Upgrading to m.2 SSD - what should I put on it?

[jag64551B]

Looking to upgrade to an m.2 SSD (probably a Samsung EVO 970 or something similar). Right now I have Windows/LR running on one SSD, and my working files/LR catalog on another SSD.

Assuming I just upgrade one of them to m.2, should I use it for Windows/LR, or for my working files/LR catalog? Or are there other suggestions for a layout? I use a separate drive for my exported files/storage. Thank you.

Running Windows 10, i7 2600k, 24gb RAM, working with Canon 5D III RAW files.

[Sahil.Chawla]

Hi There,

It is better to install Lightroom on the newer SSD, because it might improve Lightroom's performance. You can keep the Catalog on the older SSD.

Regards,
Sahil

[jag64551B]

Thanks for your input. That is the way I'm leaning as well. My only thought as to why I would use it for the catalog/raw files, is that it would process things faster. Somewhere this is likely to be a bottleneck, and I was thinking that if I made sure the catalog/files were moving as efficiently as possible, that might help. What are your thoughts on that?

[Todd Shaner]

What model SSD are you using now for the LR catalog? Depending on the speed difference between the current and new SSD it's likley you may see very little difference. Are you currently having performance issues?

[jag64551B]

Hi Todd, I'm using a Corsair Force Series LE SSD, SATA 6Gbps 960GB for my Catalog/files:

Max Sequential Read Up to 560 MB/s (ATTO)
Up to 510 MB/s (CDM) Max Sequential Write Up to 530 MB/s (ATTO)
Up to 460 MB/s (CDM)

I'm using a Samsung Evo for Windows/LR - can't remember which one specifically, but it's pretty decent.

The 970 EVO m.2 I would be upgrading to has sequential read/write speeds up to 3,400/2,300 MB/s.

I am not having issues now, but I am still running LR 5, and I am preparing to upgrade to LR CC Classic, which I have always had performance issues with when testing in the past. Updating to LR CC Classic, because I'm looking to upgrade from 5D III to 5D IV which isn't supported by LR 5.

[jag64551B]

UPDATE: I apologize if this is not the right way to handle shifting gears on the topic.

I am about to take the plunge and upgrade my equipment-  planning on upgrading RAM to 32gb DDR4, i7 2600k to i7 9900k, and then my storage. Back to my original question:

If I get an m.2 like a Samsung 970 EVO, would it work to put everything on that one m.2, if it were large enough? OS/LR, catalog, RAW files, cache, etc. Or, even though my existing SSD is slower than an m.2, would it still be more beneficial to split things up? If so how should I split it up?

Should I get two m.2's?

I'm really just looking to lay things out as efficiently as possible. Fast storage is very affordable nowadays, so I'd like to do what I can as I take the plunge on the upgrade. Thanks for your consideration!