What's the best SSD to get for DCS?

[Dudester22]

What's the best SSD to get for DCS? I've asked this because I heard you can get some that cause stutter and I don't want that to happen. Thanks!

[GeorgeLKMT]

Never heard of stuttering because of SSD. Maybe if you buy some super cheap one or have your computer screwed up in other places.

 

Set your budget and buy what will get you most bang for buck (internet is filled with dozens of detailed reviews)

 

I recently bought Crucial MX100 256GB, for 125 bucks it was a steal. Nothing was better at that price and what was better was also so expensive that it wasn't worth it.

[ronbo613]

There should be no issues running DCS on an SSD. The poster above mentioned the Crucial MX100 256G SSD; it is a great drive, especially for the price. You should be able to pick it up for about $100USD, maybe a bit less if you really pay attention to sales at places like newegg.com.

 

If you have a problem with an SSD, check the SATA cable. Also, some SSD's do not run well on certain controllers(like the Marvell SATA controller), better to use one of the motherboard's native SATA ports.

[panther494th]

ssd is very good ,it replaces the last moving part next ram disc

[cichlidfan]

Agreed with the above comments. Stuttering and SSDs indicates a problem somewhere, either hardware or configuration.

 

I am using mostly Samsung 840 EVO in both 250 and 500GB sizes (DCS is on a 500GB) with no issues at all.

[ronbo613]

Agreed with the above comments. Stuttering and SSDs indicates a problem somewhere, either hardware or configuration.

 

I am using mostly Samsung 840 EVO in both 250 and 500GB sizes (DCS is on a 500GB) with no issues at all.

 

Samsung makes good SSD's. I had a Samsung 830 until I replaced it recently with the MX100 because I needed more space.

[Extranajero]

How much of a performance boost do you guys get from an SSD ?

[Devrim]

I have Corsair 128GB. I can't say I see remarkable performance increase. Only loading time is faster. Also it's not absolute solution for stutters in game (especially multiplayer).

[xaoslaad]

Samsung makes good SSD's. I had a Samsung 830 until I replaced it recently with the MX100 because I needed more space.

I can also vouch for the Samsung ones being reliable. I've had varioud 840 (evo and non-evo) size and models in different systems and never had a problem.

 

The big thing I saw, that others commented on and so I was looking for, was the reduction and ellimination of micro stutters from what is probably textures or data being loaded from disk.

 

As previous said, it wont elliminate multiplayer stutters. The bigest thing I notice is when another player hops in a new jet it's almost guranteed. But again probably better than with a spinning disk...

Edited December 21, 2014 by xaoslaad

[Godzila]

I expected much greater speeds from SSD's. I got tricked with bits and bytes and expected faster performance. I expected 5GB/s read speed, instead I have 500MB/s. I have relatively new HDD and it has 50% speed of SSD. Loading times also reduced to half. Ingame performance is the same. I didn't have stutters before. The only difference I noticed is that the textures in F11 view are loaded almost instantly.

 

 

Edit: I have OS on HDD and games/programs on SSD.

[AtaliaA1]

I expected much greater speeds from SSD's. I got tricked with bits and bytes and expected faster performance. I expected 5GB/s read speed, instead I have 500MB/s. I have relatively new HDD and it has 50% speed of SSD. Loading times also reduced to half. Ingame performance is the same. I didn't have stutters before. The only difference I noticed is that the textures in F11 view are loaded almost instantly.

 

 

Edit: I have OS on HDD and games/programs on SSD.

 

 

should have loaded the OS on the SSD that is where the swap file lives (cause of most stuttering among others of course). the only games needing SSD would be shooters for the most part and that is for multi-playing and the micro-stutters due to thrashing (swap file).

[ronbo613]

I expected much greater speeds from SSD's. I got tricked with bits and bytes and expected faster performance. I expected 5GB/s read speed, instead I have 500MB/s. I have relatively new HDD and it has 50% speed of SSD. Loading times also reduced to half. Ingame performance is the same. I didn't have stutters before. The only difference I noticed is that the textures in F11 view are loaded almost instantly.

 

 

Edit: I have OS on HDD and games/programs on SSD.

 

There is no SSD made that I know of that is going to even come close to 5 Gb/s read speed. I believe the fastest SSD consumer drives have about 530-550 Mb/s read speed.

 

My systems have always had the programs on the SSD and games and other stuff on 7200rpm hard drives. Minimum RAM for a working computer is 4G. If you do anything serious, a 64 bit OS and 8G RAM is mandatory. Shouldn't even need a pagefile.

[Call911]

Have been contemplating getting an SSD mainly for games(DCS-ArmA) but have been told u must install the operating system on em. Is that true or are they just blowing smoke up my rear?

