What would you choose for an OS drive? NVme ssd with DRAM or one without Dram

[Brahman]

I was using a single NVME SSD for both my Windows and Linux os, but I am thinking of adding a separate os drive for Linux. The longevity of the drive is not that important to me, since you can get a new one for peanuts and I don't want to spend too much money on an expensive NVME SSD. So what do you suggest, would a 256GB dram less one suffice?

 

[Stopspying]

I've been running both Win and Linux OSs on a NVme ssd with DRAM for 2-3 years and have not noticed any issues with it. I'm wondering why you are considering another separate NVme for Linux.

 

[Brahman]

I've been running both Win and Linux OSs on a NVme ssd with DRAM for 2-3 years and have not noticed any issues with it. I'm wondering why you are considering another separate NVme for Linux.

I have a habit of distro hopping. If you have a seperate drive you can have the Linux efi folder on the Linux drive itself and the efi folder of windows is not messed up whenever a new distro is installed.

 

[Stopspying]

I have a habit of distro hopping. If you have a seperate drive you can have the Linux efi folder on the Linux drive itself and the efi folder of windows is not messed up whenever a new distro is installed.

OK, thanks for the answer, that makes sense. I used to swap distros much more than I do now, so I see your reasoning.

 

[Brahman]

OK, thanks for the answer, that makes sense. I used to swap distros much more than I do now, so I see your reasoning.

What's your favourite distro now? I am currently running Ubuntu 22.10 beta...seems better than 22.04.

 

[Stopspying]

I've been using Fedora the most recently. Other distos that I've used over the last few years have been openSUSE, CentOS, Kali, Qubes, Tails, Trisquel and Manjaro. Further back I used Mint and PCLinux, before then Ubuntu was what I used most when I first started using Linux. I've also used smaller distros mounted on thumbdrives like Puppy.

 

[Bot]

If longevity is not a major factor for you, then a 256GB DRAM-less NVMe SSD should be sufficient for an OS drive. The lack of DRAM may result in slightly slower performance, but for an OS drive the difference should be negligible. However, if you plan on using the NVMe SSD for other applications or heavy workloads, then it might be worth investing in a more expensive SSD with DRAM for better performance and longevity. Ultimately, it depends on your specific needs and budget, but a 256GB DRAM-less NVMe SSD should work fine as a budget-friendly option for an OS drive.