New Desktop Storage

[brose]

Hi, I recently bought a new Alienware Desktop (which is currently being shipped) and decided it wasn't worth paying extra for an SSD instead of a HDD since I have a spare laptop SSD that I can use in the new PC. The only thing is that I would like to download Windows as well as the Dell software that comes with the PC from the HDD onto the SSD but I don't know if I will be allowed to with the permissions of those files. Therefore, my first question is will I be able to download that all onto the SSD? Also, assuming I'm able get that stuff onto the SSD, is it even worth downloading this all onto a 256GB SSD since I will likely need all the space I can get for games?

[Lemtea]

Dell has a windows reinstallation tool, but I would suggest creating your own up to date windows installer and doing a clean install. Then you can grab all the drivers and programs you want from the dell support page for your pc, this way you can avoid the bloatware dell includes for a faster cleaner windows install. 

[brose]

10 hours ago, Lemtea said:

Dell has a windows reinstallation tool, but I would suggest creating your own up to date windows installer and doing a clean install. Then you can grab all the drivers and programs you want from the dell support page for your pc, this way you can avoid the bloatware dell includes for a faster cleaner windows install. 

Sounds good, @Lemtea. Though is it worth installing Windows and downloading all sorts of Dell software onto my ssd that only has 256GB of space that I want to utilize for games?

[Lemtea]

9 hours ago, brose said:

Sounds good, @Lemtea. Though is it worth installing Windows and downloading all sorts of Dell software onto my ssd that only has 256GB of space that I want to utilize for games?

I would only download the dell software which is useful to me as 256gb is not really much space. Have you looked at prices of SSD's as 500gb and 1tb sata SSD's are relatively cheap.

[brose]

3 hours ago, Lemtea said:

I would only download the dell software which is useful to me as 256gb is not really much space. Have you looked at prices of SSD's as 500gb and 1tb sata SSD's are relatively cheap.

Yeah @Lemtea, I've looked at pricing for specifically gen 3 pcie SSDs and I don't think it's worth getting a new one unless I run out of space on the laptop SSD which would give me descent speeds anyways of around 1700mbps read and 1200mbps write. I'm thinking I'll try to download only a few dell programs as well as windows and the few games that I play onto the ssd and if I do eventually run out of space then I'll get a new 500gb ssd. 

[brose]

On 7/18/2021 at 12:02 AM, Lemtea said:

Dell has a windows reinstallation tool, but I would suggest creating your own up to date windows installer and doing a clean install. Then you can grab all the drivers and programs you want from the dell support page for your pc, this way you can avoid the bloatware dell includes for a faster cleaner windows install. 

Btw, this may seem like a silly question but how do I do the clean install of Windows? Will I have to pay for a new windows copy?

[Lemtea]

21 minutes ago, brose said:

Btw, this may seem like a silly question but how do I do the clean install of Windows? Will I have to pay for a new windows copy?

No question is a silly question, you need to download the media creation tool from Microsoft to create a windows installer usb. Then you boot from the usb and follow the prompts to install windows. This guide goes over the process in more detail. You don't need to get a new windows license just make sure you install the same version of windows that your pc comes with (pro, home etc.) and it will automatically reactivate. 

44 minutes ago, brose said:

which would give me descent speeds anyways of around 1700mbps read and 1200mbps write

Games don't really benefit from faster storage aside from loading times, which is why there is no real benefit to storing them on a nvme ssd vs a sata ssd. Especially when you can pick a 1tb sata ssd for less than $100 USD. I mean LTT even did a video where most LMG staff couldn't tell the difference between various ssd's (sata, nvme gen 3, nvme gen 4) without doing a straight file copy 

[PhilAstisxh]

I don't know how much space you need, but if you don't want to lose the dell software, try to clone your small hdd from your new pc to your ssd

[brose]

9 hours ago, Lemtea said:

No question is a silly question, you need to download the media creation tool from Microsoft to create a windows installer usb. Then you boot from the usb and follow the prompts to install windows. This guide goes over the process in more detail. You don't need to get a new windows license just make sure you install the same version of windows that your pc comes with (pro, home etc.) and it will automatically reactivate. 

Games don't really benefit from faster storage aside from loading times, which is why there is no real benefit to storing them on a nvme ssd vs a sata ssd. Especially when you can pick a 1tb sata ssd for less than $100 USD. I mean LTT even did a video where most LMG staff couldn't tell the difference between various ssd's (sata, nvme gen 3, nvme gen 4) without doing a straight file copy 

@Lemtea, thanks for letting me know about installing windows on the ssd. I did know that the storage device only impacts the speed of downloads and the time it takes to launch an application. About how much faster do u think my PC would startup if I used the ssd as my boot drive as opposed to the 7200rpm HDD? What about the time it will take to launch a game?

