SSD and game storage

[icemantaz]

Ok, so I'm looking to build a new mid range gaming machine. I'm looking at maybe a 250gb ssd and then 1tb for storage. Now 250gb isn't a massive amount when I start download ping games from steam etc so I was wondering what you all do. Do you just play 1-2 games at a time or do you install the game into your storage drives?
Also if you install onto your storage drives does it decrease performance gains brought by the SSD?

[KeyboardDemon]

You can install Steam to a storage drive then when you install games they will install to that same drive.

Other options are getting a Hybrid SSHD drive giving you a big capacity HDD with a smaller SSD cache drive the boosts read speeds on frequently accessed files and applications/games.

The last option is to get a larger SSD, mine is 1TB, but that might force you to go beyond your budget.

[icemantaz]

Yeh 1tb or even 500gb SSD is out of the question at the moment at least.

[watercooled]

I use a program called Steam Mover: http://www.traynier.com/software/steammover

It's not just for Steam and you can do what it does manually with the command line but it's a convenient way of doing it. What I generally do is install most games to HDD and move games I'm currently playing to SSD if they benefit from it.

[icemantaz]

That looks pretty cool, I will check that out thanks.

[Ttaskmaster]

I just use the 120GB for OS & SysFiles, install games to and run from HDD. Doesn't really affect anything and my rig is pretty average mid-range, I think...

[rocky83]

At the moment I use a 250gb SSD for Windows and other applications but store the vast majority of my games on a separate 7200rpm mechanical hard drive - given that lots of new game releases are easily > 20gb it's hard to justify the extra cost of using an SSD solely for games. If there's a game you play on a regular basis you can always choose to install that onto your SSD rather than your storage drive.

[madmantheonlyone]

I am running 2x250 ssd in RADI0 for games, I think nowdays it is a must because game devs in many occasions have already sort of started to assume everyone will do that because loading times for some AAA titles lately are atrocious, even last year's dragon age inquisition had absolutely terrible loading times on a normal hard drive you had o sit there literally for minutes waiting... it is just not worth it. However gamee have another tendency these days and htat is to get bigger and bigger... it is not uncommon for a game to reach 30-40G these days (or even more... pointing at you, star citizen)

[watercooled]

Sadly I've noticed something similar - for quite a few games an SSD seems almost like a requirement; load times and sometimes even post-load stutter can be terrible without one.

[Graywoodford]

I do find that an ssd is so much better for load times with some Games. Total war games are a big one for that but with the size of them the space can go quickly.
I normally have a couple of major games on my ssd and rest in my 2tb

[Graywoodford]

I use an ssd 250GB for c: and a few games then 2tb for steam storage. not had to move many games from my ssd yet but there will come a time i fear

[jeromesm3]

I have 2 250 GB SSD from Intel and Samsung. The Intel 520 --> used for OS, and programs. The Samsung 840 Pro --> for BF3, BF4, Battlefront, Fallout 4, Steam games.....