hard drive help

[slifer]

So currently I have a 500gb hard drive.. not enough space.. soo looking to upgrade to an ssd + hd this holiday season. So i have a few questions.

How is set up for the SSD, I'm planning to do a fresh install and reformat the whole computer.. i suspect a virus

so i will install all the hardware into the pc.. and thats all i know how to do.

1) would i install the ssd before or after i reformatted?

2) we can treat this as a "new" build since the hard drive is wiped clean correct?

3) if im looking to upgrade for more storage (adding an extra hard drive) would it be as simple as plug and it will work? will i need to reformat the whole system? or just a few tweaks in the bios?

4) are games beneficial to put on an ssd? (looking at getting some really big games: GTA5, COD, etc games more than 50gb ish?)

 

Thanks! videos are welcome

 

[Semper]

If you've got information you want off of the current drive, you will need to back that up first. You don't necessarily have to format the drive, but it's best to not have it operating at the same time as you're installing the new OS. It will need to be formatted to access from the new system, however.

 

If I understand what you're asking - no. it's still the same system, same hardware, just a new OS install.

 

Most of the time it will be plug and play. Sometimes new drives require formatting, but the system as a whole will not.

 

Some are, some aren't, the only benefit you will see is decreased load times (for example BF4, and Skyrim benefit from this greatly). Games will function just fine off of mass storage, mechanical HDD's though.

[slifer]

If you've got information you want off of the current drive, you will need to back that up first. You don't necessarily have to format the drive, but it's best to not have it operating at the same time as you're installing the new OS. It will need to be formatted to access from the new system, however.

 

If I understand what you're asking - no. it's still the same system, same hardware, just a new OS install.

 

Most of the time it will be plug and play. Sometimes new drives require formatting, but the system as a whole will not.

 

Some are, some aren't, the only benefit you will see is decreased load times (for example BF4, and Skyrim benefit from this greatly). Games will function just fine off of mass storage, mechanical HDD's though.

so for the last part games that have long load times would benefit from an ssd?

and third answer there isnt ANY tweaking with the mobo settings or anything? so the system will recognize the new hard drive and add it as a new parition x?

 

for number 2 i guess it was my bad, i meant after i reformat my hard drive i will basically have nothing, and have to redownload all my gpu software and stuff?

 

what is the easiest way to reformat my computer?

[Semper]

That will be the only benefit you will see, load times. you won't see an increase in FPS, or responsiveness, or latency... anything like that. You'll load into an online match a little quicker, or you'll load the world/level you're entering/exiting a bit faster in offline games.

 

The only time I can think of that you'd have to tweak BIOS settings is if you installed a drive that already had an OS on it, and wanted to boot from it, or the boot order got changed. simple fixes like that.

 

You can extract the drivers you currently have on your HDD with something like double driver, so long as you extract them to an external drive, same with software, but yes, you will have to re-acquire everything in some form or another.

 

The easiest way to reformat it would to be so during installation of the new OS. just leave the drive plugged in when you insert the bootable file for windows installation (either via CD or USB), and then format the drive from within windows update.

[slifer]

That will be the only benefit you will see, load times. you won't see an increase in FPS, or responsiveness, or latency... anything like that. You'll load into an online match a little quicker, or you'll load the world/level you're entering/exiting a bit faster in offline games.

 

The only time I can think of that you'd have to tweak BIOS settings is if you installed a drive that already had an OS on it, and wanted to boot from it, or the boot order got changed. simple fixes like that.

 

You can extract the drivers you currently have on your HDD with something like double driver, so long as you extract them to an external drive, same with software, but yes, you will have to re-acquire everything in some form or another.

 

The easiest way to reformat it would to be so during installation of the new OS. just leave the drive plugged in when you insert the bootable file for windows installation (either via CD or USB), and then format the drive from within windows update.

sounds great! i heard there needs to be stuff changed in the bios when the ssd is first installed?

[Semper]

sounds great! i heard there needs to be stuff changed in the bios when the ssd is first installed?

You shouldn't have to, no. It should be plug and play.

[LogicalDrm]

sounds great! i heard there needs to be stuff changed in the bios when the ssd is first installed?

 

Only thing you need to check is that SATA mode is set to ACHI. Nothing more. It should be ACHI by default anyway.

[slifer]

You shouldn't have to, no. It should be plug and play.

 

Only thing you need to check is that SATA mode is set to ACHI. Nothing more. It should be ACHI by default anyway.

oh so i should check that after i install? alright guys thanks!

[slifer]

You shouldn't have to, no. It should be plug and play.

 

oh so i should check that after i install? alright guys thanks!

i also forgot to ask since that im pretty new to this.. what kind of hardware softwares am i going to need to download? I know for sure theres a graphics card software.. are there any other softwares i can download to make my computer run smoother/faster?

[Semper]

One thing you might chose to do before you install the OS on the SSD is check the device manufacturer for a firmware update for the drive. some firmware updates require the drive to be wiped, while all have the potential for data loss.

Just check your motherboard manufacturer website for the latest drivers/software, check for a BIOS update, things like that.

