# NVMe SSD on PC's C: drive



## José Herring (Jul 26, 2020)

Has anybody put their C:// drive on an NVMe SSD?

Building my new slave machine this week and I'm considering putting my C: drive on a NVMe drive rather than Samsung EVO 870 SSD

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/wd-blue-sn550-nvme-500gb-internal-pci-express-3-0-x4-solid-state-drive-with-3d-nand-technology/6379920.p?skuId=6379920&ref=212&loc=1&ref=212&loc=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuuDR6svs6gIVeSmzAB1toghNEAQYAiABEgI_wvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds


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## Rv5 (Jul 26, 2020)

I recently installed an NVMe on Mac Pro 2012 to boot from so would suggest doing so for Windows should be fairly straight forward with less compatibility issues! But always worth looking up forums and such for any possible issues, mainly with your motherboard; you might need to flash the BIOS for NVMe compatibility if it's an older board. From there it's a case of making sure it's recognised in your BIOS with UEFI enabled.

Even for an old Mac Pro from 2012 it's worth it, getting about 1500mps read/write which is awesome! Compared to the Sata II speeds of 250, or even the PCIe Sata III of about 480. Also recommended is at least a mid-range PCIe card with a heatsink. NVMe is blazing fast, loads up samples in an instant (even EW Hollywood Orchestra), great for working with large photo and video files, loads up OS super fast etc. I opted for a 2TB drive so I could get samples on there and is certainly worth it.


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## dzilizzi (Jul 26, 2020)

Yes, my Dell XPS came with the C: as an NVMe drive. Of course, first thing I did was upgrade it to a 1 TB drive. Works great. I think my older computer would take it, but I would lose at least one SATA port. When I built it a few years ago, NVMe drives were much more expensive than similar SSDs. But the motherboard wouldn't have a problem with booting from it. I would just need to change the boot drive in the BIOS . Very easy. My current boot drive was plugged into the 2nd or 3rd SATA port accidentally. I just told BIOS where to find it.


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## PaulieDC (Jul 26, 2020)

if you have the opportunity you absolutely want an NVMe drive for C:. Yes, I have a 500GB Samsung M.2 970 on my MSI Mobo for my main DAW. For me 500GB is all that’s needed for the C: drive because I don’t load ANY libraries or user files on my C drive at all, and I never keep files in the default My Docs and My Music, etc, because Windows counts all that as part of your user profile which will get too large. I have separate SATA and NVMe SSDs for files and sound libraries. The beauty there is if you have to reimage Windows, your libraries and DAW project files are always safe.

In that Best Buy link you provided, the WD Black is the same price as the Blue. Black is their flagship line (I have one actually), definitely go for that over Blue. I think the warranty is longer.


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## José Herring (Jul 26, 2020)

Thanks.

Yes, the 500gigs would only be to hold the OS and programs (VIpro, Kontakt, Play, ect..) The machine will also be on the internet too, but no gaming or too damanding duties. So I will also replace the SATAIII SSD I'm currently using for streaming for an NVme 2TB Evo 970 in due time.


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## PaulieDC (Jul 26, 2020)

Yep, 500GB is plenty if you don’t load user files or libraries. See my dump truck of stuff I have loaded down in my sig, I’m only at 60% full AND that includes the full Adobe suite for Photoshop and Premiere and all that stuff like that there. And YES, when Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 gets released on August 18th, that comes down too, lol. Separate drive for scenery of course.


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## José Herring (Jul 26, 2020)

PaulieDC said:


> Yep, 500GB is plenty if you don’t load user files or libraries. See my dump truck of stuff I have loaded down in my sig, I’m only at 60% full AND that includes the full Adobe suite for Photoshop and Premiere and all that stuff like that there. And YES, when Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 gets released on August 18th, that comes down too, lol. Separate drive for scenery of course.


That's cool. When I get the slave done I will then start building my main rig. It will have all the bells and whistles. My only concern is that My main machine will be so beefy that at that point, I'll probably just use it. But for now, I'll be happy building a Ryzen 7 slave for VEPro usage.


