1st disk:  win 7 32,    win7 64,    win 8
2nd: samples, downloaded/install files/ CD creation files
3rd: audio files

externals:  3 disks,  backups,....

Using a SSD for your Os drive is the way to go, be warned there not data drives for quality data drives use... Seagate Constellation ES (ST1000NM0011) 1TB SATA 6GB/s 64MB Cache

I've been using Intel SSD's for the last three years. I've been using them ALL THE TIME. When I check the drives health status they are at 99,8%.

At least from what me and my buddies have experienced. All the talk about SSD's not being reliable is highly exagerated.

I would go for Intel drives though. I have heard that they have much lower failure-rates than other manufacturers.

Pardon my poor english!

/M

I tend to sometimes think all research is agenda based. I have been accused of thinking I was the  pilot of the helicopter that dropped the shooters off at the grassy Knoll. For this reason I tend to believe what metz is saying over this article, even though it is worth considering. 


Again thanks for all of the opinions. 

I just built a new system.  I have the OS and recording software (Sonar, Melodyne, etc) on the SSD (an OCZ Vertex 4, 128GB).  Everything else is on a 1TB, 7200 RPM hard drive.  I also have a 1.5TB 5400RPM drive that I do full backups (both the SSD and 1TB) using Acronis True Image.  The new system has been up about 6 weeks and "operational" for about 4 weeks. 

Sonar zings along.  Bouncing to clips used to take a little time on my old PC.  With the new one its almost instantly.

fireberd


I just built a new system.  I have the OS and recording software (Sonar, Melodyne, etc) on the SSD (an OCZ Vertex 4, 128GB).  Everything else is on a 1TB, 7200 RPM hard drive.  I also have a 1.5TB 5400RPM drive that I do full backups (both the SSD and 1TB) using Acronis True Image.  The new system has been up about 6 weeks and "operational" for about 4 weeks. 

Sonar zings along.  Bouncing to clips used to take a little time on my old PC.  With the new one its almost instantly.

But are you streaming samples off of the same drive that you're recording audio onto, or are you just recording audio?

Not using samples.

I just added an SSD to my system a couple weeks ago, an Intel 330, which is not as fast as the Intel 550 line, but still a decent SATA 3 hard drive.

I have to say that i haven't been totally blown away by the performance (though maybe that says more about my expectations than about the HDD itself). Boot times are quicker for sure, just over 20 seconds from power-on until i can start opening programs. Programs are snappier too. But the difference over the conventional drive i was using seems more quantitative than qualititative.

One thing to add; at first i thought i had the SSD properly hooked up to a SATA 3 connector...then i figured out that i in fact used a SATA 2 connector -- hooking the drive up to the proper connector definitely made a pretty big difference.

Regards
Glenn

I have 3 ocz ssd drives in my pc and love it! I use a sata3 drive for main and sata2 s for other things. I do have esata hdds running also but they are back up and storage. if you do go ssd be sure to set up your computer bios to AHCI to take full advantage of the new ssd drives. mine have been in for 3 years now and still going strong. sonar x1 runs fast as hell just on the main drive, but at 550mb read speeds it had better lol!
good luck, have fun.