Guides
Fast storage makes more difference to perceived system speed than almost any other component.
Your OS and primary applications should always be on NVMe SSD. PCIe 4.0 NVMe (7000+ MB/s sequential read) is the current standard. PCIe 5.0 NVMe (14000+ MB/s) is available for platforms that support it (Z790, X670E, TRX50) but shows real-world benefit primarily for large file transfers.
7200 RPM HDDs remain the best cost-per-GB option for bulk storage — game libraries, video archives, backups. NAS-rated drives (WD Red Pro, Seagate IronWolf) are preferred for 24/7 operation.
RAID 0 (striping) increases speed but doubles failure risk with no redundancy. RAID 1 (mirroring) for redundancy. RAID 5/6 for NAS builds. For most desktop builds, RAID is unnecessary — a good backup routine outperforms RAID for data protection.
Modern AAA games are 100-150GB each. 4K video production generates 10-50GB per hour. Plan your storage at 2x your current needs — drives fill up faster than expected. A 2TB NVMe primary + 4-8TB HDD secondary covers most users for several years.
Ready to put this knowledge to work? Configure your build → or call 888.273.2440 to talk to a specialist.