Wondering if any peeps on here can help out with some advice…
Current desktop PC is running Windows 7 and has (had…) 3 mechanical drives. 1 x 500gb (OS/software). 2 x 1TB (projects, samples etc.
The cpu/ram etc is all ok for my needs. It’s a purpose built audio pc from scan. 4 years old. I7, 16gb ram etc.
I’m fine with the cpu and performance. Newer/faster would be cool but I’m gonna wait couple more years before upgrading in that direction.
This week one of the 1TB drives died. The other 1TB drive is also showing signs. And the OS drive would be nice to switch to SSD and update to a fresh windows install with windows 10. Kind of wanna start from scratch and reinstall/reorganise.
Thinking of buying something like -
500gb SSD for OS
1TB SSD for projects/samples.
Win 10 upgrade.
I already have a few 4TB mechanical external drives that i regularly back up to/import old sessions from etc.
Main question is…I also have an audio laptop and wondering if the new 1TB desktop SSD could be external? So I don’t have to transfer current projects between desktop and laptop or housekeep separate sample libraries and I can just use one projects/samples drive between both machines. Is usb SSD fast enough for DAW projects/samples for read/write and stability?
I never really geeked out with computer stuff under the hood. Eternal noob. Does the above sound like the right move? And any tips on SSD brand/model/spec choice?
Thanks
Like all but Win 10 upgrade. Win 10 is faster but still has its issues. SSD drive for OS will make a world of difference in speed even with win 7. I mainly use Samsung EVO 850’s if I have the option.
Thanks. I’m not totally commited to the win 10 upgrade. Always found win 7 fine for a daw work machine. Just that I definitely want to start fresh with a new win install, so it seemed like I should prob update at same time. Maybe I’ll just go with a fresh win 7 install.
Will check out those Samsungs you mentioned. Thanks
Like all but Win 10 upgrade. Win 10 is faster but still has its issues. SSD drive for OS will make a world of difference in speed even with win 7. I mainly use Samsung EVO 850’s if I have the option.
So external USB ssd is fine for streaming projects/sample libraries?
Had to re read that, I honestly don’t know if an external would work for streaming. Never tried that.
USB drives are fast enough to watch videos, so they should be fine for music, especially if it’s a USB 3 drive. They go to sleep when inactive, though. Well, unless you disable that feature.
I only have SSDs inside my computer. (Yep, Evo 850 and Evo 850 Pro.) All the high-capacity drives are USB. It’s very convenient. When I run out of space, I buy a drive that’s twice as large as the old one, copy all the files, and store the old drive as a backup.
Windows 10 is a virus. If you want fast boot and can live with some questionable interface choices, install Windows 8. Otherwise stick with 7.
…
Kind of funny how hardware had stagnated with the exception of storage and video cards. All the real computing is done on video cards these days.
Thanks for the feedback peeps. Decided to stay with windows 7 and just fresh install. Ordering a couple of those Samsung SSD’s next week for internal and skip the external shared drive idea. Figured I don’t really wanna have to drag an external harddrive around for laptop so the shared drive setup would have just bugged me.
Cheers!
Windows 10 is a virus.
Perfectly said, it’s awful. I especially love how it removes software that it doesn’t like. I’m now reviving old 7 boxes and laptops with SSD just to stay away from 10.
will you see the benefits of an ssd over usb? i guess thats the question.