Is anyone else waiting for SSDs to become cheaper to buy a new computer?

[user1397]

Personally, I am. While most other components of a computer will remain sortof the same for a while (aka the next several years), the move to Solid State Drives is (I think) a major change.

In the future I'll probably buy a laptop with an SSD and no operating system; this is of course after SSDs are as cheap or cheaper than HDDs when comparing GB-to-cost ratio.

[FuturePilot]

I'm looking into buying a netbook and I want one with an SSD but they all have hard drives. I've only found a couple that have an SSD as an option but it really boosts the price up. I'm hoping they'll get cheaper soon.

[NoaHall]

Blu-ray read/write drives - expensive
Optic fibre internal connections - expensive
6/8 core 128 bit processors - expensive(and the motherboard to support them)


Those are the next most expensive things coming/here already.

And no, I will never buy a computer. Always build

[Paqman]

I could understand waiting on a laptop, but on desktops there's no reason not to switch your OS to an SSD now. As for price, I actually think it's one of the most cost-effective upgrades you can do.

[judge jankum]

In my case, I guess I'll have to wait till they start throwing those in the dumpster to get one lol!!!!

[bashveank]

Sort of, I put an SSD in my MacBook, and it was fantastic until I was constrained by the size. Once I can get a 100GB or so for $100 it'll be a must buy.

[Dayofswords]

i'll stick with hard drive for quite a while

[pwnst*r]

no.

[Crunchy the Headcrab]

Not really. I'll deal with that once they are cheaper. When the time comes for me to build a new pc, I will get the best parts I can afford at the time, whether I can afford the latest doodads or not.

[CharlesA]

Nope, not going to bother with SSDs for a while. Too small and way to expensive atm.

If they come on-par with regular HDDs, then maybe, but since I don't buy computers.. I build them. That's not a problem. :-P

[toupeiro]

I bought one, and if using it properly its amazing. You need to make sure you direct things that are very write intensive away from it, like DVD ripping or torrenting above 2.5-3.0MB/sec.

I hope they get better, but the performance increase on general use I've gotten was WELL worth the investment

[Gizenshya]

why on earth are you waiting to buy a computer for something as silly as an SSD? They use the same connectors and are the same size as regular drives. Just get a computer and get an SSD drive whenever you're ready.

so... what about the price of SSD drives makes you unable to upgrade your computer now?

I must have missed something important, but I can't find out what...

[fatcrab]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227502
This will go in the computer I will never build,but I can always dream.Maybe someday.

[user1397]

so... what about the price of SSD drives makes you unable to upgrade your computer now?

I must have missed something important, but I can't find out what...


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227502
This will go in the computer I will never build,but I can always dream.Maybe someday.Therein lies your answer.

[Gizenshya]

What I meant is yeah, it's keeping you from getting an SSD drive, but it has nothing to do with your ability of getting a computer now.

Waiting SSD drives to come down in price seems very arbitrary in your decision at first glance. So why is it important?

[Khakilang]

I may not buy a computer with SSD. But I will buy a SSD for my old computer because hard disk is mechanical and wear out overtime. So SSD will be a replacement.

[user1397]

What I meant is yeah, it's keeping you from getting an SSD drive, but it has nothing to do with your ability of getting a computer now.

Waiting SSD drives to come down in price seems very arbitrary in your decision at first glance. So why is it important?
Well seeing as to how I already have a computer, I do not exactly need another one at the moment, though it is aging. But nonetheless, I will wait because I cannot afford a new one at the moment.

[CharlesA]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227502
This will go in the computer I will never build,but I can always dream.Maybe someday.

Damn. That's a massive drive!

It looks like it costs around 3.899 dollars per GB.

A 1TB Hard drive would be around .099 dollars (9.9 cents). per GB.

Big difference there.

It's nice to see that the storage capacity of SSDs is getting up there, but the price is insane.

[ihendley]

A 1TB Hard drive would be around .099 cents per GB.

orly?

