Please review my specs. Should I get dedicated SSD hard drive?

[anubhav]

Folks,

Would you mind reviewing the specs for the following custom-built PC? Would like to know if there is a substantian difference between the 1TB WD Black 7200 RPM + 64GB Solid State Cache vs. a 512GB Solid State hard drive - I chose this to keep things under budget. Please also note that I plan on running PMDG aircrafts and payware scenery such as ORBX, along with REX, UTX over a triple monitor setup.

-Operating System - Windows 7 Home Premium Edition (64-Bit)
-Motherboard - ASRock Z77 Professional SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0
-Processor - Intel 3rd Gen Core i7 3770K (4.5GHz Overclock) Quad Core
-CPU Cooling - Antec 620 Single Stage CPU Liquid Cooling
-System Memory - 8GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM 1866MHz
-Graphics Processor - 2GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 680, GDDR5, PCIe
-System Power - 750 Watt PC Power & Cooling MK II
-Primary Hard Drive - 1TB WD Black 7200 RPM + 64GB Solid State Cache
-Secondary Hard Drive - None Selected

Thanks!

[JSkorna]

Good to keep the HD the way it is for right now. You should be good to go!

[Paxx]

While what Jim suggests is perfectly adequate and your proposed system with the WD black will run FSX (w/typical add-ons) at high graphical settings generally speaking, it appears to me that you are shooting for some premium equipment with a reasonable budget.

That said, personally I would go with the SSD and the WD Black. The SSD won't directly help FSX FPS, but on high-end systems, in my experience, an SSD HD "completes" the system. If you can afford it, take the dive, you won't regret it.

P.S - Operating System, FSX and your other apps on the SSD, data and archiving/system image backup on the WD Black.

[torkermax]

Dont agree, again!

OS and everything else on the HDD. Trade a smaller HDD for a larger 128gb SSD dedicated to FSX. USE an external USB drive for backup. 40.00$\

HDD's arent the best for BU as they are one of the most common failing computer components.

[Paxx]

Dont agree, again!

OS and everything else on the HDD. Trade a smaller HDD for a larger 128gb SSD dedicated to FSX. USE an external USB drive for backup. 40.00$\

HDD's arent the best for BU as they are one of the most common failing computer components.

Just a refresher, the guy wants to know which might be better, a 1TB HDD vs a 512 SSD. I said both.

So the USB External you suggest for $40 USD is an SSD? Please link where you can get a USB external SSD that has the capacity to backup/system image a 1TB HDD with room to store data also for $40.

Or ...

HDD's arent the best for BU as they are one of the most common failing computer components.

If you meant a typical USB External HDD for backup, please explain how this differs from an internal HDD as far as reliability goes.

I stand by what I said.

Note to anubhav - if your budget doesn't permit both - go 512 SSD all the way, I repeat, you won't regret it. I'll even go out on a limb (a strong, certified by Dendrology experts, limb) and say that if you absolutely hate the performance you can blame me and only me. You can do that in a post on this very forum, and you will be the first.

I also recommend that you back up your new system to something internal or external, this will help you down the road if/when problems arise.

[JSkorna]

Is the SSD worth an extra $300?

[Paxx]

That is the $300 dollar question. For my present system, no. Mostly because I am lazy and waiting for more price drops and what my new system might be in the coming year. I'm still waiting for reliable 5.0GHz +. On systems I have built for others recently, yes. A big yes. Three of the five system's owners I built last month (i5/i7 - OC) called me the next day to say WOW! The other two hooked up with the WOW factor in the following week and told me about it. Two of those systems have what we around here call typical FSX installs w/add-ons.

On new systems I build it is SSD sized to the use/budget and a typical 7200RPM HDD for storage/data etc. Nobody has complained yet. Of course those with larger budgets The Raptor still plays a part but that depends on the users expected use, desires and needs.

[JSkorna]

OK because I have never seen one in action in a system before, just read the posts here and watch the prices vs storage capacities.

[Paxx]

Goto Best Buy, have one of the Blue Shirts boot a i3/i5/i7 Laptop w/SSD (and OEM crapware). Be prepared to be amazed.

Keep in mind that SSD is NOT a FSX FPS nirvana, but on high-end systems that have overclocking going on under the hood (CPU/RAM/GPU) SSD is far superior in my opinion to 7200rpm HDD for overall system performance.

Edit - My last "forum recommendation" had a bit of a SSD vs HDD debate, Don chimed in knowledgeable as always and had this to say.

[abrussell]

A look at your Windows Experience Index will tell the tale. My system scores:
Processor = 7.5
Memory = 7.9
Graphics = 7.7
Gaming graphics = 7.7
Primary hard disk = 5.9
Current HDD is WDC WD7500AALX-009BA0

Time to start looking for an ssd.
Bruce