SSD / HDD or SSHD?

[dalcross]

would you recommend SSD and HDD combo over SSHD? price is a consideration, so how small would the SSD realistically need to be to optimise boot up etc?

Is there any configuration needed to set up write locations?

[ajones]

I've found that ssd for the system drive works really well with a hdd for bulk. You can fit windows onto a 60 gig drive, but after a while it's a PITA. I'd say 128 is the starting point.

I install basic apps, firewall etc on the ssd, but move temp files, user libraries etc onto the hdd. Any app you don't use very often or you're not concerned about startup time, install to the hdd.

Never used shsd, but have accelerated a hdd using iSRT which seems to work well enough. That requires an Intel rig though, with z67 (?) or above. Shsd would be simpler, but they aren't that big.

[chris_gg]

I've found that ssd for the system drive works really well with a hdd for bulk. You can fit windows onto a 60 gig drive, but after a while it's a PITA. I'd say 128 is the starting point.

I'm with you, 64GB would be a squeeze and when 128GB drives can currently be had for £40 at places like Amazon or Dabs, there's no real justification for going smaller.

I haven't got any experience with SSHDs and have always preferred the SSD+HDD option as you can always upgrade them independently as your storage needs or prices change. Also with an SSHD you typically only get a small (8GB or so) cache so you don't get the full benefit.

[gupsterg]

My votes SSD with HDD config, to me it seemed better value than an SSHD plus performing and as stated in above post liked being able to independently upgrade each storage unit.

[Bonebreaker777]

Unless the SSHD is only insignificantly more expensive that a similar sized HDD, an SSD + HDD is better (all for the already mentioned reasons above).

[Spreadie]

The price drop in SSDs has all but killed off the SSHD as a viable alternative.

If you only have room for one drive i.e. in a laptop, but require acres of storage then an SSHD might still be a decent compromise between price and performance; otherwise a cheap SSD OS drive and HDD is a better option at the moment - in my opinion.

[OutcasT]

SSD and HDD combo. You get the speed of the SSD for OS, which is faster than the SSHD and HDD for mass storage as it is cheaper.

[chris_gg]

If you only have room for one drive i.e. in a laptop, but require acres of storage then an SSHD might still be a decent compromise between price and performance; otherwise a cheap SSD OS drive and HDD is a better option at the moment - in my opinion.

Even then, assuming your laptop has an optical drive that you don't use, you can always replace this with an SSD in a caddy as I have done.

[f350]

Unless you're restricted on drive count, SSD for applications and mechanical for data is preferable to SSHD.

[Bryanandrews]

I'd like to use both SSD and HDD on my laptop. for the moment, my laptop has one 1TB HDD and a 128GB SSD. The system start takes only 9 second. Windows and other applications are insalled on SSD. Everthing goes well. I'm satisfied with current match, but I'll buy a larger SSD when it's affordable.

[Banthon]

I am currently facing the dilemma of my only drive failing on one of my laptops and feel that spending ~£60 on an SSHD is probably fine at the moment as I will need the storage space (1Tb) and dont feel that a similarly costed SSD would give me the space I need...

[shaithis]

I have always found SSHDs to be a waste, the ONLY time I would even consider one (and then I would still shy away!) would be in a laptop with a single drive bay.

Recent price drops, cloud storage and fast connections means that even that one situation is becoming more and more marginal.

Now, if they released a SSHD with a 250GB SSD + 1 TB HDD and they could both be presented separately to the computer, I'd probably get one for my laptop and just use it as a way to effectively double the drive bays I had.

[dturtill]

i agree ssd \ hdd is the best way to go if you have the drive bays, it gives you more fredom to change part of it if more space is needed its what i did (started with 60 gb ssd and 500 hdd then changed to 128 ssd and 500 hdd then increased hdd to 2 tb ) it made it much more budget manageable

[mrgreen009]

Deffo HDD and SSD combo, SSHDs only have 8GB of SSD space, which is often out of your control as to what files are used in this space.

[alsuser]

I have a SSHD and agree what the others have said. The main issue with the drive is that once you move out of the SSD part of the drive and into the mechanical, the performance goes downhill.

If you have the space and the money, go for a SSD and HDD.

[Sean473]

Go with a decent 240/480GB SSD like Sandisk Extreme Pro + 1TB/2TB or any HDD combo... The SSD will improve your OS experience till the point where you won't be able to live without one