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## PaulieDC (Jul 26, 2020)

If you have any EastWest libraries, just keep those on a SATA SSD. I did extensive testing and Play loads hardly any faster off of NVMe’s than from SATA SSDs. Hopefully EW wilL change that but for now I keeps EWHO and Choirs on regular SSDs.


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## PaulieDC (Jul 26, 2020)

José Herring said:


> That's cool. When I get the slave done I will then start building my main rig. It will have all the bells and whistles. My only concern is that My main machine will be so beefy that at that point, I'll probably just use it. But for now, I'll be happy building a Ryzen 7 slave for VEPro usage.


Good plan!


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## vitocorleone123 (Jul 26, 2020)

1tb nvme c drive here (and a few other letters). I used to do different drives and letters blah blah blah. Things are so fast now and difference so minimal to do it “right” that I’d rather do it easy - and easy to backup, too.


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## José Herring (Jul 26, 2020)

PaulieDC said:


> If you have any EastWest libraries, just keep those on a SATA SSD. I did extensive testing and Play loads hardly any faster off of NVMe’s than from SATA SSDs. Hopefully EW wilL change that but for now I keeps EWHO and Choirs on regular SSDs.


Hmmmm....curious why that is. Also, looking at polyphony. Any improved streaming from NVMe's?

I don't mind keeping Play libraries on regular SSD's though. It will make it easier to switch them to my main machine when it's up and running. But, it is curious that there's no increase in performance. Did you bring it up to EW? Might be something they can fix in an update.


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## Pictus (Jul 28, 2020)

José Herring said:


> Has anybody put their C:// drive on an NVMe SSD?
> 
> Building my new slave machine this week and I'm considering putting my C: drive on a NVMe drive rather than Samsung EVO 870 SSD
> 
> https://www.bestbuy.com/site/wd-blue-sn550-nvme-500gb-internal-pci-express-3-0-x4-solid-state-drive-with-3d-nand-technology/6379920.p?skuId=6379920&ref=212&loc=1&ref=212&loc=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuuDR6svs6gIVeSmzAB1toghNEAQYAiABEgI_wvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds



This is better
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/pny-500gb-internal-pci-express-solid-state-drive/6356713.p?skuId=6356713
And this is much better
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/samsung-geek-squad-certified-refurbished-970-evo-plus-500gb-internal-pci-express-3-0-x4-nvme-ssd-with-v-nand-technology/6351465.p?skuId=6351465


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## José Herring (Jul 28, 2020)

Pictus said:


> This is better
> https://www.bestbuy.com/site/pny-500gb-internal-pci-express-solid-state-drive/6356713.p?skuId=6356713
> And this is much better
> https://www.bestbuy.com/site/samsung-geek-squad-certified-refurbished-970-evo-plus-500gb-internal-pci-express-3-0-x4-nvme-ssd-with-v-nand-technology/6351465.p?skuId=6351465


Cool. I already got the blue but don't mind getting another. I was going to get the 2 Evo 1tb drivers for streaming.

The reason I chose WD blue is because it was highly rated at Tom's hardware.


*8. WD Blue SN550 (250GB)*
Best 250GB M.2 SSD
*Capacities: *250GB, 500GB, 1TB | *Form Factor: *M.2 2280 Single-sided | *Transfer Interface/Protocol: *PCIe 3.1 x4 / NVMe 1.3 | *Sequential Reads/Writes: *2.400 MBps / 950 MBps | *Warranty/Endurance: *5 Years / 150 TBW

https://target.georiot.com/Proxy.ashx?tsid=45723&GR_URL=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FBlue-SN550-250GB-NVMe-Internal%2Fdp%2FB07YFF8879%3Ftag%3Dhawk-future-20%26ascsubtag%3Dtomshardware-us-1181704442104737300-20 ($54.99<br />
View at Amazon)
See all prices (2 found)
Competitive Performance
Affordable and efficient
5-year warranty
1TB maximum capacity
Small SLC cache
Power optimization on desktops could be better
With a single-sided form factor, the Blue drive is also compact and slim for any M.2 2280 application. And, with a low average and well-regulated maximum power consumption, the WD Blue SN550 will pair nicely with an external NVMe adaptor, too if you’re looking for something on the go. The SN550 delivers a responsive experience and is also a quality SSD that comes backed by thousands of validation tests. With a 5-year warranty and plenty of endurance, the Blue SN550 is well worth considering, even if low cost isn't your main priority.

