Does anybody know a motherboard with 3 x Intel SATA3 6Gb/s ports?

 

I plan to have 1x O/S 128Gb SSD and 2x SSDs for FSX and my other sim, perhaps for P3D.

 

The Z77 chipset mobo-s I've seen all have only 2 x Intel SATA3 ports.

 

Thanks,

Dirk.

why not get 2x256GB instead?

I thought it was not a good idea to have O/S and FSX on the same SSD (even though there's no mechanical movement).

 

Thanks,

Dirk.

I thought it was not a good idea to have O/S and FSX on the same SSD (even though there's no mechanical movement).

 

Thanks,

Dirk.

 

I'm still hoping someone will chime in w/ something definitive on that question, i.e., OS and FSX on different SSDs and how that differs from performance on a single larger SATA3 SSD. IMO, there are advantages, though not performance per se, of keeping everything on one hi performance SSD, namely, making cloned backups onto a HDD. If runtime performance w/ regard to disk i/o and its impact on smoothness for example, is 10% better using dual SSDs, I'd still stick w/ a single SSD. If anyone has anything even partially quantified that would be great hear before it's time to develop a build plan.

There's no performance penalty out of running OS + FSX off the same SSD so long as AHCI is enabled for the SATA controller. With AHCI the drive can run more than one task at a time so there's no need to keep the OS and other programs isolated. Now if for some reason you want to keep them apart, obviously you'll need some extra drives

 

namely, making cloned backups onto a HDD

 

problem with this is that (and this comes from personal experience) you're going to be severely limited by the mech HDD write speed. You may try higher compression rates but that quickly makes the whole thing CPU bound

I'll take ASRock Fatal1ty Z77 Professional mobo.

 

6x SATA3 ports + 2x SATA2 ports along with other useful functionality.

 

Dazz, thanks for posting. I'm thinking about the best way of having FSX and P3D installed on one system. From my experience they should be isolated, i.e. multi-boot OS. Now it sounds I could make 2 separate boot SSDs and install FSX and P3D on them.

 

Thanks,

Dirk.

6x SATA3 ports

 

Keep in mind only 2 of those SATA III ports are actually Intel SATA III ports with TRIM support and not limited by PCIe bandwidth. You should be looking at running your SSD's off Intel ports even if they're SATA 2 ports. In short, on-board Intel SATA 2 >> third party SATA 3

problem with this is that (and this comes from personal experience) you're going to be severely limited by the mech HDD write speed. You may try higher compression rates but that quickly makes the whole thing CPU bound

 

Dazz, can't see how this is this relevant? I'm talking about doing a clone maybe very 4-6 months to update any changes I make to OS/FSX.

 

From my experience they should be isolated, i.e. multi-boot OS.

 

How so? Why should they be isolated? Is the rationale for this belief that somehow the installation of FSX will become 'confused' w/ elements of the P3D installation, and if so, what is the mechanism by which this occurs?

 

There's no performance penalty out of running OS + FSX off the same SSD so long as AHCI is enabled for the SATA controller.

 

Thank you Dazz. Do I need to look for SSD's that support AHCI? Do you have an opinion on the absolute best SSD available currently, or to become available in the next 6mo?

 

Also, I have a brand new PC Power & Cooling 750W PSS unopened in the box, w/ a 50w singe 12v rail. Will I be able to use this on my new Haswell (or if Haswell fails to perform) new SB or IB system, or will I have to find another? It's probably about 4 y/o now.

How so? Why should they be isolated? Is the rationale for this belief that somehow the installation of FSX will become 'confused' w/ elements of the P3D installation, and if so, what is the mechanism by which this occurs?

 

Yes, there is. Start using Estonia migration tool and you'll know what I mean. In general you may mess up your newer installs between FSX and P3D.

 

I think I'll end up installing Win7+FSX on one 240GB SSD and Win7+P3D on another, and will be choosing the required boot in BIOS.

