Homebrew SSHD: Is it possible?

[pyr0]

Hello.

I am upgrading my storage capabilities.

As well as a 500GB ssd, I am getting a 2-4 TB (Not sure what yet) Hard drive. 

Now, the idea of a SSHD interests me. A hard drive that uses a small internal SSD as cache. My question is as follows. I have a 60GB SSD in m,y current storage setup, and am wondering if there is a way I can get it to act as cache for the mechanical hard drive so I don't have to spend extra on a SSHD

Any advice, possible software, or just being able to tell me that this isn't possible is appreciated.

Thanks in advance

[Oshino Shinobu]

It's possible.

 

Look into Intel Smart Response, it allows for SSD caching. If you fail to set it up, don't bother spending for an SSHD, the tiny cache isn't worth it 

 

EDIT: This is assuming you're on an Intel Z68 platform or later 

[porina]

There exist various software solutions... but I can't remember any of their names. If the 60GB drive is already in use, it probably can't be used as a cache anyway.

 

There is an alternative... Windows does have built in the ability to use a suitably fast USB flash stick to cache disk reads. I haven't tried that either...

[pyr0]

3 minutes ago, Oshino Shinobu said:

It's possible.

 

Look into Intel Smart Response, it allows for SSD caching. If you fail to set it up, don't bother spending for an SSHD, the tiny cache isn't worth it 

 

EDIT: This is assuming you're on an Intel Z68 platform or later 

z97, so that's OK.

Yeah, the pitiful cache size is one of the reasons I want to go with this method, 60GB seems like a more reasonable cache size, that and it seems a shame to throw out a perfectly good SSD. It's the 5400rpm seagate piece of shit HDD I want to get rid of and used it as an excuse to get a nice big 500GB SSD

[pyr0]

4 minutes ago, porina said:

There exist various software solutions... but I can't remember any of their names. If the 60GB drive is already in use, it probably can't be used as a cache anyway.

 

There is an alternative... Windows does have built in the ability to use a suitably fast USB flash stick to cache disk reads. I haven't tried that either...

I'm going to look into this intel smart response, also, I will simply copy the contents of the 60GB drive onto the 500GB one and format it first.