WD 1 1TB 64 meg cache $49.99

Western Digital Blue WD10EZEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive Bare Drive
Extra savings w/ promo code ESCASNN23, ends 5/23
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• Ideal for Desktop PCs, external enclosures and certain industrial applications.
• Advanced Format Technology
• Up to 200K photos, 250K MP3 files, or 120 hours of video
• 2 years limited warrantyhttp://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822236339&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=IGNEFL052215&nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL052215&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL052215-_-EMC-052215-index-_-AllDesktopHardDrives-_-22236339-S0B

 

I wonder if ever a decent make of SSD will come down to those sort of prices.

Nev.

 

That is questionable but I have been thinking about buying some of those 128 Gb deals where I see those for $49.99 and then using a 500 gb for storage in my new builds. That would give me a edge up on most brand name desktops.

 

I think I mentioned some time since that I got a Crucial 512GB SSD and directly cloned the original 500GB drive on to it. then just swapped drives. The whole system is so much faster including opening programs, finding data etc. with a full boot time of around 50 seconds, and that does include some odd items I do want to run at start up.
My only problem is what to do with the extra 12 GB on the SSD now, and just haven't decided. It doesn't matter though as there is still plenty of free space as only about half the drive is filled at present.

The crucial SSD was priced at something reasonable for UK prices at the time of purchase, though can't remember exactly how much now.
I have found it on Amazon here :-

http://www.amazon.com/Crucial-MX100-2-5-Inch-Internal-CT512MX100SSD1/dp/B00KFAGCUM

Nev.

 

I have read some bad reviews of Crucial but I have quite a few of them and two are among the oldest ones I am utilizing and I like them a lot. I have a really good feeling about the Crucial brand as many of you know because they care about what goes out under their name!

 

Why not just merge the two partitions if I am understanding you right about the 12 Gb left over.

 

If you merge the two partitions, Rich you won't be able to clone onto a 500 spinner drive.
I have one crucial SSD and although not the fastest read and write performs great.
Having half of the SSD already used up that a lot of reading all the time.
As you know I run Samsung evo's 500 Gig in my latest builds. I have moved most of my data off my data off the OS drive to a spinner drive and it performs better.In future I will be buying smaller SSD'S for the OS drive as a lot is unused.
By keeping the OS partition small you can clone onto a partition rather than use up the whole 500 GIG sata drive.

I do what works best for myself.

 

I must be missing something here, if you use the whole hard drive, why won't you be able to clone to it?
The clone should automatically adjust to using the entire drive.

 

You can't clone a 512 GIG onto a 500 GIG destination drive.
Must be equal or smaller.
That's why I like cloning. It doesn't compress the files and data and you can copy anything from the clone.
I normally use Macrium but just changed to EaseUS TODO Backup
I think much simpler.

 

That may have been true years ago Dougie but today actually the question should come up if you want to clone to scale and adjust size. Free software to the best of my knowledge won't do it but paid software will to a point and I believe the limit is more than 20% bigger you cannot do but under that you can.

 

I can reduce to OS partition or increase the destination partition. Simple.
Only freeware has been mentioned and that's what I am commenting on.
I don't need paid software when there are alternatives.
I once had Acronis. It failed me two times out of five times I needed it.
You only have to read the Acronis forums to see what a piece of crap it is.
I will stay with free. It works

 

I could not agree more Dougie and I used Acronis exclusively for about 9 years until it burned me twice in 2 days. The Macrium Free is supposed to be no differ than paid except for some functions so it may well do that type of clone also but I have used both to clone bigger drives onto smaller ones and I had always heard you can't do that with free versions but never actually tried that is all I was saying. If you don't use incremental or differential clones then the Macrium Free version is fine. Most of the other free versions IE Easeus and Drive Image are really slow to complete.

 

Acronis used to be very good then something happened and it became so unreliable.
Macrium I have used for ages and it is very fast, agreed.

I don't mind if EaseUS To Do backup takes a little longer as I have time.
I like the way it is set up.

Haven't tried Drive Image so can't comment.

 

In fact it is my drive that is the 512GB, and I hold three ordinary mechanical 500GB drives, all kept as backups with current clones on them. The extra 12GB on the SSD isn't even allocated yet so doesn't come into the equation when cloning off it to a backup 500GB drive. Considering the SSD drive is less than half full any way, the 12GB unallocated isn't a problem as yet so why worry?
I am no gamer or mega video and music hoarder so the rest of the drive will take a long time to fill.
Being unwell and other things to worry about, I can't be bothered with doing anything fancy. I want to get reasonably well again and enjoy life first before I worry about a puny 12GB of unused space.

Nev.

 

Drive Image is not the original Drive Image unfortunately that is another program Symantec bought and dismantled. Drive Image SML is a freebie:
http://www.drive-image.com/