WD’s Blue SN550 is one of the most consistent performing low-cost NVMe SSDs available. Even though it has a small SLC write cache, when you hammer it with heavy writes, its slowest performance will still remain acceptable. In our testing [of the 1TB model], it even manages to respond faster to applications and most consumer workloads than the WD Black SN750, including loading up your favorite games.


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## José Herring (Jul 28, 2020)

So I figured Blue was good enough.


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## JohnG (Jul 28, 2020)

it is amazing how fast drives are now but the most blistering speeds depend on attaching the SSD to the PCIe bus. 

The following comparison is from an online article: 









M.2 vs. PCIe (NVMe) vs. SATA SSDs: What’s the Difference? | Performance Computer


There are many types of SSDs (solid state drives) and it can be overwhelming when deciding which SSD to purchase for your next storage upgrade. The good news is, SSDs are more affordable than ever and in this article, we’ll break down the major differences between M.2, PCIe NVMe and SATA SSDs...



www.performance-computer.com





"Perhaps the most exciting feature of M.2 based SSDs are the NVMe (non-volatile memory express) based models that connect via PCI-express. SSDs are essentially high-speed memory similar to RAM, but because SATA 3.0 was only capable of 6GB/s, SSD speeds eventually plateaued. By directly accessing the PCI-express bus, rather than the antiquated SATA bus, NVMe drives can run at the speeds flash memory is capable of. NVMe technology allows SSDs to unleash their true potential: blistering fast read/write speeds.

"A 1TB WD Black (2018) M.2 NVMe SSD in the M.2 slot (not yet secured with its mounting screw).
NVMe SSDs yield a 4x or more increase in speed compared to SATA SSDs! Just as upgrading from a hard drive to an SSD makes a monumental difference in everything from boot speeds to file load speeds, upgrading to an NVMe SSD will yield even more gains in a variety of computing tasks. Here is a breakdown of common speeds from various types of computer storage:


*SATA III Hard Drive**SATA III SSD**NVMe SSD*~100 MB/s Read 530 MB/s Read 3,500 MB/s Read ~100 MB/s Write 500 MB/s Write 3,000 MB/s Write


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## JohnG (Jul 28, 2020)

...my question is: why would you use the NVMe for the C: drive? Surely it would be better to use it for the most-demanding sample libraries?

booting and loading the OS takes hardly any time from an SSD and, anyway, you turn on your computer maybe once a day, some don't even do that. By contrast, we read samples all day, so doesn't it make sense to use the fastest solution there?


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## Damarus (Jul 28, 2020)

JohnG said:


> ...my question is: why would you use the NVMe for the C: drive? Surely it would be better to use it for the most-demanding sample libraries?
> 
> booting and loading the OS takes hardly any time from an SSD and, anyway, you turn on your computer maybe once a day, some don't even do that. By contrast, we read samples all day, so doesn't it make sense to use the fastest solution there?



Well don't forget all the background/foreground everyday OS functions too. I think there is something on here talking about how there are very little benefits of an NVMe SSD for your samples over a SATA SSD?


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## EgM (Jul 28, 2020)

PaulieDC said:


> If you have any EastWest libraries, just keep those on a SATA SSD. I did extensive testing and Play loads hardly any faster off of NVMe’s than from SATA SSDs. Hopefully EW wilL change that but for now I keeps EWHO and Choirs on regular SSDs.



Mine (WD Black SN750 2TB) loads EWHO Diamond instantly compared to my previous SATA SSDs, insane difference.


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## JohnG (Jul 28, 2020)

Damarus said:


> Well don't forget all the background/foreground everyday OS functions too. I think there is something on here talking about how there are very little benefits of an NVMe SSD for your samples over a SATA SSD?



This is my question:

"Can you reduce buffer size _more_ using your NVMe on the C drive or your sample drive?"

Assume it's a powerful computer and the samples are demanding (strings).


