Optimal M.2 / SSD / HDD set up for Premiere, other Adobe software, and Maya, Substance, Houdini etc

Report · Nov 28, 2020

Hello all.

Total noob here with a little Lightroom and Premiere experience. I am choosing parts for a new PC and have some quesitons about optimal storage arrangements. B550 motherboard, with a 5900x (when I can get one) and either a 3070 or 3080.

I understand the OS and software should be installed on an M.2 drive, and then maybe I can use large HDDs for archiving old projects, but what is the fastest and most efficient set up for the rest of the process?

Do I need to have separate project and scratch discs? Should I use the second M.2 mobo slot for one of these? What should an SSD be used for? Could you also please recommend specific sizes for all of these?

I will be using the computer for: Maya, Substance, ZBrush, Nuke / Modo / Mari, Houdini, Redshift etc, and Adobe Creative Suite (mostly Photoshop, Lightroom, Premiere).

Thank you 🙂

Chris

Report · Nov 28, 2020

Should I use the second M.2 mobo slot for one of these? What should an SSD be used for?

In short, never use the C: drive as a scratch disk. For example, if you do use the C: drive as a scratch disk and need to re-install the OS there is a big chance that you whipe away all your precious source files unless you have partioned the disk. That´s just one downside.

So, scratch files on the second M.2 and on the SSD. Premiere Pro/After Effects/Photoshop also wants a disk for media cache, etc, etc. Those files want to live on the fastest drive, iow the second M.2 drive but will have no problems if they are on the SATA SSD.

Report · Nov 28, 2020

Thanks for the info. Any idea of recomeded sizes for each too? Considering I'll be using them all with all of the software listed? Won't have 10 projects on the go at once, maybe only half that, but still something to consider maybe.

Report · Nov 29, 2020

Any idea of recomeded sizes for each too?

I don´t know what files you work with, iow SD video or hours of uncompressed 8K video and know nothing about the other apps so it´s impossible for me to guess. But, personally i always aims for the biggest drive and would not buy smaller discs than 4TB drives today.

Discs do fill up fast over time and don´t forget to plan for an external backup solution such as a DAS or NAS from Drobo or from other vendors. 🙂

Report · Dec 14, 2020

Thanks for the info 🙂

Report · Dec 15, 2020

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Report · Nov 28, 2020

Moved to the Video Hardware forum.