SSD + HDD

[Brutality]

First and foremost:

Back up anything you want to keep on your current HDD - External HDD, DVD burn, whatever

 

Why? Because I recommend formatting that HDD. Can probably do without it, but I think it will be cleaner and you will be less prone to issues down the line.

 

 

Step 1: Update the firmware on your P8P67 Pro if you haven't already ...and download the newest firmware for your SSD onto a flash drive

Step 2: Turn off machine, switch PSU off, and unplug everything from the machine

Step 3: After waiting 10min or more, grounding yourself, open case and remove old HDD

Step 4: Install new SSD and reattach all wires/cables

Step 5: Turn on machine and get into BIOS immediately - change the boot options to CD => SSD (and nothing else)

Step 6: Before leaving the BIOS also set your SATA drive to AHCI - save and exit

Step 7: (Optional) Reboot and go back into BIOS to confirm settings saved

Step 8: Put your Win7 CD in and exit BIOS so your machine reboots this time going to Windows - Install Windows (no customization needed for SSD)

Step 9: Once Windows is installed change your boot options to SSD (only)

Step 10: Update the SSD firmware then update Windows ASAP

 

Once you are satisfied Windows is installed correctly on your SSD, connect your old HDD drive. Now if your machine is currently set to IDE you may have issues seeing the data on your drive.

 

- Format your old HDD (there are multiple ways of accomplishing this so use the one you feel most comfortable with)

 

Once you are satisified everything is working with your SSD, you can format your old HDD and use it as a storage drive and to install the bulk of your programs. I would use the SSD for Windows, the programs you care about the most and maybe 2-3 games. I would not install Steam on it. SSD space goes quick and you want to leave 20% free.

 

Thanks!

 

Just what I was looking for

[Tjj226_Angel]

I use Acronis all the time (backup and restored probably 30 machines), nothing wrong with it.

 

I know, and it bugs me because I think it is just my dumb luck. Maybe it is because I got mine for free (not stolen, just lucky)?

[Tjj226_Angel]

First and foremost:

Back up anything you want to keep on your current HDD - External HDD, DVD burn, whatever

 

Why? Because I recommend formatting that HDD. Can probably do without it, but I think it will be cleaner and you will be less prone to issues down the line.

 

 

Step 1: Update the firmware on your P8P67 Pro if you haven't already ...and download the newest firmware for your SSD onto a flash drive

Step 2: Turn off machine, switch PSU off, and unplug everything from the machine

Step 3: After waiting 10min or more, grounding yourself, open case and remove old HDD

Step 4: Install new SSD and reattach all wires/cables

Step 5: Turn on machine and get into BIOS immediately - change the boot options to CD => SSD (and nothing else)

Step 6: Before leaving the BIOS also set your SATA drive to AHCI - save and exit

Step 7: (Optional) Reboot and go back into BIOS to confirm settings saved

Step 8: Put your Win7 CD in and exit BIOS so your machine reboots this time going to Windows - Install Windows (no customization needed for SSD)

Step 9: Once Windows is installed change your boot options to SSD (only)

Step 10: Update the SSD firmware then update Windows ASAP

 

Once you are satisfied Windows is installed correctly on your SSD, connect your old HDD drive. Now if your machine is currently set to IDE you may have issues seeing the data on your drive.

 

- Format your old HDD (there are multiple ways of accomplishing this so use the one you feel most comfortable with)

 

Once you are satisified everything is working with your SSD, you can format your old HDD and use it as a storage drive and to install the bulk of your programs. I would use the SSD for Windows, the programs you care about the most and maybe 2-3 games. I would not install Steam on it. SSD space goes quick and you want to leave 20% free.

 

The only thing is I think you meant to say BIOS instead of firmware for the mobo but otherwise great job explaining this fogel. I would also like to add, that when you are installing WIndows, the second you get the SSD in and into windows and before adding the HDD, I would enable TRIM and install the intel rapid storage drive that you can find on your mobo's manufacturer's website. Both of these things can be done with your HDD in, but I wouldn't risk it.

[Waco]

IMHO wiping the hdd is a waste of time...just delete the Windows files off of it when the SSD is up and running. Formatting it is just overkill

[Fogel]

The only thing is I think you meant to say BIOS instead of firmware for the mobo but otherwise great job explaining this fogel. I would also like to add, that when you are installing WIndows, the second you get the SSD in and into windows and before adding the HDD, I would enable TRIM and install the intel rapid storage drive that you can find on your mobo's manufacturer's website. Both of these things can be done with your HDD in, but I wouldn't risk it.

 

Good call - TRIMS should come up automatically but it certainly doesn't hurt to make sure.

 

Open Command Prompt as Admin

Enter the following command:

 

fsutil behavior query DisableDeleteNotify

If the result is '0' TRIMS is enabled.

 

IMHO wiping the hdd is a waste of time...just delete the Windows files off of it when the SSD is up and running. Formatting it is just overkill

 

Probably true. I recommended a format because it probably formatted his HDD as IDE. We have another user here who had multiple issues in this scenario so to me it just seems cleaner formatting it and making sure there is no inconsistency with IDE and AHCI. Not saying that there definitely would be but if relocatting the data temporarily isn't a big deal there is nothing wrong with a clean drive.

[Waco]

Probably true. I recommended a format because it probably formatted his HDD as IDE. We have another user here who had multiple issues in this scenario so to me it just seems cleaner formatting it and making sure there is no inconsistency with IDE and AHCI. Not saying that there definitely would be but if relocatting the data temporarily isn't a big deal there is nothing wrong with a clean drive.

AHCI and IDE have absolutely nothing to do with the format of a hard drive.

[Fogel]

AHCI and IDE have absolutely nothing to do with the format of a hard drive.

 

Well true, I don't mean like FAT, NTFS, etc. I thought the drive controller was installed on the HDD, but I could be(probably) wrong. All I truly know is we have issues at work porting unclean HDDs from machine to machine as well have seen a lot of people switching from HDD to SSD (IDE to AHCI) who then had issues seeing their old HDD afterwards or had inconsistent issues. I am not going to pretend I know what causes all those issues, I just opt to go clean.

[Brutality]

I just read about SSD caching, but I don't quite understand it.

Is it something worth doing? Or is it better just to have an SSD as main drive and HDD as secondary (storage)

 

My top priority for my computer is gaming performance

[Fogel]

1: You can't do it with a P8P67 board like you have in your sig

2: Not worth it on a 120GB SSD (SRT works up to 64GB)

[darkreize]

Well, OCZ has a new line of SSDs called Synapse. They SSDs that function as cache.

 

http://www.ocztechnology.com/ocz-synapse-cache-sata-iii-2-5-ssd.html

 

Got great reviews on a lot of sites.