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## tonaliszt (Jul 28, 2020)

PaulieDC said:


> If you have any EastWest libraries, just keep those on a SATA SSD. I did extensive testing and Play loads hardly any faster off of NVMe’s than from SATA SSDs. Hopefully EW wilL change that but for now I keeps EWHO and Choirs on regular SSDs.


Do you, or anyone, know what the current info is on this regarding Kontakt libs?


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## AR (Jul 28, 2020)

I have a 10920x that boots from a NVMe 970 eco and a 9900k that boots from a 850 plus ssd. Both are overclocked, which leads Bios to work a little bit before booting and both have the same Win 10 version. The 9900k is significantly faster booting Windows 10. But...installing things on Win 10 and loading plugins in Cubase 10 is faster on the 10920x machine. (I have Cubase installed on both machines, that's why I can tell). Though, having on my C drive all the Spitfire app samples (due to stupid update problems with HZS, motions, etc....)


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## Sunny Schramm (Jul 29, 2020)

Works fine here.

I have a "970 Evo Plus" (1TB, PCI-E, max 3500r/3000w) for my system, programs, some games and my VST-Instruments which are not sample-based. Since today I have another 1TB PCI-E from Crucial (2200r/2000w) for my sample libraries. Transfering the libraries right now and then my older and smaller Sata-SSD´s will fly out or I use them for backups.

I recognized the 970 Plus is kind of hot - about 58 degrees in idle. I read thats normal for the 970 so I ordered a passive cooler which should get it down to 43/45 degrees.

Btw: I use this adapter for the new crucial and it works perfectly!


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## Kent (Jul 29, 2020)

Sunny Schramm said:


> Works fine here.
> 
> I have a "970 Evo Plus" (1TB, PCI-E, max 3500r/3000w) for my system, programs, some games and my VST-Instruments which are not sample-based. Since today I have another 1TB PCI-E from Crucial (2200r/2000w) for my sample libraries. Transfering the libraries right now and then my older and smaller Sata-SSD´s will fly out or I use them for backups.
> 
> ...


Do you know if that can hold a double-sided NVMe?


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## dzilizzi (Jul 29, 2020)

kmaster said:


> Do you know if that can hold a double-sided NVMe?


I have one that can, but I would have to give up a SATA port for it. So I'm thinking it isn't a true PCI-e port for the second drive.


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## Sunny Schramm (Jul 29, 2020)

kmaster said:


> Do you know if that can hold a double-sided NVMe?



there is about 1,5 to 2 mm space on the other side. should be possible - but maybe you shoud get one with metalclips - maybe its to not enough space or to hot for these rubber bands which holds the cooler 🤷‍♂️

something like that:


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## Sunny Schramm (Jul 29, 2020)

dzilizzi said:


> I have one that can, but I would have to give up a SATA port for it. So I'm thinking it isn't a true PCI-e port for the second drive.



Thats just a limitation from the mainboard - its a real pci-e port (in my case). But one of the six sata-ports will be automatically deactivated for it (I´ve only used 2 from the 6 available - so no problem here).


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## dzilizzi (Jul 29, 2020)

Sunny Schramm said:


> Thats just a limitation from the mainboard - its a real pci-e port (in my case). But one of the six sata-ports will be automatically deactivated for it (I´ve only used 2 from the 6 available - so no problem here).


I have a computer that only has 3 SATA ports. From what I understood from the PCI-e card I got was that it would take one NVMe without taking away from my SATA, but the second NVMe would require a connection from the SATA to the PCI-e card. And? It could be a different card.


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## Sunny Schramm (Jul 29, 2020)

dzilizzi said:


> I have a computer that only has 3 SATA ports. From what I understood from the PCI-e card I got was that it would take one NVMe without taking away from my SATA, but the second NVMe would require a connection from the SATA to the PCI-e card. And? It could be a different card.



ah ok 👍


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## Rasoul Morteza (Jul 29, 2020)

For my workstation OS update I am tempted to install the OS on my M2 SSD but I've had a few instances of it disappearing (fixable with a reboot only) before.

Has anybody experienced anything similar?

