SSD Upgrade / Z68X

[SkyBum]

Ever since upgrading from Win8.1 to Win10 I've been experiencing a lot of strange behavior (boot to black screen frequently, unable to open start menu frequently, regular short hiccup/pauses in certain games etc.)

Going to do a fresh Win10 install and prior to that, its time to upgrade the SSD. Still holding out on an upgrade of my Z68X / 2600K as its served me well to this point and hopefully waiting until next fall for a full platform upgrade, which brings me to my question.

My mobo wont take advantage of many current SSD features/speed, and I'm a bit confused as to what to buy. Do I get an SSD only as fast as my current mobo can utilize, or do I choose a drive that may be held back for now, but will shine once I upgrade my platform in the coming year? My SSD knowledge is quite lacking and I'm unsure what would make the most sense in my situation. I'd like to keep the SSD budget to around $300 but I could spend more if it makes sense. Suggestions would be very much appreciated.

 

[Elixer]

What size you looking to get? $300 can get you a 1 TB drive.
Your mobo also supports SATA III, so, not sure why you think it is holding you back?

 

[VirtualLarry]

Ditto to Elixer's response. You have (two, at least, Intel) SATA6G ports. If your budget is $300, get a Samsung 850 EVO 1TB 2.5" SSD. It should serve you well, for the next 3-5 years. (Before you feel the need to upgrade to newer technology.) And certainly, unless you are running database server / VM-type loads on it, it should last for probably 5-10, maybe even 15 years. Longer if you just web browser and game.

 

[SkyBum]

What size you looking to get? $300 can get you a 1 TB drive.
Your mobo also supports SATA III, so, not sure why you think it is holding you back?

1TB would be great, not sure exactly why I thought z68x would hold me back but I was thinking it would not take advantage of the latest speeds. I guess my biggest question is whether to go all out now, or just something to get me by until I do the full upgrade next fall.

 

[SkyBum]

Longer if you just web browser and game.

Pretty much this, heavy gamer, pretty much the only workload it will ever see. Thanks for your suggestions.

 

[Elixer]

Most new motherboards support NVMe and that is faster than the max SATA III can offer, so, it just depends on what you are looking to achieve.
Normally, I would say use a SSD for the OS drive (250GB is plenty), and then have a data drive that is 3TB or so, that is usually the best way to handle things in terms of best bang for the buck.

 

[SkyBum]

1TB 850 EVO ordered ($306). Thanks guys!

 

[VirtualLarry]

I think that you'll love it. It's very fast (for a SATA6G drive), and should be reliable.