[anaconda]

I'm looking into buying a netbook and I want one with an SSD but they all have hard drives. I've only found a couple that have an SSD as an option but it really boosts the price up. I'm hoping they'll get cheaper soon.

Hmmm..
I have a netbook, which has a SSD disk, but the disk is really slow!

When you buy, remember to check the specks of the ssd disk. The cheapest ones can be slow. A lot slower then a normal hd.

[Nerd King]

Best bet is a cheapo 30GB SSD for your OS and a big HD for your storage (ie downloads etc).

[markp1989]

i brough an SSD for my desktop in feb , i got it for silence and noise reasons.

i have it as the os drive 15gb for windows and 15gb for arch. as an os drive the space is plenty, i have all my media on my server

if i only had 1 machine i would just get 30gb ssd for os, and a 1tb drive for data (which will spend most of its time span down for noise reasons)

[Sam]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227502
This will go in the computer I will never build,but I can always dream.Maybe someday.

Hm beware:

Lower priced drives usually use multi-level cell (MLC) flash memory, which is slower and less reliable than single-level cell (SLC) flash memory.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solid-state_drive#SLC_versus_MLC

Ok this one is not a lower priced drive per se, but imagine its SLC equivalent.... :roll:

[jomiolto]

Nah. If I was in need of a new computer, I'd already get SSD. 30 gigs is all I need inside the computer, since I can put all the bigger stuff on external HDD. An 8GB SSD would be enough, if I didn't insist on running multiple distributions :P

ARM processors are the thing I'm really looking forward to. I would love to have ARM and SSD driven computer that only draws few watts of power and doesn't require any sort of active cooling...

[markp1989]

Nah. If I was in need of a new computer, I'd already get SSD. 30 gigs is all I need inside the computer, since I can put all the bigger stuff on external HDD. An 8GB SSD would be enough, if I didn't insist on running multiple distributions :P

ARM processors are the thing I'm really looking forward to. I would love to have ARM and SSD driven computer that only draws few watts of power and doesn't require any sort of active cooling...

thats what i want, arm cpu + nvidia ion gpu + ssd to be my server/htpc build

[3rdalbum]

In the future I'll probably buy a laptop with an SSD and no operating system; this is of course after SSDs are as cheap or cheaper than HDDs when comparing GB-to-cost ratio.

Can you really go five years without upgrading your laptop?

[3rdalbum]

thats what i want, arm cpu + nvidia ion gpu + ssd to be my server/htpc build

I wouldn't expect it any time soon. Ion is for Atom CPUs (it's an Nvidia 9400M). Nvidia has a platform for ARM and a GPU called Tesla.

[3rdalbum]

Hmmm..
I have a netbook, which has a SSD disk, but the disk is really slow!

Somebody at Acer needs to be shot for putting that dreadful SSD into their flagship netbook. Now that mine is out of warranty, I'm going to open it up and put in a hard drive. And some more memory while I'm at it.

[hobo14]

Yes.

I'll never buy another laptop/netbook with a hard disk, and the next computer I buy will be a netbook.

[cascade9]

Nope, but like other in this thread I build my own computers.

When SSDs are a reasonable price, I'll buy one for my next upgrade. As it stands, the cost isn't worth the payoff. I'm pretty sure than sooner, rather than later, reasonable sized SSDs will be cheaper than the HDD of the same size (but I'll be running HDDs a long, long time yet, 1TB+ SSDs are not going to be as cheap as a similar sized HDD for a few years)

[pwnst*r]

Well seeing as to how I already have a computer, I do not exactly need another one at the moment, though it is aging. But nonetheless, I will wait because I cannot afford a new one at the moment.

which has nothing to do with his point.

[pookiebear]

waiting for them to get cheaper to put one in my work laptop. It only uses about 3.5gb (crunchbang with almost no data)

[CharlesA]

orly?

Yarly. Do the math. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136284

Note: I didn't do the whole. 1TB - 5% garbage, so the numbers are estimates.

