Gb will handle an OS plus key apps. There is no noticeable difference in speed between an SSD running at 3Gb/s and one running at 6Gb/s so if your 2-year-old desktop doesn't have SATA3 I wouldn't worry too much about that.

networkn

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#633287 31-May-2012 12:05

I can't think of many reasons for people not to run x64 on new systems these days. There are not that many true compatibility issues. I mean if you have issues with your 5 year old printer working, because there are no x64 drivers, it's probably time for a new printer :)

Elpie

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#633296 31-May-2012 12:11

networkn: I can't think of many reasons for people not to run x64 on new systems these days. There are not that many true compatibility issues. I mean if you have issues with your 5 year old printer working, because there are no x64 drivers, it's probably time for a new printer :)

I agree, but the OP said his desktops were around 2 years old. Back then, 32-bit systems were the most common on desktops.

timmmay

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#633304 31-May-2012 12:24

I fit W7-64 on a 60GB SSD, including office, photoshop cs4 & 6, a bunch of development tools, every web browser, lots of related photography software and general software, part of my iTunes library, but not including page file.

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