How to properly install windows 7 on a new SSD

[Spartan18]

I would appreciate it if someone could provide me with a guide on how to properly install Win 7 on a new ssd. I will soon be building a new system and I would like to know how to do this properly as my experience with ssd's and Win 7 installations in general is non existent....I'm still running a 6 yo pc with Win XP on it.

Having done a bit of research I have established the following key steps

That the ssd drive should be the only drive connected while installing Win 7 and that any secondary ssd's or hhd's should be connected after Win 7 has been installed. And that the bios needs to be set to AHCI mode

Also I'm getting confused when it comes down to drivers....Does Win 7 require the installation of 3rd party drivers for the optimum operation of an ssd (either sata motherboard drivers or in that case ssd specific drivers) or does it automatically install its own generic ones.

I'm a complete newbie when it comes down to this so your advice would be most welcome. FYI I won't be using raid or anything as such. Just the ssd drive for the OS and programmes with a secodary HHD for data storage etc.

[alsenior]

In order to get the best out of the ssd then yes it does need to be in ahci mode. AHCI mode under windows 7 is less daunting than Xp. just put your motherboards drivers on a flash drive and windows 7 will allow you to load them. the installer in 7 is fully graphical and is quite easy to use. i left my other dirives unplugged prior to installing it just make sure that the boot code is installed on the right drive

[Trash Man]

I've just built a new system with my first SSD drive and did not know any of this.

What benefits are there to be had from not plugging up the other drives prior to install? Everything seems to be fine with my machine, no problems that I have noticed at least.

[Disturbedguy]

How do you put an SSD in AHCI mode?

[blueball]

How do you put an SSD in AHCI mode?

Technically you don't. You tell the BIOS to run the drive controller in AHCI mode not IDE mode.

[Disturbedguy]

Technically you don't. You tell the BIOS to run the drive controller in AHCI mode not IDE mode.

Im guessing it easy to do? will give it a google.

[Disturbedguy]

To obtain the AHCI drivers, do I just search for the motherboard make and download them?

From what I can tell its as straight forward as plug USB device into PC
Start PC
On partitions screen, select "Load Drivers"
Select drive
Select drivers
install

[Spartan18]

So, it is preferred to load the mobo's drivers instead of letting Win 7 install its own for optimum ssd performance...So are the AHCI drivers normally contained within the SATA or the RAID ones?

[blueball]

I would be tempted to set AHCI in the BIOS and run with the Win7 drivers for simplicity unless there is something magical about the bespoke drivers.

[Disturbedguy]

From what I have read bespoke drivers are the better drivers, apparently they offer better performance.

[Platinum]

Check Scheduled tasks after install, Defrag is always set for my SSD and enabled, Microsoft say with Windows 7 you shouldn't even get the defrag option for a SSD, rubbish.