I'm installing a 2TB Samsung Pro PCIe Gen4 M.2 SSD, which should be considerably faster than my current 1TB SATA SSD. I mainly play heavily modded Skyrim and Dota 2. Should I clone Windows onto the new NVMe drive, or can I leave Windows on the older SSD and install my games on the faster drive? Would putting Windows on the NVMe noticeably improve game loading times, or would the benefit mostly come from having the games themselves there? Would it be better to put everything on the 2TB drive and use the older SSD for media and less important files? If cloning is recommended, what is the best open-source tool to use?
4 Answers
For an open-source cloning option, Clonezilla is the usual recommendation. Install the new drive, clone the old disk, confirm that the NVMe boots correctly, and only then erase or reuse the old SSD. After cloning, you may need to extend the Windows partition so it uses the remaining space on the 2TB drive.
If you want the cleanest long-term setup, install Windows and your frequently used software on the new NVMe drive, then keep the older SSD for media, backups, or less demanding programs. A fresh Windows installation is generally less troublesome than cloning, though you should make sure important files are backed up first.
Putting the games on the new NVMe drive is the part most likely to improve loading screens, especially with large Skyrim modlists. Leaving Windows on the SATA SSD is perfectly workable, since the difference in boot and general desktop performance may be fairly small. If you want the simplest setup, keep the existing installation and use the 2TB drive for games.
Samsung’s own migration utility is often the easiest choice when moving to a Samsung SSD, although it is not open source. In practice, the biggest gaming improvement comes from storing the games and mod files on the NVMe. Moving Windows there can make the system feel snappier, but it will not produce a dramatic change compared with moving from a hard drive to an SSD.
The Samsung drive may also include manufacturer cloning software, which is easier to use than Clonezilla. I’d still keep the original SSD untouched until the new drive has booted successfully and everything looks normal.