I just got a new WD Black SN7100 2TB M.2 SSD to expand my PC storage, but I'm currently running my operating system on a 500GB Samsung 970 M.2 drive. Should I switch my OS to the new SSD because it's faster, or can I keep Windows on the Samsung and just use the new SSD for extra storage?
5 Answers
If your Samsung drive is a 970 Evo, you're in good shape. Those have DRAM cache which helps with random writes, making it preferable for the OS over a PCIe 4.0 drive like the SN7100, which lacks it.
What about creating a partition on the new drive for extra space, would that help?
In general, the difference isn't huge. SSDs already have great random performance, which is the key to a responsive system.
Honestly, keeping your OS on the Samsung drive is probably fine. The speed difference won't dramatically impact your everyday tasks, so using the new SSD for extra storage makes sense.
Just keep the OS on the old drive. Moving it won't really provide any noticeable boost in performance.
Another option could be to clone everything onto the new SSD and just use one drive for everything.
So, I should stick with the 970 Evo for my OS then?