[brose]

8 hours ago, PhilAstisxh said:

I don't know how much space you need, but if you don't want to lose the dell software, try to clone your small hdd from your new pc to your ssd

By clone do u mean copy all the files? If u do, I was thinking of that initially but I don't want all the bloatware as well as files that aren't essential to me since I want to have as much space as possible left on the ssd for games. 

[Lemtea]

11 hours ago, brose said:

@Lemtea, thanks for letting me know about installing windows on the ssd. I did know that the storage device only impacts the speed of downloads and the time it takes to launch an application. About how much faster do u think my PC would startup if I used the ssd as my boot drive as opposed to the 7200rpm HDD? What about the time it will take to launch a game?

Any SSD as a boot drive is massively faster than a HDD and will dramatically improve boot times and system responsiveness. As for program launch speed it is largely application dependent with some benefitting more than others. Essentially HDD's still work well for large file and program storage (low $ per gb), with SSD's being far superior for read/write limited workloads. As such it is essential to have an SSD as a boot drive (where you will see the biggest gains) with other uses cases seeing more limited benefits. On my main PC I have games installed on both an SSD and a HDD and I would be hard pressed to notice a difference without a stopwatch.

[TargetDron3]

Just going to say, why would you download all this software, copy it off to your drive and just sit on it?  It's all available online, so if/when the time comes, just download it then.

Windows 11 is right around the corner and most will get it upgraded for free.  So, that Dell rescue disk etc will be pointless.  If you need a rescue option, buy an 8GB flash drive download the Microsoft Media Creation Tool and create a bootable flash drive and throw it in a drawer.  

[brose]

1 hour ago, Lemtea said:

Any SSD as a boot drive is massively faster than a HDD and will dramatically improve boot times and system responsiveness. As for program launch speed it is largely application dependent with some benefitting more than others. Essentially HDD's still work well for large file and program storage (low $ per gb), with SSD's being far superior for read/write limited workloads. As such it is essential to have an SSD as a boot drive (where you will see the biggest gains) with other uses cases seeing more limited benefits. On my main PC I have games installed on both an SSD and a HDD and I would be hard pressed to notice a difference without a stopwatch.

Ok, thanks @Lemtea. I'll make sure that at the very least Windows is installed on the ssd and then I'll worry about what else I should pack in it. 

[brose]

24 minutes ago, TargetDron3 said:

Just going to say, why would you download all this software, copy it off to your drive and just sit on it?  It's all available online, so if/when the time comes, just download it then.

Windows 11 is right around the corner and most will get it upgraded for free.  So, that Dell rescue disk etc will be pointless.  If you need a rescue option, buy an 8GB flash drive download the Microsoft Media Creation Tool and create a bootable flash drive and throw it in a drawer.  

Yeah, Lemtea said in his initial post the other day to grab Dell apps and drivers online so that's likely what I'll do. Also, in your opinion @TargetDron3, do I need a rescue option?

[TargetDron3]

11 hours ago, brose said:

Yeah, Lemtea said in his initial post the other day to grab Dell apps and drivers online so that's likely what I'll do. Also, in your opinion @TargetDron3, do I need a rescue option?

Do you have any other computers?  If so don't worry about it. You can create a bootable USB from that if the time comes. 

What you do need to consider is how to keep a backup of important data like pictures and documents. 

The days of needing mfger rescue options is over.  It's just windows that everyone else has. 

[brose]

30 minutes ago, TargetDron3 said:

Do you have any other computers?  If so don't worry about it. You can create a bootable USB from that if the time comes. 

What you do need to consider is how to keep a backup of important data like pictures and documents. 

The days of needing mfger rescue options is over.  It's just windows that everyone else has. 

Yeah, my other computer is an Asus Vivobook laptop which is where I have any documents stored and all my pictures are on Google photos. 

[PhilAstisxh]

On 7/19/2021 at 5:08 PM, brose said:

By clone do u mean copy all the files? If u do, I was thinking of that initially but I don't want all the bloatware as well as files that aren't essential to me since I want to have as much space as possible left on the ssd for games. 

well yes and no, with "clone" I wanted to say, that you could use software to exactly copy EVERYTHING from one drive to another. So you would clone your OS, data, programs, games, and so on, and theoretically, you should be able to plug your ssd in afterwards, and it should work just fine like your ols hdd, but faster :D.

[brose]

2 hours ago, PhilAstisxh said:

well yes and no, with "clone" I wanted to say, that you could use software to exactly copy EVERYTHING from one drive to another. So you would clone your OS, data, programs, games, and so on, and theoretically, you should be able to plug your ssd in afterwards, and it should work just fine like your ols hdd, but faster :D.

Yeah I guess I'll think about it