[ronbo613]

Have been contemplating getting an SSD mainly for games(DCS-ArmA) but have been told u must install the operating system on em. Is that true or are they just blowing smoke up my rear?

 

No, installing the operating system on an SSD and storage/scratch discs/save & temp files/games on a 7200 rpm hard drive has been a standard setup ever since solid state drives came out. Keep in mind that your operating system is the heart of your system so you always want to install your OS on your fastest drive.

 

Having sufficient RAM and an SSD is about as fast as you can go as far as computer storage is concerned. If your SSD is large enough, it can run the OS and DCS, no problem. Many users, including myself, run the OS on an SSD and games on a larger capacity hard drive, which is more economical. If you can afford it, having a 250G SSD to run your programs and a 1TB SSD for everything else would be pretty sweet.

 

You may not get the advertised speeds because all systems are different, but once you use an SSD, you'll never go back to a spinner. For most enthusiasts, a hundred dollar investment in an SSD is a no brainer. Like most computer technology, the longer you can wait to buy something, the cheaper it will be.

[cichlidfan]

All of my PCs have the OS and all, or nearly all, applications/games on SSDs. My laptops have no mechanical drives at all and the desktops have an additional 2TB mechanical for miscellaneous or temporary data (which means they are mostly empty most of the time).

[Call911]

Thanks for response, yeah I have a 7200 rpm 1TB drive currently an have had it since I bought this pc. Have done the pc performance rating an it always comes back at like 4.x or what ever it was going off the weakest part of my sytem which is my hard drive(so it says). The other problem was also having enough room an beiing able to afford an ssd. I could nvr afford a 1TB SSD. But want to upgrade that part of my sytem.....

 

Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1

System Manufacturer: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.

System Model: Z87-D3HP

BIOS: BIOS Date: 08/14/13 16:30:28 Ver: 04.06.05

Processor: Intel® Core i5-4570 CPU @ 3.20GHz (4 CPUs), ~3.2GHz

Memory: 16384MB RAM

Available OS Memory: 16266MB RAM

Page File: 2631MB used, 29898MB available

Windows Dir: C:\Windows

DirectX Version: DirectX 11

ard name: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti

Manufacturer: NVIDIA

Chip type: GeForce GTX 660 Ti

DAC type: Integrated RAMDAC

Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_1183&SUBSYS_100010DE&REV_A1

Display Memory: 4038 MB

Dedicated Memory: 1989 MB

Shared Memory: 2048 MB

Current Mode: 1920 x 1080 (32 bit) (60Hz

[Wolf Rider]

Load the Operating System onto one SSD and the sim onto another SSD for the best results... leave the Page File at its Default setting.

 

Some earlier (first/ second generation) SSD's did have some problems

 

be sure to research and turn off certain background running apps, these can be a more than likely a source of stuttering

[ronbo613]

Thanks for response, yeah I have a 7200 rpm 1TB drive currently an have had it since I bought this pc. Have done the pc performance rating an it always comes back at like 4.x or what ever it was going off the weakest part of my sytem which is my hard drive(so it says). The other problem was also having enough room an beiing able to afford an ssd. I could nvr afford a 1TB SSD. But want to upgrade that part of my sytem....

 

Keep an eye on newegg.com and amazon.com for a sale on the Crucial MX100 256G SSD. Usually, it's about $119, but it's been on sale for about $100. If you see it for $100 or less, buy it. Sometimes they only stay on sale for a few hours. It's a good SSD, probably the best performance value for the price from a reputable company.

 

Move your operating system and DCS to the SSD, you should have plenty of room. Disconnect your current 7200rpm hard drive and hang on to it until the SSD is up and running then use the hard drive for storage.

[Dudester22]

Why is it better to have your games on one SSD and your OS on another? Wouldn't it be better to just have everything on one SSD and back it up?

 

What are the benefits of having two SDS drives?

[cichlidfan]

Why is it better to have your games on one SSD and your OS on another?

 

It isn't.

 

Wouldn't it be better to just have everything on one SSD and back it up?

 

Yes.

 

What are the benefits of having two SDS drives?

 

For general gaming, or other basic computer use, there are virtually no benefits unless two small ones are cheaper than one bigger one. Even then, you have doubled the risk of drive failure and not gained enough to offset it.

[Cibit]

While shopping on Overclockers I saw hybrid drives for sale

 

This is the blurb

A 1TB Hard Drive Fused with a 120GB SSD in a 2.5" Package for Ultimate Performance for your Desktop & Laptop.

 

Introducing the WD Black² dual drive, a revolutionary storage device that is specifically designed for the modern enthusiast whether you are a creative pro, gamer or PC builder.

 

WD Black² is the fusion of a fully accessible solid-state drive for your operating system and a generous capacity hard drive for personal data and large files. It is the must-have upgrade solution for your single drive PC, fueled by the power of two and inspired by you.

