I fiound that 250gb was a little small for my daws c-drive. So next time I will go 350 or an even 500

 

didnt realise u meant programs etc.i thought u meant actuall windows just

 

what is the advantage of doing a partition?

 

Easier to do a full OS backup of a 200-400 partition then 1tb (with for example samples on the c drive).

 

i keep samples on E drive. but vst presets would all be on same drive as OS

 

You should really begin to understand the basics of your operation system and learn what defaults on c: drive if you just install windows.

 

Has anyone else activated AHCI when installing SSD?

 

of course.
AHCI is a standard interface definition like ATA or NVMe for computers to communicate with peripehral mass storage. If you have modern drive be it HDD or SSD AHCI is mandatory. All windows after XP incorporate native AHCI support. When you use ATA instead of AHCI you will lose data throughput massively.

AFAIK - no guarantee - if you installed WIndows without enabling AHCI in BIOS you can change ist afterwards. Just start in protected mode one and Windows will set itself to use AHCI. Afterwards you can boot normally with AHCI on. If you let out the first step you'll encounter blue screens.

 

Last edited: Aug 31, 2022

what is this all about then?
Do I need AHCI for SSD?
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AHCI mode as previously explained enables NCQ (native command queuing) which is really not required for SSDs as they do not need optimizing in this way as there is no physical movement of heads or platters. In many cases, it can actually hinder SSD performance, and even reduce the lifetime of your SSD.25 Aug 2012

if not doubting anyones knowledge and i appreciate all replies,but i just like to clarify things.

 

You don't need AHCI for SSD. And you don't need it for HDDs either.
THe Disks will run under IDE as well. But in most cases they will perform better with AHCI On. Especially when you use HDD and SSD side by side, the HDD will suffer, when ACHI is turned off.
Just make a test and check it for yourself and don't rely on what others say.

https://www.channelpartner.de/a/wie-ahci-die-leistung-von-samsung-ssds-steigert,3042232
German article about Samsung SSD and how they gain thoughput under use of AHCI *
"... An SSD will not develop the highest performance in this case, but it will still work reliably..."

Spoiler: *Channelpartner... Translation

The Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI) is an open interface to support features like Native Command Queuing (NCQ with QD32) hot plugging and power management for storage devices. To enable it and get the full performance of Samsung SSDs, AHCI should always be enabled in the BIOS or within the UEFI interface. If AHCI should not be configured correctly on a system, the performance will be severely limited especially in multitasking scenarios due to the lack of NCQ support. Performance losses of up to 90 percent are possible with random read and write operations. However, the latest versions of Windows including Windows 8, Windows 7 and Windows Vista support AHCI out of the box, so there is no need to install AHCI drivers manually. Some older systems, on the other hand, may not yet support AHCI despite the presence of a SATA-3 interface. The Samsung Magician software helps to check the AHCI status on the system.

Most modern PC systems use AHCI by default. If the feature is not enabled, you can usually do so in the BIOS or UEFI interface. The process varies slightly from system to system, but the general steps required are similar: start the PC or notebook and press the respective key to enter the BIOS menu or the UEFI interface. This is usually possible by pressing the DEL, F2 or F10 keys. Look for the menu item "Integrated Peripherals" or "Storage Configuration" and change the item "Configure SATA as" or "PCH SATA Mode" there so that "AHCI" is selected.
If AHCI is not yet enabled, this can usually be done easily.
If AHCI is not yet activated, it is usually easy to do so.
Save energy and extend battery life

AHCI is necessary for Samsung SSDs to realize their low energy requirements. Without AHCI, the SSD cannot communicate with the system to perform power management functions. Basically, there is HIPM, Host-Initiated Power Management, where the system sends the SSD to sleep, or DIPM, Device-Initiated Power Management, where this is done by the SSD. The SATA connection itself requires a considerable amount of power, and HIPM or DIPM can reduce power requirements here by switching the system to economy mode during inactivity. The 840 EVO and 840 PRO models in the Samsung SSD family often use DIPM to make the connection as efficient as possible. Together with the low power requirements of the components, Samsung thus achieves a very low power consumption. Without power management, on the other hand, the energy demand increases significantly.

