Minecraft and SSD's

[Sennex 1,903]

Do NOT run or install minecraft on an SSD, from what I am reading, the number of writes and reads that happens everytime you interact with a chunk is insane.

 

I can show you guys how to create symbolic links to trick MC into thinking it is in the default install location but on a different drive if you need me to.

[cyberninja2601 1,106]

Why would and SSD be a problem? It's probably no longer an advantage so you are paying more than you needed to but a SSD should have no disadvantage. 

 

The SSD is solid state (so a bunch of memory ICs). It has no moving parts, less latency and no disadavanges (as far as I know) regarding read/write block size.

[JsinOwl 644]

Aren't the cells volatile? My understanding is that each cell has a finite number of writes in it, so Bart is saying that Minecraft requires a shit ton of read/writes for every little thing you do in Minecraft which will shorten the life of your drive.

[Plumbers Crack 4,062]

Aren't the cells volatile? My understanding is that each cell has a finite number of writes in it, so Bart is saying that Minecraft requires a shit ton of read/writes for every little thing you do in Minecraft which will shorten the life of your drive.

I think I've read this about SSD's as well......be good if it wasn't true

[Sennex 1,903]

Jsin nailed what I was trying to get across.

 

Here is the thing, normal wear and tear on an SSD from most programs isn't an issue.

 

However, Minecraft reads every block when you come to a chunk. A chunk is (16*16)*256 

No granted most of that is compressed down, it is not actually reading every block, it is reading a compressed version.... Unless you are actively building and interacting with that chunk.

 

In Vanilla MC this isn't much of an issue. In any modded pack though, this is HUGE.

 

One of the main modpacks is Buildcraft2, that allows the user to build and place an automatic quarry. The quarry actively forces the chunks it is placed in to stay loaded, and then auto breaks and collects each one to dump into chests in another chunk. This is while the player is elsewhere doing whatever. That is a huge number of writes/ reads for an SSD.

 

This is why most companies will never run Databases from an SSD, you always use some sort of spindle drive. The data access, and wear and tear is just easier to manage currently.

[cyberninja2601 1,106]

Aren't the cells volatile? My understanding is that each cell has a finite number of writes in it, so Bart is saying that Minecraft requires a shit ton of read/writes for every little thing you do in Minecraft which will shorten the life of your drive.

 

 

That is true. The number of erases a limited and the controller needs to erase chucks of data to do a write (can't simply write over the data) but it moves things around so it doesn't write at the same location all of the time. It should also cache a lot of that data so that it is resident in RAM and only do a write if the data is not part of what is cache

 

Those drives are also over provisioned (there is actually more memory that what you paid for) just to have extra locations in case some go bad. Some are 100% provisioned.

 

HD on the other have mechanical parts. So reading and writing a lot gets causes a lot of movement which also has a limited lifetime.

 

I think which technology is better depends on the quality of the drive individually. 

[Sennex 1,903]

While the individual drive is important, also the purpose of the drive.

 

Arguably, the purpose is the most important part, but that argument varies between admins of various networks

[phil bottle 9,761]

I haven't a fucking clue but I'll move Minecraft to the HDD just in case

[BO7H B4RRELS 2,453]

Mine is on my HDD, so I'm good.  Thanks for the heads up though man!