SSD Storage solutions for new machine

[Darpa]

OK… new VR machine time and I am starting to think what to get for drives. Capacity is the first consideration and then types of SSD and vendor. My requirements for storage:

- I use DCS and have nearly all modules (and will continue to get most new modules)

- I use the “big” civilian flight sim (Premium Deluxe - and get a ton of add-ons)

- I use the other WW2/WW1 flight sim and have all the modules (and will continue to get most modules)

- Couple of VR racing sims

- A scattering of others VR apps like Alyx (maybe 4-5 apps)

- Speed of course is valued and price, while always a consideration, is not a major factor

 

So my initial thought was to go 256-2 (256 GB SSD for the OS and then a 2 TB SSD for the rest). Any advantage to other sizes and configurations? 

I am assuming I want PCIe NVMe. Any reason to consider others? Any vendors to gravitate to or from? Thanks for your input.

[Thinder]

In my humble opinion, if you have a M2 socket on your motherboard, don't bother with low capacity SSD and go for something like the SAMSUNG V-NAND SSD 970 EVO Plus.

 

When it comes to speed it will run circles around SATA SSDs but you might loose one to two SATA sockets (it is the case for my B450), so the best is to go for a minimum of 500GB as I did and install DCS and set your set files on it, both will greatly beneficiate from the much higher speed, last thing, speed/capacity for cost they are also a lot better buy than SATA.

SSD 970 EVO Plus

 

 

Edited December 25, 2020 by Thinder

[Darpa]

Thanks Thinder... Looks like a good product. So would it be any problem socket wise if I went with two SAMSUNG V-NAND SSD 970 EVO Plus SSDs? One 2 TB SSD to hold DCS and other and then 1 256 MB SSD to hold the OS. Anything I would need to specify motherboard wise for sockets or would any good top of the line new motherboard have what I need?

[Thinder]

5 hours ago, Darpa said:

Thanks Thinder... Looks like a good product. So would it be any problem socket wise if I went with two SAMSUNG V-NAND SSD 970 EVO Plus SSDs? One 2 TB SSD to hold DCS and other and then 1 256 MB SSD to hold the OS. Anything I would need to specify motherboard wise for sockets or would any good top of the line new motherboard have what I need?

 

Number of available SATA after using an M2 depends on your motherboard, if you have 6 SATA it should leave you with 4 available with any good motherboard.

 

It's a question of speed. Your O.S is better off on a separate SSD to DCS and page files (and optimized for gaming), so if you installed it on a SATA, it makes sense to install an M2 SSD and have DCS and page files on it, especially DCS which is perhaps the slower part of this because its engine is not yet optimized, over the next few years I believe it will improve but for now, it's a case of giving DCS the best environment to work in.

 

Storage space is up to you, but 500GB is the minimum for an M2 especially if you intend to run DCS World on it, you still will have space for DCS Open Beta and page files, the maker also is up to you, just make sure you don't go over the transfer speed of your motherboard speed unless you intend to upgrade, it's money spent on a bottleneck when it's the case.

 

Yes I believe this SSD is a good buy but mostly it was one that made the most sense to me considering my other specs, MSI B450 GAMING PLUS MAX, available SATA and other SSDs, I have two more and two extra useable SATA right now, it was cheap (£95.00 at the time) and I got what I needed.

Edited December 26, 2020 by Thinder