http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7...ing-price-war/
Edit: Just noticed this is a "Mac Fixit" article. That's funny.
Edit: Just noticed this is a "Mac Fixit" article. That's funny.
Quote:
Originally Posted by assassin /forum/post/21963739
I am a ssd fan.
But, again, to say that its unusable without one just isn't accurate. Maybe its unusable to you personally but everyone has different needs and expectations.
And as we have seen building a htpc can be done cheaply. So while $60 for an ssd is a definite worthwhile expense for you and me it isn't for everyone else necessarily.
Put it this way. You can build a bottom of the line htpc with a 2tb drive for less than $250 nowadays. So adding an ssd is 1/3 to 1/4 the cost of the entire build. So for that type of build you can see where its not for everyone.
Outside of the os installation which does take a few minutes longer in the htpc environment its perfectly fine not to use a ssd if you are on a very tight budget.
Quote:
Originally Posted by assassin /forum/post/21963739
I am a ssd fan.
But, again, to say that its unusable without one just isn't accurate. Maybe its unusable to you personally but everyone has different needs and expectations.
And as we have seen building a htpc can be done cheaply. So while $60 for an ssd is a definite worthwhile expense for you and me it isn't for everyone else necessarily.
Put it this way. You can build a bottom of the line htpc with a 2tb drive for less than $250 nowadays. So adding an ssd is 1/3 to 1/4 the cost of the entire build. So for that type of build you can see where its not for everyone.
Outside of the os installation which does take a few minutes longer in the htpc environment its perfectly fine not to use a ssd if you are on a very tight budget.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mfusick /forum/post/21964612
But, even if I do agree with you in theory I will still have trouble understanding the choice to use a normal HDD for an OS on a new build. That one would make me scratch my head.
Quote:
Originally Posted by assassin /forum/post/21964624
Again, because you don't need to buy a storage/data drive AND a SSD/OS drive. You can just as easily get a storage/data drive (1.5TB for less than $70 today, for example) and partition a portion for the OS (if, again, you are on a super strict budget and need local storage on your HTPC.)
So that's the reason and they way that you do it. When all you are doing is clicking open WMC+MB, XBMC, JRiver, etc then having a SSD to make that 1 task 2-4 seconds faster just isn't an absolute requirement.
Sometimes I think you have trouble separating HTPC from regular PC. They are very very different animals.
Quote:
Originally Posted by assassin /forum/post/21964711
I would never build a HTPC or PC for ***ME*** without a SSD. I also will never go back to not having one for the OS and programs.
But as I have said I have many friends and family that I have built HTPCs for that were on a shoestring budget that don't have a SSD and they have never complained about their HTPCs being "unusable".
The point is to get everyone into HTPC. So if that means that you have to build one without a SSD in order to get there then do it. Don't read this thread and think that you absolutely need to have one because you don't. Will the experience be worlds better with a SSD. I think so. Does that mean that you should wait to get into HTPC until you can scrounge that extra $60-$100 to get a SSD? Well that's up to you, your situation and your bank account. Can you get by without a SSD especially if you have never used one before and are likely used to slow, bloated Dells/HPs/Gateways? Absolutely yes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by olyteddy /forum/post/21963936
Interesting points there gents. I'm currently running my new install off the Hard Drive after having used this (i7 2600 with 16GB RAM) machine for the last 6 months on SSD. I concur that the SSD is indeed quicker to boot, but only by perhaps a couple seconds. Let's say 10 seconds. If you rebooted every day for a year you'd save a whole hour.
On my Acer Revo, however, it's a different story. It was a rather under-powered machine with only 2GB of RAM when I got it and boots a lot quicker (30 seconds or so) now with 4GB and an SSD. However, the Revo only gets rebooted once a month or so.
Neither case, to me, is enough to make an SSD mandatory. I do, however, believe them to be desirable. But in a true 'economy build' I would forgo SSD.
Quote:
Originally Posted by flocko /forum/post/21964835
That would be about all that needs to be said .... never better
Quote:
Originally Posted by duff99 /forum/post/0
I've been sitting here watching this debate, and I've noticed one thing that hasn't been mentioned. Depending on what your needs are the SSD might actually be the cheaper choice. A 250GB hard drive is $70 on NewEgg right now. It seems that you can find 64GB SSD's for less. In my case I've got all my media on a server, and my main PC does DVR duties. So I don't need local storage on any of my HTPC's. So for me a SSD makes sense, even financially. Of course all my HTPC's already have SSD's from before the flood so it's a moot point. Even if I get the rebuild itch I'd just use the same SSD's with the new system.