 

Cheers,

Dirk.

 

The best SSDs I've read recently on this forum are:

 

Crucial M4

Samsung 840 pro

OCZ Vertex4

Corsair Force GT Series

 

Cheers,

Dirk.

I think I'll end up installing Win7+FSX on one 240GB SSD and Win7+P3D on another, and will be choosing the required boot in BIOS.

 

Thank you Dirk. Do you know if the QW757 runs in P3D? How about FTX sceneries? FSPassensgersX? I guess doubtful on this last one. I ask because I am thinking by the time I build the new system hopefully P3D version 2 will be out and honestly I'd rather stick w/ one or the other. I'd like to get one large SSD, around 480 or 512Gb then clone back up on a similar sized HDD.

Dazz, can't see how this is this relevant? I'm talking about doing a clone maybe very 4-6 months to update any changes I make to OS/FSX.

 

Well, I was referring to performance, if for some reason you want to have the OS in a different drive than FSX and also other applications in their own drive, then Intel SATA 2 ports are preferred over third party (Marvel or whatever) SATA 3 ports for SSD's.

 

Do I need to look for SSD's that support AHCI? Do you have an opinion on the absolute best SSD available currently, or to become available in the next 6mo?

 

You don't need to look for AHCI compliant units. If you're looking for the absolute fastest units, maybe the Sandisk Extreme or the Samsung 840 Pro, but bang for the buck probably the Samsung 830 / 840

 

Also, I have a brand new PC Power & Cooling 750W PSS unopened in the box, w/ a 50w singe 12v rail. Will I be able to use this on my new Haswell (or if Haswell fails to perform) new SB or IB system, or will I have to find another? It's probably about 4 y/o now.

 

You'll be A-ok

 

Yes, there is. Start using Estonia migration tool and you'll know what I mean. In general you may mess up your newer installs between FSX and P3D.

 

I think I'll end up installing Win7+FSX on one 240GB SSD and Win7+P3D on another, and will be choosing the required boot in BIOS.

 

Cheers,

Dirk.

 

The best SSDs I've read recently on this forum are:

 

Crucial M4

Samsung 840 pro

OCZ Vertex4

Corsair Force GT Series

 

Cheers,

Dirk.

 

In that case you may want to consider switching to paragon or acronis or clonezilla

Yes, there is. Start using Estonia migration tool and you'll know what I mean. In general you may mess up your newer installs between FSX and P3D.

 

Dirk, I see from the Estonia product you don't need to have FSX installed. 'What if' one were to first install P3D, then use Estonia MT to install all add ons desired into P3D. Once completed, now do a new install of FSX, then install add ons into FSX? What do you think.

In that case you may want to consider switching to paragon or acronis or clonezilla

 

Oh no, 2 boots on 2 SSDs are much faster. I've used Acronis for my back ups since time out of mind. :smile:

 

Thanks,

Dirk.

 

Dirk, I see from the Estonia product you don't need to have FSX installed. 'What if' one were to first install P3D, then use Estonia MT to install all add ons desired into P3D. Once completed, now do a new install of FSX, then install add ons into FSX? What do you think.

 

It's a dynamic process (installs) on the both, meaning you keep addng up as you go. Newer planes and sceneries come up and you want to install them. I've had it, no more FSX and P3D on the same boot.

 

Cheers,

Dirk.

It's a dynamic process (installs) on the both, meaning you keep addng up as you go.

 

You lost me there Dirk. There is no way I'm going to try to support both FSX & P3D, so will probably wait until its a no brainer to move to P3D.

You lost me there Dirk. There is no way I'm going to try to support both FSX & P3D, so will probably wait until its a no brainer to move to P3D.

 

No, I meant in my case I was going to maintain both FSX & P3D installs on the same PC. If you don't want FSX anymore, go ahead with P3D, you won't need FSX for installing what is intallable in P3D. Just buy Estonia migration tool and you're fine.

 

Cheers,

Dirk.