Do I need separate drives for Windows and games?
Asked by
MellowCedar47
I've heard that it's better to use one storage drive for Windows and updates, and a second drive for games. Is separating them actually necessary, or can I install everything on one SSD without any problems?
Answers
The drive sizes matter more than the separation itself. If your main drive is only around 500 GB, a second drive for games will probably be useful. If you have a 1 TB or larger SSD with plenty of free space, keeping everything together is perfectly reasonable. Also, “storage” refers to drives; “memory” usually means RAM.
Reply to this answer
A separate games drive can be convenient if you ever need to reinstall Windows, since you may be able to leave the game library untouched. It also keeps personal files and other important data away from the system installation, but it doesn’t replace a proper backup and won’t automatically make the computer faster.
Reply to this answer
No, it isn’t necessary. Windows, updates, applications, and games can all live on the same SSD without hurting performance. A second drive is mainly useful if you need more capacity or prefer keeping things organized.
Reply to this answer
Add your answer
Answers are reviewed before publication.
CopperVale19: This was more valuable when people commonly used a small SSD for Windows and a large hard drive for storage. With larger SSDs and faster internet, reinstalling or redownloading games is often easier.