Help purchasing an SSD

[AgentPooky]

I currently have my Windows installed on this hard drive:

I then have a big standard HDD (not SSD) for software and games, and then I put media on an external.

I want to buy another SSD, and my question is twofold:

1. Should I buy a new SSD for just frequently used software and games and keep Windows on my current SSD, or is my current SSD slow and I should install WIndows on a new SSD?

2. What should I be getting in terms of SSDs? M.2 SSD or normal like I have? I'm looking in a R1-2k price range.

Thanks!

 

[Valheru]

What motherboard / platform?

This one looks quite decent:

ADATA Swordfish PCIe Gen3x4 M.2 2280 NVMe SSD - 1TB

Get the best out of your creative mind with the ADATA SWORDFISH PCIe Gen3x4 M.2 2280 solid state drive. Built with 3D NAND Flash and featuring support for the PCIe Gen3x4 interface, it delivers up to 2TB of capacity and read/write performance of up to 180

progenix.co.za

 

[pɐlΛ‾pɐq‾ƃᴉq]

Would be a good time to re-install windows.... Get an nvme m.2 for the OS. Makes a huge difference.

 

[AgentPooky]

What motherboard / platform?

This one looks quite decent:

ADATA Swordfish PCIe Gen3x4 M.2 2280 NVMe SSD - 1TB

Get the best out of your creative mind with the ADATA SWORDFISH PCIe Gen3x4 M.2 2280 solid state drive. Built with 3D NAND Flash and featuring support for the PCIe Gen3x4 interface, it delivers up to 2TB of capacity and read/write performance of up to 180

progenix.co.za

It's a B450M MORTAR with Ryzen 3600

 

[AgentPooky]

Would be a good time to re-install windows.... Get an nvme m.2 for the OS. Makes a huge difference.

Would it be a bad idea to have the OS and some games/software on the same drive? I don't want to buy 2 new SSDs

 

[Valheru]

Would it be a bad idea to have the OS and some games/software on the same drive? I don't want to buy 2 new SSDs

At that speed I doubt most of us will notice, it should be fine if you keep your space usage within 1TB.

I have 2 seperate ones as I use the cheaper one as game / scratch drive and won't care if it dies.

 

[AgentPooky]

At that speed I doubt most of us will notice, it should be fine if you keep your space usage within 1TB.

I have 2 seperate ones as I use the cheaper one as game / scratch drive and won't care if it dies.

I want to put Steam, commonly used Software, and a few games I play frequently on the SSD, but so far as my current SSD is small I've only ever had Windows on it.

 

[pɐlΛ‾pɐq‾ƃᴉq]

Would it be a bad idea to have the OS and some games/software on the same drive? I don't want to buy 2 new SSDs

Not bad idea at all. Ideal actually.

 

[Valheru]

I want to put Steam, commonly used Software, and a few games I play frequently on the SSD, but so far as my current SSD is small I've only ever had Windows on it.

I got a 256GB for OS & Programs. It has 101GB free. So 1TB could be plenty.

 

[AgentPooky]

What should I look for when shopping for an M.2 SSD either new or secondhand?

Either of these?

https://www.amazon.com/Blue-SN550-1TB-NVMe-Internal/dp/B07YFFX5MD/ref=sr_1_19?dchild=1&keywords=ssd&qid=1621587837&sr=8-19

Amazon.com: SAMSUNG (MZ-V8V1T0B/AM) 980 SSD 1TB - M.2 NVMe Interface Internal Solid State Drive with V-NAND Technology: Computers & Accessories

Buy SAMSUNG (MZ-V8V1T0B/AM) 980 SSD 1TB - M.2 NVMe Interface Internal Solid State Drive with V-NAND Technology: Internal Solid State Drives - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

 

[Valheru]

What should I look for when shopping for an M.2 SSD either new or secondhand?

Either of these?

https://www.amazon.com/Blue-SN550-1TB-NVMe-Internal/dp/B07YFFX5MD/ref=sr_1_19?dchild=1&keywords=ssd&qid=1621587837&sr=8-19

Amazon.com: SAMSUNG (MZ-V8V1T0B/AM) 980 SSD 1TB - M.2 NVMe Interface Internal Solid State Drive with V-NAND Technology: Computers & Accessories

Buy SAMSUNG (MZ-V8V1T0B/AM) 980 SSD 1TB - M.2 NVMe Interface Internal Solid State Drive with V-NAND Technology: Internal Solid State Drives - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

Make sure it has DRAM cache, this will help sustained transfer speeds. If I had to chose, I would pick the Samsung over the WD Blue, the black PCB just looks better with your board (the stark blue will be an eyesore).

Also, don't buy someones sloppy 2nds unless it is <6months old and has a very low TBW (long life).

EDIT: Also stick to PCIe Gen3, your will waste the extra cash as your platform doesn't support it.

 

[AgentPooky]

Make sure it has DRAM cache, this will help sustained transfer speeds. If I had to chose, I would pick the Samsung over the WD Blue, the black PCB just looks better with your board (the stark blue will be an eyesore).

Also, don't buy someones sloppy 2nds unless it is <6months old and has a very low TBW (long life).

EDIT: Also stick to PCIe Gen3, your will waste the extra cash as your platform doesn't support it.

Looks like that Samsung doesn't have DRAM. Also looks don't really matter as my case is closed up

The DRAM models look quite pricey, so maybe I will have to go for 500GB.

Here's another option: https://www.wootware.co.za/sabrent-...-2-2280-nvme-pci-e-3-0-solid-state-drive.html

 

[DanieldeV]

It is important to note that the Samsung 980 uses HMB (basically it uses about 100MB of system memory) so that the performance penalty of not having its own DRAM cache is negligible - check the benchmarks vs the 970 Evo Plus. I personally would save the cash and get the 980 over the 970 Evo Plus. I recently upgraded from a 256GB OEM nvme to the 1TB 970 Evo Plus and I can't tell the difference in speed.

 

[AgentPooky]

So I have a WD Blue 1TB NVMe SSD as my main Windows drive plus games, but now it's getting a bit full and I want another one. Any good deals on SSDs at the moment? Looking for a budget-friendly one.