Looking for a good SSD

[ZedNova]

Hi, i've had my new system for about 4 months now. And due to budget constraints i wasn't able to put an SSD in when i first built it.

However i now have 80 dollars (USD) to blow, what's the best, highest capacity SSD any of you can recommend for me that's 80 USD or under?

[Streetwind]

is that $80 before or after taxes? I know the US does this weird thing where they show all prices without taxes so the customer never knows what they're really paying until they see the invoice.

But in any case, in that price range you're not going to get above the 128 GB size class. If it works out with your budget, you could look into the Crucial MX100 series. It launched only a short while ago to favorable reviews, and it has excellent price/performance.

[ZedNova]

I've only ever had to pay taxes on Origin as far as online purchases go. I'll most likely order off of amazon because i have prime, and I've never paid taxes for purchases there.

Would this be a good choice? http://www.amazon.com/Crucial-MX100-adapter-Internal-CT128MX100SSD1/dp/B00KFAGD88/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407337620&sr=8-1&keywords=MX100+128gb

[Streetwind]

Yep, that's the one I was referring to

But looking at the pricing there, if it is at all possible to somehow scrounge up another $30 to get the 256 GB model instead, that is a useful upgrade. Not only do you get twice the capacity for noticably less than twice the price, but there's also the fact that the smallest member of a SSD series usually has slightly reduced performance compared to the other models (because it has less physical storage chips and thus cannot parallelize data transfers as well).

Although even a small SSD will run circles around any sort of magnetic disk. It really is the best thing ever.

[Firov]

If you are able to scrounge up another 30 dollars, you might also consider the Samsung 840 EVO, either 120GB or 250GB models. It's considerably faster than the MX100 and rated extremely highly. I've been looking into SSDs myself since it's about time I upgrade my 120GB Vertex 3, and right now I'm leaning heavily towards the 840 EVO. It appears to be the best bang for the buck, once you factor in performance.

Here are some compiled benchmarks.

http://ssd.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Samsung-840-Evo-250GB-vs-Crucial-MX100-256GB/1594vs2317

[Nuke]

you could probibly get 120gb with that (which is about the bare minimum you need for a modern os). you are not going to get a top notch brand, but you are likely to see much better performance than a mechanical drive. look at iops performance numbers for both read and write, more is better.

Edited August 6, 2014 by Nuke

[Dartguy]

I have had the Samsung 840 120GB for about a year now, and it has been perfect. I would highly recommend it. I will never go back to having an OS installed on a disk drive.

[ThinkOutsideTheHangar]

In my opinion, hybrids are the best. And I'm an intel fan, so I don't know any good priced ssds.

[Javster]

In my opinion, hybrids are the best. And I'm an intel fan, so I don't know any good priced ssds.

Apparently only a tiny section is SSD

[ZedNova]

Okay thanks for the help guys, now i have another question;

Should i use the included cloning software to clone my Windows install to the SSD? Or should i install it fresh?

The C: drive currently has 80gb of data on it.

[Elthy]

Its better to do a fresh install, there are some things that can (but most time wont) go wrong and windows will auto-configure some options on a fresh install...

[Nuke]

so long as you dont mess with the mobo or cpu, and you dont have to mess around with user folders on other dirves, id just ghost over. if there are issues you still have the option of reinstalling.

[Streetwind]

Fresh installs are great for more reasons than just moving the OS to a SSD. Windows has this habit of accreting all sorts of digital gunk over time. Starting over will give you a leaner, cleaner and faster machine. It also takes the onus of configuring Windows for SSD operation out of your hands. During installation, Windows autodetects if it is being installed onto a SSD and sets configuration options like disabling automatic defragmentation and other such things itself. If you just ghost it over, you'll need to set these by hand.

Also, you should mess with the mobo. Specifically, you should look into the BIOS if the SATA controller that the SSD is connected to runs in AHCI mode and not IDE mode. If it's in the wrong mode, switch it. The old IDE driver cannot actually recognize a SSD for what it is, and as a result, it's going to be running slower and under increased wear.

[cantab]

Cloning will be quicker, even with the settings to tweak. Basically decided whether you *want* a clean Windows install or not. Getting rid of unwanted software is good, but having to spend time (and for some people metered bandwidth) installing wanted software is not. And of course make sure you have all your install disks and product keys.

As for hybrids, they're essentially better mechanical drives, and don't really compete with solid state.

[ZedNova]

Thanks for the help guys, i opted to do a fresh install since the cloning software gave me an estimated 3 hours to copy. I'm loving the 10 second bootup.