I'm contemplating whether I should get a new boot drive before upgrading to Windows 11. My current boot drive is an 8-year-old Samsung 850 EVO 250GB, which is still functioning well. I'm planning a clean install since Windows is the only thing on that drive, which makes things simpler for me. However, I'm wondering if investing in a new drive would be beneficial. I mainly use my NVMe for gaming and have an HDD for other files, so my current setup doesn't bother me too much. Considering SSDs degrade over time and newer models might be faster, would I actually notice a significant difference?
6 Answers
Honestly, 256GB is sufficient for an OS drive, especially since your games are on another SSD. The speed difference between a regular SSD and an NVMe for Windows is pretty minimal. I just built a PC with a similar setup, and it runs perfectly fine. You might, however, want to think about swapping out that HDD for an SSD for better performance.
Definitely worth upgrading! Modern mid-tier drives outperform older high-end models. If you're going for a clean install, consider getting at least a 1TB SSD. A larger drive will help with updates and minimize latency issues. Just be cautious with budget drives because if they lack DRAM, you might notice some sluggishness compared to your 850 EVO.
If your current SSD is still working fine, there's no urgent need for a new one. But I'd recommend getting at least 512GB M.2 SSD for Windows. The thing is, SSDs perform better when they have some free space—so you want to keep about 15-20% of it free. If it works for you now, just keep it until it runs into issues.
Your current drive should be fine for now, but keep in mind that space issues with Windows updates might arise eventually. I personally moved away from using small SSDs for Windows due to update errors resulting from lack of space. Changing the drive during an OS upgrade might save you a headache down the line; I now stick with 400GB partitions for Windows and it’s been great.
While 250GB is still okay for a dedicated OS drive, I'd strongly suggest running a health check on it first. Being 8 years old, it might be nearing the end of its lifespan, and could struggle after a fresh install.
If it were me, I’d skip SATA and opt for NVMe if there’s a slot available. SATA is starting to feel outdated, and NVMe drives are much faster, often for a similar price. For instance, a 990 PRO isn’t much more expensive than your current 860 EVO.
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