The Most Versatile All-in-one Gaming PC but not enough storage?

[JR Tyner]

I have been debating back and forth over buying a gaming PC or building one for over a year now. I really love the computer in "The Most Versatile All-in-one Gaming PC?" but it does not have enough storage for my Steam library. A 2 TB HDD + 256 GB PCIe SSD would not even be big enough for my Steam folder, even with no OS or other files on either drive. Other Linus videos such as "The Fastest Storage EVER – HOLY $H!T Ep 14" has me thinking about how I could upgrade the storage space on the computer from the first video? Here is the information on the computer from the first video: http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/desktops/ideacentre/aio-y900/aio-y910-27/?IPromoID=LEN696673#tab-customize

[Logarithm]

You could just buy a really big hard drive. The 4TB ones sell for $100-$150. It's not that much.

[Electronics Wizardy]

External hdd? 

 

Network drive?

[You_are_a_cunt]

Who keeps all of their Steam games installed? Really...

[JR Tyner]

2 minutes ago, revsilverspine said:

Who keeps all of their Steam games installed? Really...

I don't either, I've deleted a lot of the older games, but I got a lot of Steam programs besides just games.

[ShadySocks]

Use a server mobo instead and have 32 2tb SSD's in RAID 0. No biggie.

[JR Tyner]

4 minutes ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

External hdd? 

 

Network drive?

 

I would think that even with USB 3.0, an External HDD would be so slow. I have thought about making a separate machine for Steam and Torrent files and networking. I have approximately 2 TB of Steam games, software, etc...; I have another 4 TB of torrent files that also require me to me able to access them quickly. 

[You_are_a_cunt]

3 minutes ago, JR Tyner said:

I don't either, I've deleted a lot of the older games, but I got a lot of Steam programs besides just games.

Still, 2Tb+256 flash should be plenty of space for games, apps and everything else you actually need.

 

Sure, installing, say, Adobe Creative Suite (all of it) will eat up like 200 gigs once you add in plugins and stuff.

[JR Tyner]

3 minutes ago, ShadySocks said:

Use a server mobo instead and have 32 2tb SSD's in RAID 0. No biggie.

32 2tb SSDs sounds out of my budget.

[JR Tyner]

2 minutes ago, revsilverspine said:

Still, 2Tb+256 flash should be plenty of space for games, apps and everything else you actually need.

 

Sure, installing, say, Adobe Creative Suite (all of it) will eat up like 200 gigs once you add in plugins and stuff.

 

I also have a lot of game creation programs.

[Electronics Wizardy]

2 minutes ago, JR Tyner said:

would think that even with USB 3.0, an External HDD would be so slow

USB 3 won't slow down the hdd at all. The interface is faster than the hdd.

 

 

[Logarithm]

5 minutes ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

USB 3 won't slow down the hdd at all. The interface is faster than the hdd.

 

 

This is absolutely the case. Even the original USB 3 wouldn't bottleneck an external harddrive, and those are half as fast as the ones that come on that AIO you're talking about.

[ShadySocks]

You can add a hard drive controller, then use an insane case that can handle more drives. I heard you can fit 5 SSDs into a 5.25 inch bay.

[JR Tyner]

6 minutes ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

USB 3 won't slow down the hdd at all. The interface is faster than the hdd.

 

 

 

 

Sorry I misspoke, I meant SSD. I'm wanting to see if I can afford to keep my Steam and torrent files on a SSD for the stability. Would it feasible to build a separate machine with something like 750 Series Solid State PCIE Drives? Then network them together?

[Electronics Wizardy]

1 minute ago, JR Tyner said:

Steam and torrent files on a SSD for the stability

Won't it be any more stable. It will still be very fast on a SSD.

 

You can network it, but your fastest interface is usb3, so network will just be slower. 

 

 

[ShadySocks]

1 minute ago, JR Tyner said:

Sorry I misspoke, I meant SSD. I'm wanting to see if I can afford to keep my Steam and torrent files on a SSD for the stability. Would it feasible to build a separate machine with something like 750 Series Solid State PCIE Drives? Then network them together?

IMO network is slow compared to SATA or PCI

[Bleedingyamato]

10 minutes ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

USB 3 won't slow down the hdd at all. The interface is faster than the hdd.

 

 

I've played Steam games installed on an external portable HDD (so 5400 or 5200 rpm I assume) connected to a USB 2.0 port and it worked just fine.  If anything I think things just might load a bit slower.  But I'm not sure about that.  I have no idea how much data games might need at any given moment vs the limits of USB 2.0 or 3.0.  