[Paqman]

Best bet is a cheapo 30GB SSD for your OS and a big HD for your storage (ie downloads etc).

I agree with the principle, but in practice I wouldn't bother with the cheap SSDs. If you can afford it, get an Intel drive. If you can't, get an Indilinx. Don't bother with the nasty Samsung drives or any of the others.

The Intel and Indilinx drives are more expensive, but they're the only ones that actually perform as well as an SSD should.

[Paqman]

Yarly. Do the math.

He did. It's 0.099 dollars per GB, not 0.099 cents. Easy mistake to make...

[Gizenshya]

Yarly. Do the math. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136284

Note: I didn't do the whole. 1TB - 5% garbage, so the numbers are estimates.

1TB-5%?


ohh, my. I think I have a thread to make.

[CharlesA]

1TB-5%?


ohh, my. I think I have a thread to make.

It's whatever the "lost" space is due to 1,000 MB =|= 1 GB

Checked it out and it's more or less 10% of the total space.


He did. It's 0.099 dollars per GB, not 0.099 cents. Easy mistake to make...

D'oh! That's what I get for doing maths at like 2am. >.<

[starcannon]

My netbooks already use SSD's with exception of one machine, the MSi Wind(which by the way is an excellent little netbook). I am looking forward to affordable ssd's but am not "waiting" on prices, I'll upgrade my disk space to SSD's as they become affordable, it's no harder to install an SSD than it is an HDD.

[cascade9]

I agree with the principle, but in practice I wouldn't bother with the cheap SSDs. If you can afford it, get an Intel drive. If you can't, get an Indilinx. Don't bother with the nasty Samsung drives or any of the others.

The Intel and Indilinx drives are more expensive, but they're the only ones that actually perform as well as an SSD should.

1st gen samsungs werent that great, but the newer ones are just fine. 1st gen _anything_ tends to have problems, I'd compare what is current, not what was true on release (and to be honest, I would check long and hard before I got any SSD, intel or indilnx included)


It's whatever the "lost" space is due to 1,000 MB =|= 1 GB

Checked it out and it's more or less 10% of the total space.

That is in part the whole '1000GB = 1TB' issue (which is made worse by '1000MB = 1 GB' LOL). Dont forget file allocation tables, they eat some space as well.

[Skripka]

That is in part the whole '1000GB = 1TB' issue (which is made worse by '1000MB = 1 GB' LOL). Dont forget file allocation tables, they eat some space as well.

Actually...it is a dispute over whether kilo/mega/gigabytes are decimal or binary quantities. HDD manufacturers love expressing as decimal...RAM manufacturers do binary.

[cascade9]

If HDDs or RAM used decimal, maybe I could understand why the HDD manufacturers use decimal. since its pure binary, IMO using decimal is marketing.

[Exodist]

I am waiting on SSDs to hit a safe 8 to 10 year MTBF, larger size and cheaper price per size.

About what my WD Raptors where when I bought them, 74GB, very good life span. ~$200.00 each.

[scouser73]

I'm not waiting for them to become cheaper so I can buy a new PC, I want them to become cheaper so I can buy one because I've seen what they're like on a video by Chris Pirillo & Samsung.

[ukripper]

Definitely waiting for SSD to be cheaper so that one day i can get really cheap 2TB SATA drive under 20 quid

[markp1989]

If HDDs or RAM used decimal, maybe I could understand why the HDD manufacturers use decimal. since its pure binary, IMO using decimal is marketing.

+1 it is a bit of a rip off.

[Hyper Tails]

blu-ray read/write drives - expensive
optic fibre internal connections - expensive
6/8 core 128 bit processors - expensive(and the motherboard to support them)


those are the next most expensive things coming/here already.

And no, i will never buy a computer. Always build

+1

[Regenweald]

SSD's are still to immature for my liking. Support in all the OS platform and their tools is hit and miss and firmware upgrades often mean backup and wipes of the whole drive. Way to immature. I'll give it another 2-3 years. Still some kinks to work out. For speed and reliability I'd faster pony up for a SAS drive.

