"Best" size for boot SSD (with 1 or 2 games on it)

[DeltrusDisc]

I had the same problem as You. I don`t know which size should I take. So I simply count all storage that will be taken by programs. This is what result I get:
- first of all OS, its around 20 GB installed AND you`ll need around 15-20 GB for temp files. Temp files get from installed programs, even those You delete and if You won`t format a disk regulary - as I do , I have Win Vista updated to win 7 ,and I was never formatting my disk for 5 years ! ,and this files takes at my HDD 15gb atm - you need this spac + pagafile.sys around 4gb + 4 GB for hybernating sysystem files if You use this function,
- than around 5 GB for all programs, drivers etc

At this point You have used 45 GB, so if You want take 120 GB , it 75 Gb of free space . WoW with 5.4 will take around 25 GB for shure ,so at this moment You have around 50 GB of free space .

NOW is beggining the most important calculate... If You are a hardcore player and Your guild want You to be on PTR -t test bosses before next content You need another 25 GB ,which leave You with onlny 25 GB of Free space ( but IMO you can install a ptr on HDD one ) ! ,and if You want to play at any other game like D3, SC 2, or some FPS like MoH ,CoD , Far Cry , Crysis or games like Hitman GTA and any other 2011-2013 release games you need to book another 20 GB for each .

So if You won`t play at PTR or You`ll instal it on HDD it leaves You with 50 GB of free space - so at this point You can install 2 new games and it should be around 10 GB of free space - its going to be tight... but not so bad.

Best choice would be 120 or IMO 160 would be the best,and 250 is too much if You dont use programs like photoshop or movies programs,graphic ones or scientic like Matlab etc.

Pardon me...

Pagefile and Hibernate are both typically the amount of RAM you have. So if you are still in the age of 4GB of RAM, then yes, you'll have a 4GB space for pagefile, and 4GB for hibernate. If you have 16GB of RAM, then 16GB for each, amounting to the lofty sum of 32GB~. (Hibernate doesn't always require the same amount, oddly.)

But here's the catch... Pagefile doesn't need to be on your SSD, you can put it on another HDD to open up space, you can edit the size, and you can also just turn it off.

Hibernate should be turned off if you have an SSD. Period.

Here's a good article on how to really get the most out of your SSD: http://lifehacker.com/5802838/how-to...fe-of-your-ssd

[vesseblah]

Pagefile and Hibernate are both typically the amount of RAM you have. So if you are still in the age of 4GB of RAM, then yes, you'll have a 4GB space for pagefile, and 4GB for hibernate. If you have 16GB of RAM, then 16GB for each, amounting to the lofty sum of 32GB~. (Hibernate doesn't always require the same amount, oddly.)

Hibernate file size is always the exact size of your RAM. The whole purpose of hibernate file is to copy every single bit from RAM to disc so that it doesn't disappear when you power off the computer. It cant be bigger or smaller. Pagefile is by default 1.5x the size of your RAM regardless of how much RAM you actually have. It can increase from there (on very low RAM computers that use more) but it will not shrink on it's own. 1.5x is totally over the top amount with 8GB or more of physical RAM in modern computers and it can be reduced significantly or even turned off in most cases.

But here's the catch... Pagefile doesn't need to be on your SSD, you can put it on another HDD to open up space, you can edit the size, and you can also just turn it off.

Putting pagefile off SSD into HDD just defeats the whole purpose of using fastest disc as an extension to RAM when you make it slower than it could be. Either turn it completely off or leave it very small (something like 512 megs) instead of doing the stupidest thing of placing it into HDD.

Hibernate should be turned off if you have an SSD. Period.

Usually yes, but not always. If you have a laptop (or desktop) that starts extremely slow for some reason. Maybe it loads crapton of stuff on boot over corporate VPN for example. In that case hibernate can save you significant amount of time even on SSD.

Here's a good article on how to really get the most out of your SSD:

Most of the suggestions in it are valid, but whole article starts from the deeply flawed and totally busted myth of SSDs having the lifetime of a fruitfly.

[Deleted]

128 is okay, its OS + lots of programs and 3/4 games depending on how much space they take.

If you have extra money i'd take a 256 one now. SO you can install almost any games, OS + softwares.

[Ishu]

I got a 120gb one, and I have two OSes, two MMOs and some rather big programs installed on it. Still got 10gb left. So 120 is enough, but 250 would give you room for more games.

[Skarsguard]

I have a 128Gb SSD and have WoW, D3, Path of Exile, Norton, Magic Online, vent, MIRC, 3D mark, CPU-Z, Ccleaner, and Fraps and still have 42.7 Gigs free.

[kirit0]

go with 830 -250gb

[chazus]

go with 830 -250gb

Not worth the price.

[vesseblah]

I have a 128Gb SSD and have WoW, D3, Path of Exile, Norton, Magic Online, vent, MIRC, 3D mark, CPU-Z, Ccleaner, and Fraps and still have 42.7 Gigs free.

Yeah, mIRC with whopping 5mb of disc usage will not make a dent on 120GB SSD so it's just as useful to list as Windows' Notepad.

What you have is one big game and three small ones. If you try to fit in three big games and one small you're pretty close to being out of discspace.

