Reclaim 16GB Cache SSD?

I was originally thinking of replacing the 16GB cache SSD with a 256GB mSATA SSD. But I looking at what I have installed I think I might opt for a bigger 500GB SSD to replace the 1 TB HD. If I do that I don't need the 16GB cache SSD as a cache SSD. So how would I stop it from being a cache drive and reclaim that as a second drive (use it for Downloads or something)?

 

I posted a reply in a similar thread. See link here ( link)

Body of that post:

I made a similar post in a similar thread ( link) The short answer from that thread is:

Popular configurations are:

• Get Crucial M4 256GB SSD mSATA. Put OS / apps / games on that. Use your Seagate 1TB 5400rpm 2.5" HDD as bulk media storage (music, videos, pr0n). If you do this, install Windows 7/8 with the 2.5" 1TB drive REMOVED, and then pop it in later after Windows is fully installed.
• Get a small mSATA (16GB - 64GB) drive, and use it as an Intel RST caching drive in front of a large 1TB mechanical drive (5400rpm or 7200rpm). If you do this, install Windows 7/8 with the 16GB - 64GB mSATA SSD REMOVED, and the pop it in later after Windows is fully installed (and Intel RST drivers).
• Get a large 2.5" SSD (256GB or 512GB), and forego using the mSATA slot altogether.

For you, I think it would entirely depend on how much storage space you need for OS / apps / games, and how much you need for bulk media storage (music, videos, pr0n).

In my particular case, I went with a Samsung 840 500GB SSD, because I needed more than 256GB of storage for the OS / apps / games that I intend to put on this laptop. And I want all of that to be on fast SSD storage. It gives me less storage capacity for bulk media (music, videos, pr0n), but that is a tradeoff I am willing to make so that all of my OS / apps / games can sit on SSD storage.

P.S. The thread I mentioned above also has some instructions / steps that I went through to do my SSD swap + clean Windows 8 install + drivers. That might save you a bit of time from doing your own research, if you intend to do the same.

Yes. The 16GB SSD can be configured as just a plain storage device. You configure it through the Intel RST (Rapid Storage Technology) settings application in Windows.

For you the 16GB mSATA SSD is almost pointless. You're either going to replace it with a Crucial 256GB mSATA SSD. Or you will go with a Samsung 840 500GB SSD. A 16GB mSATA SSD will not give you any performance advantage as a caching drive if your primary 2.5" drive is already an SSD, and the capacity is too small to do anything useful with it. If I were you, I'd just sell it on eBay for the $25 you'd get for it.

 

Oh yeah I agree. I wasn't asking what I should do. I have already decided I am going with a 400GB+ SSD drive to replace the existing main 1TB HD. What that leaves me with is the 16GB mSATA SSD, that I agree is pointless as a cache drive. But since it is there I want to use it for at least some storage. But I wasn't sure when I reinstalled Windows 8 on the new SSD if it would see the 16GB SSD or if it needed to be formatted or something before I replace the main drive.

 

If you're going to re-install windows on a new SSD, then do your Windows 8 re-install with the mSATA drive REMOVED from the system.

The reason is because the mSATA drive technically shows up as the 1st disk in the system (Disk0), and the 400+GB 2.5" SATA drive will show up as the 2nd disk in the system (Disk1). When Windows 7/8 does a clean install, it always puts the 100MB reserved partition (for boot/recovery files) on the 1st disk in the system (Disk0). So when you do your clean windows install, do it only with your 400+GB 2.5" SATA SSD in the laptop, so that the 100MB reserved partition goes onto your 400+GB SSD.

After Windows is nice and installed, you can then pop your mSATA drive back in, and treat it like any other storage device in Windows (e.g. go into Disk Manager to delete / create partitions, and format it).




P.S. (sorry, I can't help myself)
I think you should just sell that 16GB mSATA for the $25 you'd get for it. Something like a 64GB SD card (that you leave permanently installed in your computer) or a nice 32GB USB 3.0 flash drive is going to be a lot more useful than a small 16GB mSATA SSD sitting in your system.

Heck, I'd even take 5x Subway $5 foot-long sandwiches over a 16GB mSATA SSD