info about odd caddy for hdd use and usb 2.0/3.0 for bluray...

i am considering getting an ssd in the future. i would need at least a 250 gig plus though and the prices are nowhere near right, not to mention i might consider putting my 640gb wd in the odd. so i was wondering if i got the right accessories for the blu ray, would it be best to use usb3.0 or would 2.0 suffice for watching movies and such? otoh, i might just get a hdd enclosure to put the 640gb wd hdd in and keep the bluray drive where it is.

i haven't researched much on the external odd yet to be honest. i usually do before i dive in asking details. i'm kind of looking for tips on prices, where to buy ssd and a couple of other things. i'm looking mostly at intel ssds because of reliability first and foremost. with the speeds offered by ssd's a few extra mb's speed is irrelevant to me. it seems even if i got a ssd for the magic price @ ~250 gigs i would still be spending on odd caddy or hdd enclosure or both because i have a backup hdd that needs to be updated too. i could save myself all the want and grief and just get scorpio black hdd and be done with it to cut my losses. suggestions?

 

Bluray actually runs fine via USB 2.0, no reason to go 3.0 unless you really want it. You might want to put the SSD in the primary slot, the HDD in the ODD, and then make the bluray external. That way you have access to all your data on the SSD/HDD without having to swap them back and forth. You're probably more likely to use the hard drive on any given day rather than the Bluray (which is still convenient externally).

If size is a concern, you can always mirror the larger folders (like C:/Users) to your disk drive and keep it off the SSD. That drive is typically your pictures, music, and documents - stuff that doesn't benefit much from the SSD. When you install programs, you can pick and choose where the install goes. That way you can easily get by with a 128GB SSD or smaller as the boot disk, while keeping all your files ready for use.

 

Official Clevo ODD is around $50

Ebay ODD where you have to take the bezel off your current DVD-ROM is about $20

If you want a 250GB SSD wait a few months and the other options would be much cheaper. Intel prices don't really go down.

A Scorpio Black has nothing on a regular SSD. USB 2.0 should be good enough for Blu Ray. In either case, external optical drives are cheap as dirt.

 

That's all to say that a USB 2.0 port will be able to provide enough power for a bluray drive?

 

oh yeah. totally forgot about that. wouldn't a 3.0 port provide stable power? i was actually worried about throughput of whatever. does anybody have experience with a 2.0 port performing reliably and only having to use 1 port rather than 2?

and to previous posters, if i did buy a ssd, it would go in primary slot for sure. i just can't see myself getting away with 128 gigs. i would probably fill 100 gigs and i know you need headroom, especially a ssd for it to perform it's strengths.

 

Almost every USB optical drive comes with a Y-splitter so yes it does take up two ports. Typically you only need the extra power when writing a disc. USB 3.0 will probably mean you only need to use up one port.

 

rarely write discs anymore. got hdd backup, my nexus one more than makes up for my cd/mixed cd/mp3's. i just want to enjoy dvd/blu movies without hiccups and full sound. i can't afford a 2 port accessory.

so who has a 256 gig 2nd or 3rd gen crucial or intel ssd for $200?

 

Wait 14-16 months.