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I just splurged on 2 Accelsior PCI SSD's. One is a 240 which I intend to use for the system drive, the other is a 980 for sample libraries and VI's. I'll continue to use WD blacks for the project drive.

My plan is to do a clean install of the OS and all programs, while keeping the current system drive available in case of issues.

I realize that the PCI system drive may be overkill. Is anyone using a similar configuration? Would I be better off returning the 240 and replacing it with a Crucial MX100 or similar?

My computer is a 2010 5.1 quad core - 32 gb ram - and I'd like to make it last another couple of years. I'm considering a hex core processor update as well . . . I'm currently still running 10.6 and DP 7.24 so I am way overdue for an update.

I'd appreciate any suggestions . . .

I can't think of a single reason not to be completely satisfied with your setup.

PCIe is faster than the HD bays.

That OWC is about the fastest tested SSD from a reliable source that's made right now.

I don't know about your setup, but in mine NI load everything into the "Shared" folder in OSX which resides on the system drive, so besides blistering startup times, certain plug ins will benefit from have a fast SSD on the PCIe bay.

Thanks Michael!

I didn't know PCIe is faster than the HD bays. Does this also hold for the 2nd optical drive, where many of us installed our first SSD system drive?

Looks like this configuration is worth looking into, if it's affordable. I've been on the edge of HAVING to go to a larger SSD for some time; I keep playing tricks to make things install that insist on going to your main drive first (and some of them you can't even move afterwards).

Having better performance via PCIe just gives all the more incentive. The graphics card takes two slots and my eSATA for external backup drives takes a third, so I have a fourth available since I never went to PCIe for audio interfaces (and may stick with USB/FW long-term, given the future of MacPro's).

My understanding is that the drive bays inside a 5.1 Mac Pro are all sata 2 including the optical bays. (3gb). The PCIe slots transfer data much faster and are faster than sata 3 (6gb). I've read that it is possible to get similar throughput via raid arrays, but PCIe seemed like a good solution. The PCIe slots in a 5.1 Mac Pro are 16x for slots 1 and 2, and 4x for slots 3 and 4. The PCIe SSD runs at 4 x so any slot will work, according to info I got from OWC.

mhschmieder wrote:I didn't know PCIe is faster than the HD bays. Does this also hold for the 2nd optical drive, where many of us installed our first SSD system drive?

Yes, basically the SATA buss on Mac Pros is SATA II, whereas the PCIe slots run up to 6G, or around SATA III speeds. What this means is that an SSD will top out at around 350mbs on the hard drive and optical bays, which are all on the same SATA II buss.

So yeah PCIe is much faster, almost twice as fast, and Samsung put out a new version of the SSD card that is touted to run at roughly three times faster! Check the specs on this page.
https://www.ramcity.com.au/buy/samsung- ... HCGL-00000

I'll continue to use WD blacks for the project drive

With 1T SSDs running the $400 - $500 range, you'll want to increase your speed and lower the heat soon enough. Some, like the Sanyo 850 Pro and a couple of others have 10 year warranties.