[Butler to Baby Sloths]

I have a 128Gb SSD and have WoW, D3, Path of Exile, Norton, Magic Online, vent, MIRC, 3D mark, CPU-Z, Ccleaner, and Fraps and still have 42.7 Gigs free.

So the contents probably looks a bit like this:
Windows: 25GB
WoW: 25GB
D3: 12GB
PoE: 6GB
Norton: 1GB
Magic Online: 1GB
Vent: 0.01GB
mIRC: 0.01GB
3DMark: 1GB
CPU-Z: 0.001GB
CCleaner: 0.001GB
Fraps: 0.005GB
+ 5GB of undeleted temp files, user files etc
= leaves you with about 43GB of the usable 120GB on the 128GB drive.

Half of that list adds up to approximately 1GB

[anyaka21]

While you may only be playing WoW and LoL now, it doesn't necessarily mean that those are your only games. I'd definitely go with a 250, and I actually did. It gives the room and the freedom to install more programs should they come out that I want to play. And add that, if they are regular games like BioShock or X-com or something like that the benefit will be that much more by having a bigger ssd so I don't have to compromise my gaming experience due to having too small of an ssd.

[theWocky]

256gb is a nice size - it's what I got and quite happy

EDIT: then again, I got more than 1 or 2 games, so scrap that idea - 128gb should be ok.

[anyaka21]

Yeah, mIRC with whopping 5mb of disc usage will not make a dent on 120GB SSD so it's just as useful to list as Windows' Notepad.

What you have is one big game and three small ones. If you try to fit in three big games and one small you're pretty close to being out of discspace.

yup, so true.

On mine, SWTOR, GW2, Assasins Creed 3, and Win8pro, with other misc non games - 125gb taken. People need to take into account that games, esp mmo's get larger as new content updates, patches, dlc's, etc... get released. Best to have extra room for more.

[Neotokyo]

I've gone for a 250gb samsung 840.. it arrives tomorow.. I heard a tip about getting the page file to write to the ram (but only if you have enough memory). ANyone else that can confirm this before I go messing around with it.

[siafu]

i have a 128gb ssd. have cs.go blackops2 bioshock infinite and dota 2 installed. and i have 8gb left if that's enough for you, get a 128gb if not get a 256. i would advise a 256gb.

[Deleted]

whilst faster loading screens on games is fine and all that only has a minor actual gameplay impact on those competitive games.
120/128 is fine , people here who all go for 250Gb ones can either not manage their games that have a use of being on the SSD or fill up their drives with other random programs that can ditched on a HDD easy.
main thing a SSD brings to the table is very insane boot times and improvement of overall system responsiveness, they do however not affect any ingame performance. (just loading screens but that ain't ingame now is it?)

[Rotted]

I've just about finished building my new gaming rig (SUCCESS) and I used a 250gb SSD, the reason I got it, I wanted more, naturally, but the price difference wasn't really that far apart comparing to how much I spent on the rest of it,

But what these lovely people on the forums did point out several times for me, unless your constantly writing cds, don't bother going for the 256gb Pro, you won't notice a difference in performance, and theres barley any speed difference from the 250,

But defo get a 250 over 128

[Deleted]

whilst faster loading screens on games is fine and all that only has a minor actual gameplay impact on those competitive games.
120/128 is fine , people here who all go for 250Gb ones can either not manage their games that have a use of being on the SSD or fill up their drives with other random programs that can ditched on a HDD easy.
main thing a SSD brings to the table is very insane boot times and improvement of overall system responsiveness, they do however not affect any ingame performance. (just loading screens but that ain't ingame now is it?)

This goes for sotfwares too.

Having your OS, all your games, and all softwares boot 10 times faster is a lot of comfort.

Having just your OS and 1 game installed was good when there was 64gb SSD, now you can install almost all your games and softwares if you've got a 256 one. SSD arent just usefull for games, its actually a cool side effects for games, but the primary boost is for your OS and softwares.

[Deleted]

I only have SSD's now, no mechanical HDD outside of external storage. To me there is only two things that matters price and capacity other than that it's quite simple put everything on the SSD (except the obvious like movies and other files just for storage).

It's funny, we used to recommend $60-100 1TB HDD's, never was it really debated if you should pick 500GB, 1TB etc. or if it was overkill even if it was just for a few games, OS etc. but now we are nitpicking 120GB or 250GB. SSD's are not some alien technology however they are a lot faster than HDD's and yes obviously cost much more per GB. If your budget is tight and you know you only play a few games then 120GB is perfectly fine, if you can spend a little more and don't want to be micromanaging your drive in the future then spend the extra $70. 120GB you can get for about $90 and 250GB you can get for about $160.

[Skarsguard]

So the contents probably looks a bit like this:
Windows: 25GB
WoW: 25GB
D3: 12GB
PoE: 6GB
Norton: 1GB
Magic Online: 1GB
Vent: 0.01GB
mIRC: 0.01GB
3DMark: 1GB
CPU-Z: 0.001GB
CCleaner: 0.001GB
Fraps: 0.005GB
+ 5GB of undeleted temp files, user files etc
= leaves you with about 43GB of the usable 120GB on the 128GB drive.

Half of that list adds up to approximately 1GB

Yes but I'm showing that most people that build a system for WoW and D3 what else they can put on there and not worry about space. Also there are other things on there (not a whole lot) but it just shows what your avg WoW player (this is a wow site) would probably have on there SSD.