Cheers


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## Sunny Schramm (Jul 29, 2020)

Rasoul Morteza said:


> For my workstation OS update I am tempted to install the OS on my M2 SSD but I've had a few instances of it disappearing (fixable with a reboot only) before.
> 
> Has anybody experienced anything similar?
> 
> Cheers



nope


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## JohnG (Jul 29, 2020)

JohnG said:


> This is my question:
> 
> "Can you reduce buffer size _more_ using your NVMe on the C drive or your sample drive?"
> 
> Assume it's a powerful computer and the samples are demanding (strings).



Does anyone know the answer to this ^ ?

Load times are immaterial for the way I work.


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## José Herring (Jul 29, 2020)

JohnG said:


> ...my question is: why would you use the NVMe for the C: drive? Surely it would be better to use it for the most-demanding sample libraries?
> 
> booting and loading the OS takes hardly any time from an SSD and, anyway, you turn on your computer maybe once a day, some don't even do that. By contrast, we read samples all day, so doesn't it make sense to use the fastest solution there?



I may just do this. I'm realizing that unlike SataIII ports, I'm limited in the amount of PCI e slots that I can use. 2tb NVMe's are ridiculous in price so I may just end up finding a combination of SSD and NVMe's or perhaps get some sort of external NVMe solution for sample streaming. Still working it all out. The last time I built a computer Sata III was all the rage. So NVME is kind of new to me


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## José Herring (Jul 29, 2020)

Ah, now I see that my Mobo has what is called a Dual NVMe attachment. Not sure what that is but am investigating.


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## Sunny Schramm (Jul 29, 2020)

José Herring said:


> Ah, now I see that my Mobo has what is called a Dual NVMe attachment. Not sure what that is but am investigating.



Means probably you have two direct NVMe M2 PCI-E Slots on the board (like mine) 👍


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## José Herring (Jul 29, 2020)

So the mobo does accept 2 NVme cards without sacrificing a PCIe slot. One NVMe attachment can be used in Sata or NVme mode.

So if I use one for the C drive and the other as a sample streamer for the most demanding streaming libraries I should be good. All other libraries then can do on my SSD card.


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## José Herring (Jul 29, 2020)

Sunny Schramm said:


> Means probably you have two direct NVMe M2 PCI-E Slots on the board (like mine) 👍


Yep exactly.


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## Sunny Schramm (Jul 29, 2020)

José Herring said:


> So the mobo does accept 2 NVme cards without sacrificing a PCIe slot. One NVMe attachment can be used in Sata or NVme mode.
> 
> So if I use one for the C drive and the other as a sample streamer for the most demanding streaming libraries I should be good. All other libraries then can do on my SSD card.



Yes - only if you want more NVME-Drives with this pci-e adapter I posted above it will take one of the Sata-Ports. At least on my old Z370 MoBo. Newer MoBo´s got up to 5 or 6 direct NVME-Slots (Sample Library Users Dream)


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## JohnG (Jul 29, 2020)

"...must...not...build....new....computer......."


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## José Herring (Jul 29, 2020)

Sunny Schramm said:


> Yes - only if you want more NVME-Drives with this pci-e adapter I posted above it will take one of the Sata-Ports. At least on my old Z370 MoBo. Newer MoBo´s got up to 5 or 6 direct NVME-Slots (Sample Library Users Dream)


Yeah, exciting times for computers. This Ryzen 7 machine will be my more modest slave machine. I'm planning a new DAW machine that I'm sure when I'm done will decide that it's smarter than me and then tries to wipe out humanity.


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## dzilizzi (Jul 29, 2020)

Sunny Schramm said:


> Yes - only if you want more NVME-Drives with this pci-e adapter I posted above it will take one of the Sata-Ports. At least on my old Z370 MoBo. Newer MoBo´s got up to 5 or 6 direct NVME-Slots (Sample Library Users Dream)


I really want one of these. .... then I remember I am a hobbyist. I don't technically have time constraints the require me to have a really fast computer. I don't need to spend another $2000 building a new computer like that. Really. Yes, I don't need it. Not at all....

Besides, I'd rather spend the money on more libraries and more SSD's because I am a hoarder collector of fine VI products.


