Hard disk configuration

[spoRv]

I'm waiting for the new 4TB hard disk (finally!) and I'm thinking about the best hard disk configuration to set up, from a project maker point of view.

I'll probably do the following (conventional letters used just to distinguish the discs):

• C: operating system / temp final project(s) (600GB - think to upgrade to an SSD soon)
  
• D: HD sources (4TB)
  
• E: SD sources (4TB)
  
• F: temp lossless files / final projects archive / analog captures (2TB - would be upgraded to bigger size in the future)
  
• G: H: eventual other small HDDs not used for preservations purposes
  
• (external disks for backup)
  

Plan for every projects:

1. put the sources in D and E
   
2. work on them (using two sources from two different drives should speed up the process)
   
3. produced temp lossless files would stay on F
   
4. final project (that use temp lossless files from F, and eventually other from D and E) will be stored on C until it is seeded/uploaded
   
5. temp project will be archived to F
   

Seems a bit convoluted, but I think it is the best way to speed up everything, from direct rendering to file move/copy; of course, when 4TB SSD would cost the same of mechanical HDDs, this would be not necessary, but I fear many years should pass...

What do you think? And, what is your hard disk configuration?

[MrBrown]

Seems to be a reasonable Hard Disc configuration.
Mine are at the moment quite.. unstructured.

I have some external Drives for storage and use with Networked Media Tank purposes. My PC here in BRaunschweig only has a 1 TB HDD, that is split up into 4 logical drives. (Yeah, I would do otherwise today...)
The PC BAck Home has a normal internal 2 TB HDD, IIRC.
As External drives I have one 1 TB 2,5" USB 3.0 HDD in Italy.
A 2 TB 3.5" USB 2 just as Storage using on my Computer here. (So If the PC itself broke down, the data is still assible.)
My Popcorn Hour Networked MEdia Tank for playing Videos on my TV has an internal 3TB HDD.
and I have 4 small 2.5" USB 3.0 2TB external drives for traveling and such...

Maybe, if I would try to render movies anywhy, I would start to rethink my complete setup.

With your purposes, I would set up your HDDs as you specified at the moment. Maybe using the 4 TB drive for SD material also as final "here the final project could be some time, until I have a better archive... getting 4 TB filled with SD material is not an easy and fast task...

[spoRv]

I follow your logic, but often, for any project, I have one HD source (usually from 15 to 30GB, normally around 20GB), and then one or more SD source (5GB each) plus audio tracks (that could be quite heavy).
Yes, the space could be used for something else, too, I know... we'll see!

Right now I finished to mount the 2TB and 4TB installed in the new PC! Once I figured out where to connect power cords, everything has suddenly been very eary - apart the small shock when the 4TB has not been read by the new PC, then I managed to solve the problem, and here I am! 6.8TB in the new PC, waiting for further 4TB tomorrow... I can't wait another day!

Well, tell me, do you really have sent an HDD in Italy, you crazy man?!? worry not, it's in a secure place, away from my cat's paws!

[spoRv]

Brand new 4TB is arrived today; I will install it in a couple of hours, when an encoding in progress would be finished.

Note: for the last two x264 encodes I did, speed was around 23fps - source internal 10000rpm, final external USB2 disk; today, I selected wrong disk, so the source and the final file are on the same, 5900rpm disk - divided in two logical volumes; don't know if it's only for this, or also because they use Seagate Disk Wizard, but the speed dropped to under 16fps. At the end, the logic I wrote in the first post should be the best one - apart RAID0 and all-SSD solutions.

I'll update this post when I'll have more info; meanwhile, I'm still curious to know your hard disk configurations... c'mon, don't be shy!

[Stamper]

All SSD set up would be ideal. Only use regular HDD for storage.

[Booshman]

Anyone got a recommnedation for a new hard drive. One of mine looks to be on the way out, a WD 3Tb green model. Looking for something 4Tb I think, but I'm struggling with what to get.

[spoRv]

Always used Seagate Barracuda, never had a problem; if you can afford it, go for the 8TB!

[born113]

After using any SSD you don't want to use any HDD...

[Booshman]

Always used Seagate Barracuda, never had a problem; if you can afford it, go for the 8TB!

I have one ordered went for a 6tb.

After using any SSD you don't want to use any HDD...

My system drive is an SSD, the other drives I have are for project files. When you terrabytes worth of assets, an SSD is not really an option.