Hybrid Hard Drive Gaming performance

[Realmkeeper]

So, I did a little shopping and got some new drives for my work computer and gaming rig, and am looking to see if anyone here has personal experience (and/or an opinion) on the extent of increase in gaming (load times, etc) with a hybrid hard drive over a standard hard disk drive, and a hybrid over a solid state.

 

Basically, I am wanting to determine if I would be better off installing a 256Gb SSD for both the OS and games, or a 128Gb SSD for the OS and a 1Tb Hybrid drive for the games, or if the performance would be almost identical either way.

I've got a 128Gb SSD, a 256Gb SSD, and 2 1Tb HHDs to split between my work and gaming computers. I've got about 500Gb of games installed at present, so would only be looking to install my most commonly played ones on the SSD if the performance would be better.

 

Thoughts and opinions?

They won't be turning up until after the weekend, so I'll be asking around elsewhere before then too.

[Pixel Bombs]

SSDs really only affect load times for games and not much else. I would go with the 128 GB SSD for OS and the games you play most and the 1 TB hybrid for everything else.

[Realmkeeper]

SSDs really only affect load times for games and not much else. I would go with the 128 GB SSD for OS and the games you play most and the 1 TB hybrid for everything else.

See, I wasn't too sure if 128GB would be enough for both the OS and games in the long term.

 

Any idea if games on a SSD perform better than on a Hybrid? Considering the whole idea behind the hybrids is that the regularly accessed stuff ends up in the solid state, while the majority remains on the hard disk.

If so, I'll probably end up using the 256GB SSD for the OS and games, and the HHD for less commonly played games and general storage. Otherwise, there's no point in stuffing the games on the little SSDs if they perform just as well on the hybrid

[EnigmaGrey]

Considering you can get games like PZ that load constantly (albeit small amounts of data), you may still have issues with the seek times on the hybrid drivers. I've no first hand experience with them -- it's quite possible the advertised 12 m/s (seems the going rate) won't even be felt

[Keepbro]

I have a hybrid drive on my rig and to be truly honest it does sweet f a for gaming. It helps my OS boot-up faster but that is it.

[Kirrus]

Personally, with a drive that has a limited finite number of write cycles till it dies (SSD), I'd go with just SSD. Put it with a normal HDD for backup, games that aren't so drive heavy / small, and it'll be fine.

But then, I am the guy still running *everything* off of a standard harddrive at home. We've SSDs at work (of course), but then, they also have this amazing ability to tell you (accurately) when they're going to die soon, which is quite useful really.

[plekpot]

I've got a 1 TB SSD (3gb/s SATA) on which I installed everything (OS and games), my 1 TB HDD is only used for big data like photo's. I've noticed a small increase in game loading speed (a bit eg the Sims and Civ 5) and a general increase in loading times (like opening a website, folders, startup went from 4 min to 30 sec). I'm sure it would be even better when I upgrade my pc to have 6gb/s SATA.

 

I would save up for a 1TB SSD instead of buying a hybrid.

[EnigmaGrey]

After seeing a 1 TB Vertex 4 go on sale for around $350, I was sorely tempted to buy one that size.

[plekpot]

The price is dropping a bit, you can wait or buy it now. I bought my Samsung 840 EVO 1 TB after a price drop from 550 to 450 euros.

[Realmkeeper]

I don't know if I can justify forking out for a 1TB SSD, with a predetermined number of write cycles till it goes fubar. I've got an assortment of HDDs ranging from 250GB to 1TB, some of which have lasted me 6 or more years and are still going strong.

 

Losing a large drive would be like losing skin off your back - you know it's gone, but you aren't entirely sure exactly what was on there, or what it was used for...

That's why I've stuck with the smaller ones for now anyway, perhaps one day I'll risk that jump into running it all on solid state.

 

Lastly, I didn't even realise there were still computers running 3GB/s SATA around, I wouldn't exactly call my current gaming rig 'new', but it'll be running them at 6GB/s (when they arrive... curse those couriers having weekends off!)

[EnigmaGrey]

Have had SSDs running in my computers for years without anything going FUBAR.

I'll take predetermined number of write cycles over "Just one day decides the head should impact the disk," personally.

It's always a gamble -- no matter what you pick.

[plekpot]

I don't know if I can justify forking out for a 1TB SSD, with a predetermined number of write cycles till it goes fubar. I've got an assortment of HDDs ranging from 250GB to 1TB, some of which have lasted me 6 or more years and are still going strong.

 

Losing a large drive would be like losing skin off your back - you know it's gone, but you aren't entirely sure exactly what was on there, or what it was used for...

That's why I've stuck with the smaller ones for now anyway, perhaps one day I'll risk that jump into running it all on solid state.

 

Lastly, I didn't even realise there were still computers running 3GB/s SATA around, I wouldn't exactly call my current gaming rig 'new', but it'll be running them at 6GB/s (when they arrive... curse those couriers having weekends off!)

Yeah, I bought a medium-high gaming pc four years ago (1250€) and it's starting to age. Don't really know much about the technical details, I just ask my dad "How can I make my games run faster?" and he gives me recommendations.