Quote:
Originally Posted by duff99 /forum/post/21965462
I've been sitting here watching this debate, and I've noticed one thing that hasn't been mentioned. Depending on what your needs are the SSD might actually be the cheaper choice. A 250GB hard drive is $70 on NewEgg right now. It seems that you can find 64GB SSD's for less. In my case I've got all my media on a server, and my main PC does DVR duties. So I don't need local storage on any of my HTPC's. So for me a SSD makes sense, even financially. Of course all my HTPC's already have SSD's from before the flood so it's a moot point. Even if I get the rebuild itch I'd just use the same SSD's with the new system.
Quote:
Originally Posted by assassin /forum/post/21964624
Again, because you don't need to buy a storage/data drive AND a SSD/OS drive. You can just as easily get a storage/data drive (1.5TB for less than $70 today, for example) and partition a portion for the OS (if, again, you are on a super strict budget and need local storage on your HTPC.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by StardogChampion /forum/post/21966381
I think it's funny after all the information here about SSDs, you still see replies that the only benefit an SSD provides is improved boot times. The benefits go way beyond boot time. Everything needs to be fetched from disk into memory. Most of what a PC does is I/O bound. Launcing programs, navigating menus, bring up the guide, a myriad of other things are vastly and noticeably improved by SSD. I had to go back to using an HDD on one of my PCs for a little while due to some issues I was having (which turned out to be the BIOS being stupid about which devices were plugged in) and it drove me nuts how slow it was for almost everything I wanted to do. Yeah, I'll never go back either for PC or HTPC.
Now, if I could just convinced them at work to swap out my HDD for an SSD...
Quote:
Originally Posted by StardogChampion /forum/post/21966381
I think it's funny after all the information here about SSDs, you still see replies that the only benefit an SSD provides is improved boot times. The benefits go way beyond boot time. Everything needs to be fetched from disk into memory. Most of what a PC does is I/O bound. Launcing programs, navigating menus, bring up the guide, a myriad of other things are vastly and noticeably improved by SSD. I had to go back to using an HDD on one of my PCs for a little while due to some issues I was having (which turned out to be the BIOS being stupid about which devices were plugged in) and it drove me nuts how slow it was for almost everything I wanted to do. Yeah, I'll never go back either for PC or HTPC.
Now, if I could just convinced them at work to swap out my HDD for an SSD...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mfusick /forum/post/21966222
You can get 2tb for $90. Use staples 25$ off card method.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dan4081 /forum/post/21967352
Now I'm starting to entertain the thought of changing my home pc to a SSD.
Right now I have a 500gb and a 1tb HD in it...the os is on the 500gb.
(I also have an unraid server running a bunch of 2tb drives.....I can add the 1tb drive to it)
If I were to put a ssd in the pc and use the 500gb as the storage drive, where would I put programs such as photoshop and vegas movie studio?
Would I still see benefits if I have photoshop on the ssd and the photos I am working on are on the regular HD?
Also, can I just yank out my HD, put the ssd in, do a clean install of Win 7 and use my same activation number? Or would I have to call Microsoft and tell them Im changing hard drives?
Thanks
Quote:
Originally Posted by dan4081 /forum/post/21967352
If I were to put a ssd in the pc and use the 500gb as the storage drive, where would I put programs such as photoshop and vegas movie studio?
Quote:
Originally Posted by dan4081 /forum/post/21967352
Would I still see benefits if I have photoshop on the ssd and the photos I am working on are on the regular HD?
Quote:
Originally Posted by dan4081 /forum/post/21967352
Also, can I just yank out my HD, put the ssd in, do a clean install of Win 7 and use my same activation number? Or would I have to call Microsoft and tell them Im changing hard drives?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike99 /forum/post/21967469
What is the Staples $25 off card? I get their emails all the time & have not seen this offer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike99 /forum/post/21967469
What is the Staples $25 off card? I get their emails all the time & have not seen this offer.
http://www.e-junkie.com/shop/product...iration+May+16Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike99 /forum/post/21965903
I got started building an HTPC after reading the thread “Cheapest ever HTPC that's decent. Proud of myself.”
At this point I’m just not ready to get an SSD in addition to the HDD. I have to get the HTPC fired up & working first.
Could you please tell me who has a 1.5TB for $70?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike99 /forum/post/21965903
I got started building an HTPC after reading the thread “Cheapest ever HTPC that's decent. Proud of myself.”
At this point I’m just not ready to get an SSD in addition to the HDD. I have to get the HTPC fired up & working first.
Could you please tell me who has a 1.5TB for $70?