 

The power of two

WD has redefined the PC with the next big thing in ultra-fast performance storage. The WD Black² dual drive is an evolutionary approach to a compromised solid-state and hybrid storage market. It is the must-have upgrade solution for your single drive PC, fueled by the power of two and inspired by you.

 

Inspired by you

Your requests to make PC life better, faster and more fun have been heard. We took the challenge and made it our mission to design a solution that delivers the ultimate PC experience. The WD Black² dual drive solves your storage limitations and adds true high-performance SSD speed to your PC. The WD Black² dual drive is the drive you were waiting for, inspired by and created specifically for enthusiasts like you.

 

Kingpin of mobile capacity

The WD Black² dual drive offers a lower cost-per-gigabyte advantage over the solid-state competition. With a generous 1 TB capacity hard drive, WD Black² also features a fully accessible 120 GB solid-state drive. The result is the world’s first 2.5-inch dual drive storage solution.

 

Professional performance

WD Black² is built by fusing two world-class storage devices together into one dual drive to create the ultimate PC experience. Boot up faster to your operating system with the speed of SSD at your fingertips. WD Black² features innovative 20nm NAND flash processes with remarkable power efficiency that are poised to redefine what is possible in the storage industry. SSD performance can degrade when total capacities are reached, which is a major concern for SSD users. We built our dual drive solution to solve this problem. You can move your larger data onto the 1 TB hard drive, ultimately extending the life of the MLC NAND and maintaining optimal performance. It’s just what you’ve been asking for and it’s finally here.

 

Compatible

Our revolutionary WD Black² dual drive is designed for use in most 9.5 mm 2.5-inch drive bays.

 

Shift_Technology™

WD Black² Shift_Technology is race-ready from the starting line with enhanced firmware and improved algorithms for faster performance and data management. This allows you to migrate larger data files to the hard drive and provides your SSD with less system drag, which increases the overall endurance and mileage of the SSD. With less caching involved, there’s less time waiting and more time enjoying the things you love to do most. Finesse of perfectionResistant to high temperatures, shocks and vibration, WD Black² combines agility and reliability in an evolutionary dual drive form factor. Advanced firmware and intelligent algorithms assist in heightened performance, resulting in cooler temperatures with nearly inaudible operation.

 

You take the control

With WD Black² the decision is yours. Safer than using an SSD as your only primary storage device, now you are enabled to save your data on the 1 TB hard drive, or split data between both. Duplicate the data of your SSD onto the hard drive and remove the need for large cloud storage or expensive third party plans. Take full control and manage the location of your personal data.

 

Industry-leading 5-year limited warranty

Relentlessly dedicated to your data, the WD Black² dual drive carries the same industry-leading 5-year limited warranty as WD’s other performance storage drives. WD Black™ drives are a reflection of the innovation and passion of our engineers, and they undergo more strenuous and aggressive testing over a longer period of time than conventional storage options.

 

Capacity: 120GB SSD + 1TB HDD

Warranty: 5 Year

 

Whether they are any good is another thing altogether but price wise seems very competitive

I think they are probably designed with laptops in mind.

This is the one that really caught my eye

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HD-282-SE&tool=3 for 53£ seems a snip

Edited December 22, 2014 by Cibit

[Pilotasso]

I expected much greater speeds from SSD's. I got tricked with bits and bytes and expected faster performance. I expected 5GB/s read speed, instead I have 500MB/s.

 

Woah :huh:

 

Did you do the research at all?

[ronbo613]

Why is it better to have your games on one SSD and your OS on another?

People use an SSD for the operating system and programs along with larger capacity hard drives out of necessity in order to store files. Using SSD's for file storage would be great, but the cost is prohibitive.

 

Wouldn't it be better to just have everything on one SSD and back it up?

 

What are the benefits of having two SDS drives?

If you can fit everything you need on one SSD, leaving a percentage of the drive empty to facilitate disc maintenance, that would be the best way to go. You could use two SSD's, or one SSD and a mechanical HD, if everything didn't fit on one disk. Generally speaking, larger capacity SSD's have better performance than discs in the 120G range, so 250-500G is the "sweet spot" right now. That should be enough disc space for most users.

 

Always back up your data. Imaging your boot drive is something everyone should do.

[outlawal2]

And I have 2 separate drives so that when I re-image my machine as I do about once every 6 months or so, I can leave all of my games installed to the second drive.. That way no reinstalling of huge games such as DCS.. Also makes it nice when upgrading my machine... The games remain untouched..

[Pilotasso]

I have 2 SSD's simply due to necessity of more capacity.

 

Going back to HD is an insanity if you already tried SSD's. Response times are great, things open when I want them open. theres much less slowdows due to swap file usage. It's bliss. :)