I'm looking for some clarity on a PC build setup I'm considering. If I buy a small SSD for Windows and a larger HDD for games, will the games run as fast as they would on the SSD, or will they be slow on the HDD? I'm a bit confused because I've heard mixed opinions about this. Also, here's my build: INTEL CORE I5 (10th or 11th gen), RX 580 8GB, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD, 2TB HDD, and a 500W power supply. Any thoughts on whether this is a good setup? Thanks!
5 Answers
These days, it's best to have most of your games on an SSD. If you're looking for recommendations, getting a bigger SSD for your main programs and a secondary HDD for backups is a great strategy. It'll save you from constantly managing your storage, plus today's SSDs are more affordable than before.
Some newer games require SSDs to even run properly. It might be fine for storing casual stuff, but you're better off upgrading your storage if possible.
I'm hoping to switch to all SSD eventually. Will that be a good move?
Yeah, if your games are on the HDD, expect slower load times while booting up and between zones or cutscenes. But gameplay itself won't be affected much. Just keep in mind, if you stack a lot of games on the HDD, things might get sluggish.
So it's more about loading, not how the game runs during play, right? That's good to know.
Your build is a bit dated. It should handle older games fine, but for newer titles, it might struggle. Installing games directly on an SSD would definitely speed things up.
If I lower the settings, will I still be able to play those newer games decently?
For your games to really benefit from speeds, they need to be installed on the SSD. If they're on the HDD, you'll notice slower loading times, especially with games that have heavy loading screens.
Oh, that makes sense now. Thanks!
That's really helpful! Unfortunately, SSD prices here in Egypt are still high.