New Computer part 2.

[simondix]

I am now ready to order my new computer. I have many questions.
1, If I have SSD for the OS do I load FSX onto the HDD or the SSD.

2.If I have to load FSX onto the SSD, with all the scenery I have and any planes I may have do they go on the HDD or the SSD and do I have to reload them every time I want to use FSX.

I want Win7/64 on the SSD, FSX on HDD 1. All my FS9 which is Silverwings and Goldenwings on HDD2. Photos on HDD3 and all the rest of the gubbins ona HDD4 if possible.

Would I be able to do that.

[speedbird591]

Having not so long ago bought a new computer along these lines following advice from Ben and others, this is the general idea. You should separate the OS drive and the FS drive because the OS is constantly writing and rewriting stuff and will slow down FS. The SSD will be very expensive and therefore unlikely to be big enough to accommodate FS. Therefore put the OS on the SSD where it will work very efficiently and speedily and most importantly without interfering with FS. Try and keep FS totally on it's own on the second HDD whether or not it's SSD or conventional. That would mean putting your other main programmes such as MS Office on the SSD drive with the OS if it's big enough.

If you didn't have a third HDD you could use some of the FS HDD for storing photos and documents because they would be static and wouldn't be written or read to while you were simming. Or you could save those externally.

Somebody will be along with more specific help but that's the general reasoning behind it.

Ian

[simondix]

Wouldn't you be able to put MS Office on a third HDD?

[TSR2]

There's no point in putting Office on a 3rd HDD, you wouldn't gain anything. Basically what Ian has said is spot on, SSD for you OS and programs then separate disk (HDD or SSD) for your FS stuff, and if you really want to, a third disk for your scenery.

[Tomliner]

As I may soon have to also look at a replacement pc,could I add a couple of questions here?
What size of SSD would most suitable for the OS ?
Would the browser prog(s) also need to be placed on the SSD? EricT

[TSR2]

Hi Eric, just think of the SSD the same as you would an HDD. You just install software on it in the usual way. All I would say is that if you have a large amount of pictures / videos / music etc, its probably worth redirecting that at another drive. On that basis a 128GB drive will probably do, but a 256 or so will give you a lot of wriggle room. to give you some idea, my laptop has a 240GB SSD (no FSX or FS9)
I've 50GB of pictures about 60GB of music, the OS and Office and all the other little programs and I've still got 56GB free.

[simondix]

Where have you put your FSX and FS then

[TSR2]

FSX on second hard disk and and the vfr scenery on a third hard disk.

[simondix]

Great that is what I wanted to know. At the moment I have my C Drive which is my OS. All my flightsim stuff is on my D drive which is a slave drive so no difference really. You can have several other disks for other things. Thanks for that.

Further question. Why do you have all your scenery on a different drive?

[TSR2]

Years ago with slow spinning disks it was argued it was faster to have scenery on a separate drive. Today, all of my disk are SSD's so its a question of capacity and convenience. It also means its easy for me to point FSX and P3D at the same scenery folders