To insert or remove a drive from the system while it is running, hot plugging is necessary, which also requires AHCI. With hot plugging, the system does not have to be shut down and restarted. This makes sense for external drives via eSATA or in multi-drive systems where drive bays are equipped with changing SSDs.
Fitting to the topic: Aldi

If the computer doesn't support AHCI or the function isn't enabled correctly, the system will operate in "IDE Emulation Mode". This compatibility mode emulates the functionality of older ATA interfaces. An SSD will not develop the highest performance in this case, but it will still work reliably.

https://superuser.com/questions/466254/should-ahci-be-enabled-for-an-ssd
Superuser forum discussion about alledgedly no gain for AHCI with SSDs (because of NCQ) and how other users report dramatically improved throughput. NCQ seems to be not the whole story.

 

Last edited: Aug 31, 2022

am i correct in saying that it dosent need switched on individually for each disk?
once its turned on its on for all disks?

 

This is guaranteed not to work. If you change your BIOS setting afterwards to AHCI, your PC then won't find a bootable device.
But as you want do anyway a fresh Windows 10 install, set BIOS to AHCI and install Windows 10. All these comments make it incredible complicated. And yes, AHCI is very important for SSD. Trim, power saving, NCQ and simple performance are the reasons for AHCI.
And no, you can't just copy all your program and data folders to an external device and then copy them back to new hard drive. You have to install all software again.
Partitions are not needed, at some point always one partition is to small so forget it.

 

"set BIOS to AHCI and install Windows 10"
i know how to get into BIOS,but confused about going into BIOS changing a setting,then installing windows.
would that changed setting that i done not be overwritten by doing new install?
remember,im going to be installing windows on new ssd,its currently on HDD

and i know i cant copy programs from one drive to another. its just actual files(sound files,installers) im going to be doing that with.no programs

 

why do i get the feeling im not going to have a power cable for the ssd? i have a data cable which came with the cradle,but i just watched a video and looks like a power cable needed if i want to currently keep the 2 hdds

 

I have not tried it myself yet. Thats why I said 'AFAIK - no guarantee -'

However, there are many sources on the Internet in which this is described exactly so.
Search Google and then say that again with the guaranty.

https://support.thinkcritical.com/kb/articles/switch-windows-10-from-raid-ide-to-ahci
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/650771/ide-to-ahci-windows-10/
https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads/switch-from-ide-to-ahci-windows-10.2429812/
just to mention three.

 

Last edited: Aug 31, 2022

Here I agree.
This is turning into a computer course with everyone talking at cross purposes.

 

That is something else, changing registry keys, using cmd commands in safe mode etc - we are talking about install Windows with Bios set to IDE mode, reboot and go into BIOS and change it to AHCI and reboot again - then boom, you will have "no bootable device found". This will guaranteed happen.
We know that there are other ways to switch Windows later to AHCI, but what is the purpose of doing so if you install anyway a new fresh
Windows 10? Makes no sense.
And do you seriously believe that someone who barely knows how to replace a defective hard disk and apparently only has basic knowledge of Windows can manage complicated command line operations and/or registry fiddling without an accident? I mean look at this thread, for weeks this has been going towards computer tutoring and nothing happens.

 

Windows doesn't overwrite any BIOS settings. Enter BIOS, set it to AHCI, reboot again. Then you will get the error no bootable device found. Ignore that, power off your PC, replace defective HDD with your new SSD, power on your PC and install Windows 10.
I hope you know how to prepare an bootable USB stick with Windows 10, google for "media creation tool". And in BIOS make sure that you can boot from that USB stick. Of course, you should prepare the USB stick while still have access to Windows and Internet - means before doing any changes in BIOS, if you don't have available a second PC/Laptop. Btw, you can use any Windows 7 Pro key, if you don't have one purchase one in a key shop for a few bucks. Don't purchase a Windows home version, use always Windows Pro.

 

And again: You! are! WRONG! ​

Even in cases one installed Windows 10 in IDE or RAID configuration one can change it afterwards WITHOUT registry hacks. Just by starting WIndows 10 in SAFE MODE minimal once and WIndows will change the internal settings itself.
Starting in minimal safe mode prevents Windows from using an AHCI driver at boot time, which would lead to a blue screen.

https://support.thinkcritical.com/kb/articles/switch-windows-10-from-raid-ide-to-ahci

and hundereds of other pro grade websites.

Don't be lazy. Start Reading. And stop spreading wrong or outdated information without proper research.
That is why this thread is not helping!

 

Last edited: Aug 31, 2022

does ssd need fan near it?
my 2 hdds has a fan blowing into them from front of tower.
where i have the ssd there is no fan
there are 4 fans in total though in the tower