So.... question about allocating games / OS / etc

So..... this is technically a configuration question, but if any of you moderators want to move it into a more appropriate section, feel free.

I have on the DSO I just bought (It's in the mail now! Reviews soon, if I could post in the reviews section), a WD300GB Velociraptor HDD for my primary, and a 7200RPM WD 500GB HDD for my secondary Hard Drive.

I've seen various suggestions about how to install / use these drives to their maximum potential, and I'm not sure if this would be good, so here goes.


Install all programs / OS on the Veloci, and games on the secondary. When I do video capturing while playing games, have my computer record the video stream onto my veloci (Let's face it, High resolution video capturing is a beast for space, and I need every MB / write speed I can get to have my computer not skip frames), while games run off of the secondary... that way, the games have their own HDD to read from for fetching new textures, etc., while the Veloci is busy writing stuff....

yea or nay? Would you suggest otherwise? Is this 100% off topic? If so, slap me on the wrist!

@ Nomak, I am aiming for at least 1280x720, with as little frames being dropped as possible. If I can do 1920x1080, I'd be all over that like white on rice. It all boils down to if my computer is up to the task, and if the Hard Drives will be able to keep up. With an average write speed of 100MB/sec on the Veloci, I'm sure I wouldn't be disappointed.

@ Harleyman, I don't mind video encoding happening on a slower drive; but when I am recording in REAL TIME, I'd think it would be best to have the fastest HDD take over the writing of the data. Once I finish with my capture, I can move the data off of the fast drive to the slower, larger one and do compressions there. I guess what I'm stuck on is that I'm afraid if the game needs to access something not in RAM (Like new textures), while video capturing, It'd be best to let an idle HDD pick that up instead of the HDD that's busy writing the massive amounts of data I'm throwing at it.

However, Harleyman, I'll take your advice and give it a shot. If I don't like the results, Well. I can always swap drives and see how that performs I suppose.

@ Nomak

Will do.

Thanks Harley. Let me give that a go, and if it speeds this computer up, I owe you big time!

And you would rather use self proclaimed beta freeware to defrag your priceless data... yikes... thanks but no.

The 40 bucks for Diskeeper is much safer and a far better solution if you really dislike the windows basic defragger, which by the way works perfectly it is just a bit slow.

If you really do not want diskeeper, O&O Defrag or Perfect Disk are also windows certified and not beta freeware... **shudder**

Dave

Its not a matter of opinion.

if you want your PC/windows to respond faster you go with the faster drive, you want the games to enjoy the speed also, then you put the OS/games on the faster drive.

for storage you use the slower drive.

done, to get a system like that then make it windows slow cause it on a slower drive goes against getting a fast system.

Do games run faster on the faster drive? you bet.

so should you install the OS on the slower drive because of that? hell no you install both on the faster drive.

Its not like the 8GB of windows is not gonna leave you room for games in your 300 or 150GB HDD



Edited by DST4ME - 24 Sep 2008 at 3:41pm

Gigs, I have heard 5,10.

Some of the bigger ones like MMORPGs and the newer games with next gen type graphics can have huge install folders. My WoW folder is over 40 Gig... admittedly I keep 1 back patch and a crop of mods, but the game itself is like 28-30 Gig

Warhammer is also huge... around 12 Gig...

So nothing to sneeze at... not at all :)

Dave

NO HM its not for you, I don't see you quoting reviews.

you got me with the chain yanking

so

HM: 1

DST: 0

LOL glad to be the resource to our tool

no wait that does not sound right

You know whats funnier is the typo, thats suppose to say to "your tool" ROFLMAO



Edited by DST4ME - 24 Sep 2008 at 7:53pm