[futz]

Personally, I am.
Hell no! I just finished installing my new G.SKILL Falcon II 128GB in my box and installed 9.10 64-bit on it. And now I know first hand why they say a SSD is the best bang-for-the-buck you can get right now. Smokin fast! I'm lovin it. :mrgreen:

[infestor]

what i wonder is:
are our operating systems really optimized for SSD usage? can we get the max out of them or they just behave as silent HDDs?

[DJonsson2008]

Somehow I don't think you are asking the right questions.

Per the above answers there has been some solid advice.

* A small SSD 32-128gig (SLC) packaged with an external TB or
NAS or LAN TB drive looks like a winning combination.

* Mechanical HD mfg now is a tested robust science, one needs good
reason to go with SSD, (silence, need for speed, low energy use...),
as the years roll on SSD will become cheaper and more robust, and
eventually perhaps make more general (absolute) sense.

Personally SLC SSD will be perhaps the only upgrade I make in the next
few years for an *OS* drive, as even my slower issue duo-core machines - now my hardware needs are well met for all computing needs.

The choice to buy a new computer at this point in time seems closer
linked to whether one is attempting to operate with less than 1.6Ghz single-core and less and 2Gig ram, and/or if larger/faster SATA drives are needed, rather than an existing slower PCI/ATA bus.

Then again it depends what end of the demand spectrum you are on - Intensive Video Editing and Gaming or simply daily office browsing, document editing, emailing use.

[markp1989]

Somehow I don't think you are asking the right questions.

Per the above answers there has been some solid advice.

* A small SSD 32-128gig (SLC) packaged with an external TB or
NAS or LAN TB drive looks like a winning combination.

* Mechanical HD mfg now is a tested robust science, one needs good
reason to go with SSD, (silence, need for speed, low energy use...),
as the years roll on SSD will become cheaper and more robust, and
eventually perhaps make more general (absolute) sense.

Personally SLC SSD will be perhaps the only upgrade I make in the next
few years for an *OS* drive, as even my slower issue duo-core machines - now my hardware needs are well met for all computing needs.

The choice to buy a new computer at this point in time seems closer
linked to whether one is attempting to operate with less than 1.6Ghz single-core and less and 2Gig ram, and/or if larger/faster SATA drives are needed, rather than an existing slower PCI/ATA bus.

Then again it depends what end of the demand spectrum you are on - Intensive Video Editing and Gaming or simply daily office browsing, document editing, emailing use.

i went with ssd for silene, and no seak times. i got an OCZ vertex 30gb , there are probably better ones out there but i havnt been readding about new ssds beCause i will want to buy one, and i Cannot afford it,

i use it as my os drive, tri boot arCh ubuntu and windows,10gb for win, 5 for ubuntu and rest for arCh , use arCh 90% of the time, and i have all my data on my nfs/samba server . had it getting on a year, i like them, just wish i Could get my piCo psu again, but sinCe i updated my CPU it doesnt have enough power for it, one day i will replaCe the psu with somthing silent then i wont be able to hear it.

[73ckn797]

Nope, not going to bother with SSDs for a while. Too small and way to expensive atm.

If they come on-par with regular HDDs, then maybe, but since I don't buy computers.. I build them. That's not a problem. :-P


My thoughts exactly.

[markp1989]

Nope, not going to bother with SSDs for a while. Too small and way to expensive atm.

If they come on-par with regular HDDs, then maybe, but since I don't buy computers.. I build them. That's not a problem. :-P

im waiting for them to release a ssd/hdd combo, 30gb ssd and 1tb drive , drive spending most of the time span down for noise.

[Sporkman]

I will be running this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820167025

as the OS drive for my server, and my data on a mechanical HD.

[carbonbased]

Absolutely, for my boot/system drives for sure.

[user1397]

Man, I'm such a hypocrite. Guess what I did?

Yup, I just bought a netbook with an SSD...

Now Isn't that ironic?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!!!11one

(hey at least I'm an honest hypocrite)