 

The drive was a USB 3.0 WD drive but my old laptop I was using only has USB 2.0 and I couldn't get the USB 3.0 card thing to work.

[JR Tyner]

7 minutes ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

Won't it be any more stable. It will still be very fast on a SSD.

 

You can network it, but your fastest interface is usb3, so network will just be slower. 

 

 

 

 

 

What I'm worried about is how many HDDs I've had wear out. SSDs don't wear out as easily.

[Electronics Wizardy]

2 minutes ago, JR Tyner said:

What I'm worried about is how many HDDs I've had wear out. SSDs don't wear out as easily.

thats why we have backups.

[Bleedingyamato]

5 minutes ago, JR Tyner said:

Sorry I misspoke, I meant SSD. I'm wanting to see if I can afford to keep my Steam and torrent files on a SSD for the stability. Would it feasible to build a separate machine with something like 750 Series Solid State PCIE Drives? Then network them together?

Large amounts of SSD storage is going to be very expensive.  Most games won't benefit from the increased speed much if at all.  Games like Skyrim or Fallout 4 with lots of load screens and large open worlds will see the most improvement from being run on a SSD.  Most games it doesn't really matter if you play them on a HDD or SSD.  

 

Your best option IMO is get either a 500 or maybe 1TB SSD at most if you really want to and can afford it.  Use that for your favorite games and in particular games like Skyrim that will benefit from it.  Then if you really want to have all or at least most of your Steam library installed all at once get a 2TB or 4TB Western Digital Black HDD (again if it's within your budget) and put them on it.  

 

 

That way you have some SSD storage but you don't break the bank trying to get tons of SSD space that really doesn't make as much difference as you might hope.  

 

Sorry if I seem too critical of your idea but I'm just trying to help and save you money.  

[JR Tyner]

2 minutes ago, Bleedingyamato said:

Sorry if I seem too critical of your idea but I'm just trying to help and save you money.  

 

I would not say that was critical at all, but a really good compromise. I could buy the IdeaCentre AIO Y910 now, and add something like this for my games like Skyrim and Fallout: https://www.amazon.com/Intel-PCIe-1-2TB-Internal-SSDPEDMW012T4R5/dp/B00UHJJQ3Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484808533&sr=8-1&keywords=Intel+NVMe+TB

[JR Tyner]

Well that's assuming the AIO has an empty PCIe slot, I cannot tell if it does?

[Bleedingyamato]

6 minutes ago, JR Tyner said:

I would not say that was critical at all, but a really good compromise. I could buy the IdeaCentre AIO Y910 now, and add something like this for my games like Skyrim and Fallout: https://www.amazon.com/Intel-PCIe-1-2TB-Internal-SSDPEDMW012T4R5/dp/B00UHJJQ3Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484808533&sr=8-1&keywords=Intel+NVMe+TB

I was thinking more like a Samsung 850 EVO but yes that is another SSD option.  

 

Littlf problem though: It occurs to that since this is an AIO computer it might not be upgradable.  

 

You should check if it is or not before buying it if you'd want to add things like additional SSDs or HDDs.  

 

 

Otherwise buying or building a standard desktop would be a better idea.

 

Though I must admit that Lenovo does look rather nice.   

[JR Tyner]

4 minutes ago, Bleedingyamato said:

Little problem though, It occurs to that since this is an AIO computer it might not be upgradable.  

1

 

 

Their store doesn't mention an empty PCIe slot, but it does say:

 

 

Quote

Adaptable – Just Like Your Gaming Technique

You can customize the Y910 quickly and easy, to suit your style of gameplay. Upgrade components by pushing the Y logo button, allowing you to pop out the back panel and swap out your GPU, memory, or storage. Settings are a snap with Lenovo Nerve Center, which gives you quick access to system information and enables you to effortlessly adjust audio, video, and connectivity to your preference.

 

 

 

[Bleedingyamato]

4 minutes ago, JR Tyner said:

 

 

Their store doesn't mention an empty PCIe slot, but it does say:

 

 

 

Hmmm..  It might be possible to add a SSD then.  But maybe try to find a YouTube video about the computer and see if you can confirm just what upgrade options there are?

 

Even without any additions that looks like a very nice computer but if upgrading I'd something you defintely want to be able to do then some research is a good idea.