Hello you all!

I'd like to offer a good 40GB SSD for a relative's future computer to host Seven alone.

That is, this gaming machine will have a raid of 600GB Velociraptor for the applications and documents.

So: are 40GB enough for Seven?

Thank you!

So: are 40GB enough for Seven?

From http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/products/system-requirements :

Windows 7 system requirements

If you want to run Windows 7 on your PC, here's what it takes:

1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor

1 gigabyte (GB) RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit)

16 GB available hard disk space (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)

DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver

Thanks Coffiefiend!

For the W2k I'm used to, Microsoft would require 1GB disk space and recommend 5GB... With careful management of software installation, my W2k here takes 3GB.

That's why I'm wary about the minimum requirement of 20GB for Seven if using a disk of only 40GB.

Are there experience-based figures that might differ from Microsoft's minimum?

I use 80GB HDD here with Windows 7 but I install my programs in the OS volume for the most part. Right now it says I have 20GB free on the C: and I think my home computer is similar in those numbers.

64Bit uses a bit more space (32Bit Runtime files).

It will be enough but you must take into account that the less free space HDDs/SSDs have, the worse their performance is. Wouldn't it be better to buy a 60GB one and have some space not only for the OS but also for applications? There shouldn't be that much difference in price between 40 & 60 GB.

I'm running a Windows 7 VM on a 20GB disk and only 512MB of RAM. I suppose if you install enough apps you'll run out of space.

I just built a Windows 7 image with a recovery partition for a 40GB drive and it didn't seem to be a great idea, at least with a recovery partition on it.

Thank you all!

The decision is made, it will be a 40GB SSD. 60GB would run out of the birthday budget, a used 40GB fits, and this one has a Sandforce controller: best buy.

As the user will have a Raid of Velociraptor for his games, if he overflows the Windows SSD, he shall get a second one later and raid them as well.

I hope you know about all the potential problems & bugs related with the SandForce controller, don't you? I'd call buying a used SandForce based SSD somewhat risky

Depends on the vendor of the SSD and how they've configured it, but for a 1st gen SSD, it might make *more* sense to go with a used model that didn't fail within the first 3 months .

I use a 40GB SSD on a Windows 7 Lenovo laptop. It has been working great for 2 years. Here is my setup routine:

* Command Line: Disable Hibernation:

powercfg -h off

* Control Panel / System / Advanced / Performance / Advanced / Virtual Memory = 0 if RAM is good.

* Control Panel / User Accounts / Change your picture = something kewl

* Control Panel / Power Options

Set to High performance then "Change plan settings" then "Change advanced power settings"

Turn off hard disk after = 0 (never)

Turn off display after = whatever

* Control Panel / Programs and Features / Turn Windows features on or off

UNCheck Tablet PC Components & Windows Search

Install FileSearchEX

* Clean up the "%userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo" folder

* Organize the "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu" folder

* Right Click on C: drive and UNCheck "Allow files on this drive to have contents..."