12 Replies Latest reply: Sep 9, 2010 10:15 AM by cjacs987654 RSS

    Hard Drive setup for CS5 master collection

    cjacs987654 Community Member

      Dear All,

       

      I am looking for advice on what drive configuration to use. I am currently reformatting all drives for a new cs5 install and have the following drives:

       

       

      1. WD Raptor 10000rpm 150gig

      2. WD Raptor 10000rpm 300gig

      3. Seagate 7200 rpm - 1.5tb

      4. Seagate 7200 rpm - 1.5tb

       

      I have read various forum messages, but need some clarification on what to install on what drive

       

      I have Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit with 6 gig memory and i7 processor

       

      I assume windows is best installed on either of the faster WD drives. and my  video projects on the seagate drives.

       

      Where should cs5 program files be ?

       

      I have raid options but dont know a lot about the best set up

       

      Any advice most welcome, would like to try to get it right first time!

       

      Regards

       

      Chris Anderson

        • 1. Re: Hard Drive setup for CS5 master collection
          John T Smith CommunityMVP

          Read Harm on drive setup http://forums.adobe.com/thread/662972?tstart=0
          - click the embedded picture in Harm's message to enlarge to reading size

           

          Windows and all software on boot drive

           

          #2 drive = Windows page file

           

          #3 drive = PPro project files

           

          #4 drive = video files

           

          HOWEVER... some types of HD files work best via RAID due to the data transfer speed requiement... but I edit AVCHD without raid since it is more CPU intensive than disk intensive

           

          You need to post the type of file(s) you will use for someone to give advice on RAID or not

          • 2. Re: Hard Drive setup for CS5 master collection
            cjacs987654 Community Member

            Hi John

             

            Many thanks for your reply and the link to harms article.

             

            When you say video files on drive4 , do you mean the 'scratch disks' in the project setup

             

             

            I am fairly new to premiere , previously I had everything on 2 disks, system and data.

             

            Many thanks

             

            Chris

            • 3. Re: Hard Drive setup for CS5 master collection
              Harm Millaard CommunityMVP

              Scratch files (media cache, media cache database and previews) on #2 and the media (video material) on #4.

              • 4. Re: Hard Drive setup for CS5 master collection
                cjacs987654 Community Member

                Hi Harm

                 

                many thanks for your reply. I am considering purchasing new HD's specific to build a machine just for CS5.

                 

                What would you recommend for performance. No price budget as such.

                 

                Im thinking 15000rpm.

                 

                Im thinking SATA - is this the fastest?

                 

                Do i have to consider the motherboard to support fast sata drives? - i am confused as i see you can get sata drives with a 6gig transfer speed, does this depend

                on the motherboard?

                 

                Would a bigger cache ie 64mb make a good improvement?

                 

                Any advice most welcome

                 

                 

                Thanks

                 

                Chris Anderson

                • 5. Re: Hard Drive setup for CS5 master collection
                  Harm Millaard CommunityMVP

                  Chris,

                   

                  15K disks are exclusively SCSI, not SATA.

                   

                  SCSI is even faster than SATA but very expensive, small storage capacity and requires expensive SCSI controllers. IMO SCSI is overkill and a waste of money.

                   

                  SATA 3 with 64 MB cache is very nice, WD Caviar Blacks, however they do not offer performance gains over simple Samsung F3's. For really fast storage you need a large array and then the Caviar Blacks are not first choice because of the WD TLER 'feature'.

                  • 6. Re: Hard Drive setup for CS5 master collection
                    cjacs987654 Community Member

                    Hi Harm

                     

                    Thanks again for the valuable info. Since your last email I have been researching hard drives and been looking at solid state drives such as:

                     

                    http://www.crucial.com/uk/store/partspecs.aspx?imodule=CTFDDAC064MAG-1G1

                     

                    This has 6gig transfer speed. I assume my motherboard would have to support 6gb or get a 6gb controller and obvoiusly 6gig data cables

                    which I know i can get from my local store.

                     

                    This one is 64gig, that would be good for the windows drive and perhaps another one for the scratch disk etc

                     

                    What you do think? Do you have any experience of SSD's ?

                     

                    What drive setup do you currently have?

                     

                     

                    Regards

                     

                    Chris

                    • 7. Re: Hard Drive setup for CS5 master collection
                      Harm Millaard CommunityMVP

                      Chris,

                       

                      SSD's are great for notebooks and possibly for a boot disk but not for storage of video material and editing.

                       

                      If you have unlimited funds available and a couple of 19" racks, you may get better performance with the same storage as conventional disks for around $ 50 K.

                       

                      SSD's /GB is about 50 times more expensive than conventional disks.

                      • 8. Re: Hard Drive setup for CS5 master collection
                        lmcwilli

                        Given the 4-drive scenario being discussed here, if you have only two SATA 6.0 Gb/s ports on your mobo (e.g., P6X58D Premium), which of the 4 drives should you connect for the most CS5 bang-for-the-buck?

                        • 9. Re: Hard Drive setup for CS5 master collection
                          cjacs987654 Community Member

                          Hi Harm/All,

                           

                          not exactly unlimted budget certainly not 50k!!

                           

                          Ok, after doing a bit of research (and checking my piggy bank)  I have decided to spend a few pennies.

                           

                           

                          Disk 1 - Crucial c300 64gig SSD drive - sata3 - 6gb interface - 335mbs read 70mbs write - Windows /Program Files drive.    £95

                          (with ASUS 6gb sata controller card)

                           

                          Disk 2 - 60GB Corsair SSD Force Series - sata2 3 gb interface.   around 280mbs read and write. Page file/temporary files. £93

                           

                           

                          • 10. Re: Hard Drive setup for CS5 master collection
                            cjacs987654 Community Member

                            Oops my last post got truncated for some reason, ignore tha

                            t one and check back in 10 mins

                            • 11. Re: Hard Drive setup for CS5 master collection
                              cjacs987654 Community Member

                              Hi Harm/All,

                               

                              not exactly unlimted budget certainly not 50k!!

                               

                              Ok, after doing a bit of research (and checking my piggy bank)  I have decided to spend a few pennies.

                               

                              Disk 1 - Crucial c300 64gig SSD drive - sata3 - 6gb interface - 335mbs read 70mbs write - Windows /Program Files drive(with ASUS 6gb sata controllercard)

                              Disk 2 - 60GB Corsair SSD Force Series - sata2 3 gb interface.   around 280mbs read and write. Page file/temporary files.

                              Disk 3 - 120gb Corsair SSD force series - sata2 - 3gb - around 280mbc read and write -Project/Media cache and other cs5 files

                               

                              Disk 4 - WD raptor 10k rpm - 300 gig - scratch disk

                              Disk 5 - WD raptor 10k rpm - 150 gig - scratch disk

                              Disk 6 - Seagate Barracuda 7200rpm. 1.5tb - source files

                              Disk 7 - Seagate Barracuda 7200rpm. 1.5tb - source files

                               

                              How does that sound? - Any changes?

                               

                              Disks 1 - 3 will cost me £400

                               

                              Regards

                               

                              Chris

                              • 12. Re: Hard Drive setup for CS5 master collection
                                cjacs987654 Community Member

                                Hi

                                 

                                See my new drive list - I have bought a sata3 6 gig controller card for around £25 to connect the Crucial SSD 64gig 6gb drive

                                 

                                All others on sata2 connections on motherboard

                                 

                                Chris