So I got a Corsair F120 SSD from some one off craigslist that was two months old for $120 and now that I have it what would I need to know when installing an SSD? How do I enable trim or is it automatically done? What should I do to keep it performing well over time? I am probably going to put Windows, office, and some small programs for web browsing, watching videos etc. and about 4-5 games such as TF2, SC2, and one or two MMOs.
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What do I need to do when installing new SSD?
- Thread starter TechBoy
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havermeyer
Limp Gawd
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- Nov 17, 2010
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If you're doing a fresh install of Windows 7, there's nothing you should need to do; it should turn TRIM on and defrag off. Check your BIOS to confirm you're running in AHCI (or RAID) mode vs. legacy IDE mode (it's a definite performance boost for SSDs).
To confirm TRIM is working, look here: http://forum.corsair.com/v3/showthread.php?t=86403 CrystalMarkDisk can also confirm TRIM operation. The third post down is instruction on how to confirm defrag is off: http://social.technet.microsoft.com...e/thread/1929febd-c935-46ea-9efe-a0e10430ed84
Here's what Microsoft had to say about SSDs in Windows 7: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/e7/archive/2009/05/05/support-and-q-a-for-solid-state-drives-and.aspx
Turning off hibernation if you won't be using it will save some space. Then there's the pagefile holy war; Microsoft talks about it in the above link and says to leave it on. Finally you get the always fun process of moving your Users folder, this is the best guide I've found: http://lifehacker.com/5467758/move-the-users-directory-in-windows-7
To confirm TRIM is working, look here: http://forum.corsair.com/v3/showthread.php?t=86403 CrystalMarkDisk can also confirm TRIM operation. The third post down is instruction on how to confirm defrag is off: http://social.technet.microsoft.com...e/thread/1929febd-c935-46ea-9efe-a0e10430ed84
Here's what Microsoft had to say about SSDs in Windows 7: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/e7/archive/2009/05/05/support-and-q-a-for-solid-state-drives-and.aspx
Turning off hibernation if you won't be using it will save some space. Then there's the pagefile holy war; Microsoft talks about it in the above link and says to leave it on. Finally you get the always fun process of moving your Users folder, this is the best guide I've found: http://lifehacker.com/5467758/move-the-users-directory-in-windows-7
What is the purpose of moving the User folder to a HD? I have yet to find the reasoning and would just like to know before installing a SSD I bought last month. Thanks
BTW...thanks for the link.
It's so all your downloads, photos, music, game saves, etc., don't fill up your SSD. Anyway, here's another method that's easier and doesn't involve junctions.
http://www.overclock.net/ssd/664738-how-setup-ssd-boot-drive-secondary.html
havermeyer
Limp Gawd
- Joined
- Nov 17, 2010
- Messages
- 254
I've been moving the Users/My Documents folder since Windows 95 days, so it's not exactly SSD-specific. I prefer being able to wipe out C: drive at will without losing any user data. I like to segregate any user-created data onto a separate drive (or, if not available, at least another partition).
With an SSD, as MissJ84 stated, it avoids having all your downloads, music, games saves, video, pictures, browser cache, cookies, etc. on your SSD where you probably don't need them. You can also just move those folders (My Documents, for example) individually by right clicking on them and changing their location. The biggest problem with this is that programs often save data in the hidden 'AppData' folder: including browser bookmarks, program settings (losing all your Ventrillo servers is always a pain), browser cache, temp files, etc.
The registry edit method MissJ84 points out works find, I've used it many times. I like the junction method slightly better because it's transparent to the (rare) programs hard-coded to a "C:" location. Both will work, though. Pick the one you like best.
With an SSD, as MissJ84 stated, it avoids having all your downloads, music, games saves, video, pictures, browser cache, cookies, etc. on your SSD where you probably don't need them. You can also just move those folders (My Documents, for example) individually by right clicking on them and changing their location. The biggest problem with this is that programs often save data in the hidden 'AppData' folder: including browser bookmarks, program settings (losing all your Ventrillo servers is always a pain), browser cache, temp files, etc.
The registry edit method MissJ84 points out works find, I've used it many times. I like the junction method slightly better because it's transparent to the (rare) programs hard-coded to a "C:" location. Both will work, though. Pick the one you like best.