 

 

and, just use ninite to get yourself started once you have windows up and running.

https://ninite.com/

[slifer]

One thing you might chose to do before you install the OS on the SSD is check the device manufacturer for a firmware update for the drive. some firmware updates require the drive to be wiped, while all have the potential for data loss.

Just check your motherboard manufacturer website for the latest drivers/software, check for a BIOS update, things like that.

 

 

and, just use ninite to get yourself started once you have windows up and running.

https://ninite.com/

thanks! great help buddy

[Semper]

thanks! great help buddy

Always glad to help!

[slifer]

Always glad to help!

 

One thing you might chose to do before you install the OS on the SSD is check the device manufacturer for a firmware update for the drive. some firmware updates require the drive to be wiped, while all have the potential for data loss.

Just check your motherboard manufacturer website for the latest drivers/software, check for a BIOS update, things like that.

 

 

and, just use ninite to get yourself started once you have windows up and running.

https://ninite.com/

One thing i dont quite understand is the part is the firmware update. How will i go about updating the drive? Plug it into the computer and run as normal?

[Semper]

Well, first let me ask you:

what drive are you planning, or have you purchased?

I apologize if this information is above... it's been a long day... and i'm a bit lazy...

[slifer]

Well, first let me ask you:

what drive are you planning, or have you purchased?

I apologize if this information is above... it's been a long day... and i'm a bit lazy...

its cool! its not necessairy that you assist me! I appreciate it, and I'm looking at the crucial m550, mx100 or samsung 840 evo drives during boxing day or black friday. Need to pull the trigger on some sweet deals ! And I hope you have a great rest tonight!

[Semper]

http://www.crucial.com/usa/en/support-ssd-firmware

http://www.samsung.com/global/business/semiconductor/minisite/SSD/global/html/support/downloads.html

You'll obtain the firmware from either of those sites (or, if you opt to go with another brand, just search "[x brand] SSD firmware" in good old Google). It will be easiest to do before you format your current drive. plug and power the drive with your current system, download the software/firmware patch (it will vary slightly between companies in how it's handled, my Agility 3, for example is flashed via the OCZ Toolbox, and the current firmware patch is data destructive, so I haven't done it)

You'll still be able to do it after you fresh-install windows on it, however as I said, there is a distinct potential of data loss.

[slifer]

http://www.crucial.com/usa/en/support-ssd-firmware

http://www.samsung.com/global/business/semiconductor/minisite/SSD/global/html/support/downloads.html

You'll obtain the firmware from either of those sites (or, if you opt to go with another brand, just search "[x brand] SSD firmware" in good old Google). It will be easiest to do before you format your current drive. plug and power the drive with your current system, download the software/firmware patch (it will vary slightly between companies in how it's handled, my Agility 3, for example is flashed via the OCZ Toolbox, and the current firmware patch is data destructive, so I haven't done it)

You'll still be able to do it after you fresh-install windows on it, however as I said, there is a distinct potential of data loss.

how would i go about updating the firmware after using it? the crucial drives show no firmware updates out at this point..

[Semper]

how would i go about updating the firmware after using it? the crucial drives show no firmware updates out at this point..

Crucial appears to use a direct download approach, while Samsung uses something called Magician software.

To update the firmware on a boot drive, you often have to create some form of bootable media. both Crucial and Samsung will have guides on how to do this, somewhere.

(For example, the M500: http://www.crucial.com/wcsstore/CrucialSAS/firmware/M500/MU05/crucial-m500-iso-firmware-update-mu05-en.pdf )

[slifer]

Crucial appears to use a direct download approach, while Samsung uses something called Magician software.

To update the firmware on a boot drive, you often have to create some form of bootable media. both Crucial and Samsung will have guides on how to do this, somewhere.

(For example, the M500: http://www.crucial.com/wcsstore/CrucialSAS/firmware/M500/MU05/crucial-m500-iso-firmware-update-mu05-en.pdf )

how about those rumors that talk about leaving 20% of the ssd space empty? should i follow that? or have modern ssd's improved so that you can use more of it?

[Semper]

how about those rumors that talk about leaving 20% of the ssd space empty? should i follow that? or have modern ssd's improved so that you can use more of it?

That's from when SSD's were fairly new, it's not a practice that you have to perpetuate. That said... you do want to be cautions of filling your boot drive. Windows does require space that it doesn't actually currently allocate to itself. Things like temp files, updates, patches, downloads, ETC are usually processed by the C drive.

[slifer]

That's from when SSD's were fairly new, it's not a practice that you have to perpetuate. That said... you do want to be cautions of filling your boot drive. Windows does require space that it doesn't actually currently allocate to itself. Things like temp files, updates, patches, downloads, ETC are usually processed by the C drive.

so i should be able to get away with like 5gb left?

[Semper]

so i should be able to get away with like 5gb left?

That should do fine. 

[Dimwitted]

@slifer 5gb free is NOT fine. It's crazy to spend money for an upgrade and be in the same shape as you were before the upgrade. All it takes is one MS patch that can't complete because of lack of space and you're hosed.

 

Get an ssd that has a good size. That is 240/256 at the least. With that and you 500gb hdd that should last you years. If a good deal on a 512gb comes on by, grab that. There's no such thing as too fast or too large when it comes to storage.