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## Sunny Schramm (Jul 29, 2020)

Oh, I just read the manual again


dzilizzi said:


> I really want one of these. .... then I remember I am a hobbyist. I don't technically have time constraints the require me to have a really fast computer. I don't need to spend another $2000 building a new computer like that. Really. Yes, I don't need it. Not at all....
> 
> Besides, I'd rather spend the money on more libraries and more SSD's because I am a hoarder collector of fine VI products.



I´m a hobbiest too since 2012. My pc-base is from 2007 (case, power supply, etc.), my cpu, mobo and ram from 2017 (ASRock Z370 Killer SLI, i7 8700K, 32GB Ram = 700€) - the rest like the nvme-drives was bought over the years. For the time I think its not much money and you dont need $2000 because you never have to buy "all" components new


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## dzilizzi (Jul 29, 2020)

Sunny Schramm said:


> Oh, I just read the manual again
> 
> 
> I´m a hobbiest too since 2012. My pc-base is from 2007 (case, power supply, etc.), my cpu, mobo and ram from 2017 (ASRock Z370 Killer SLI, i7 8700K, 32GB Ram = 700€) - the rest like the nvme-drives was bought over the years. For the time I think its not much money and you dont need $2000 because you never have to buy "all" components new


I think I built mine around 2017, but only got the Asus Z170A mobo. Didn't think I would ever want 4 NVMe slots. Ever. I was still mostly using 7200 RPM HDD's then. I did just get 64 GB RAM for it at a reasonable price. I haven't had time (or forget when I do have time) to install it.


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## José Herring (Jul 29, 2020)

Sunny Schramm said:


> Oh, I just read the manual again
> 
> 
> I´m a hobbiest too since 2012. My pc-base is from 2007 (case, power supply, etc.), my cpu, mobo and ram from 2017 (ASRock Z370 Killer SLI, i7 8700K, 32GB Ram = 700€) - the rest like the nvme-drives was bought over the years. For the time I think its not much money and you dont need $2000 because you never have to buy "all" components new


You think like me. Why replace that PSU when it's still going strong. Swap out the cpu, mobo, and ram, get a new C drive and you've got yourself a new machine!


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## PaulieDC (Jul 29, 2020)

EgM said:


> Mine (WD Black SN750 2TB) loads EWHO Diamond instantly compared to my previous SATA SSDs, insane difference.


OK, that is seriously good to hear, and I wonder if that was addressed in one of the Play updates. I did my comprehensive test last year, guess I should have stated that. But regardless, you're seeing a difference. Good news!


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## PaulieDC (Jul 29, 2020)

tonaliszt said:


> Do you, or anyone, know what the current info is on this regarding Kontakt libs?


Moving Kontakt libraries to an NMVe drive made a big difference. I don't have benchmarks to share but it was noticeable. I moved mine back to SATA because I don't really use Kontakt libraries all that much and I need room for Berlin and SpitFire.


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## Sunny Schramm (Jul 29, 2020)

kmaster said:


> Do you know if that can hold a double-sided NVMe?



I wondered why there is a big coolingpad and a flatter one. Just read the second flatter on is for installing a double-sided nvme-ssd


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## Sunny Schramm (Jul 30, 2020)

Wow - watch this!

I bought this 10mm Heat Sink (https://tinyurl.com/y6esk3sd) and the temps of the "970 Evo Plus" went down ... from 58/59° to:


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## José Herring (Jul 30, 2020)

Sunny Schramm said:


> Wow - watch this!
> 
> I bought this 10mm Heat Sink (https://tinyurl.com/y6esk3sd) and the temps of the "970 Evo Plus" went down ... from 58/59° to:


How do you measure the temperature of your NVMe drive?


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## Symfoniq (Jul 30, 2020)

I've used an NVMe drive as my C drive for several years now, on multiple PCs. No issues to report.


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## Sunny Schramm (Jul 30, 2020)

José Herring said:


> How do you measure the temperature of your NVMe drive?



its the samsung magican software - its free and works with other manufacturers drives:








Samsung Magician & SSD Tools & Software Update | Samsung Semiconductor Global


Download Samsung Magician, tools & software for Samsung SSDs, Data Migration Software, Firmware, Driver, Data Center Toolkit, Activation Software.




www.samsung.com


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