SSD for console

[hashsnob]

I've come to think of the people on this forum to be much more knowledgeable than anywhere else I visit, so hopefully you have some knowledge to drop on me regarding SSDs.

I wanted to improve my loading times in games on my console, mostly for Ark:survival evolved, as it is always loading stuff.  So I purchased a Samsung T3 external SSD, but I'm wondering if that was the best way to go, would I see better performance out of an actual internal ssd, like the samsung evo, hooked into an external encloser?

 It was cheaper to buy the t3, than the evo + enclosure at best buy, so I went with it.

[xSundown]

Is this for the Pro or base PS4?

The SSD inside the console will use the Sata connector, which is faster than USB 2.0 which the PS4 base and Pro probably use. I don't know for sure but more than likely the what they used. Using the External method will use the USB option. So it's best to use the Sata connector inside the PS4. The SSD will definitely improve load times on either PS4. As for ARK I cannot say, but for BF4 it did for me on the base ps4.

[Phil Ashio]

If I'm not mistaken this is for Xbox one. You cam't use external storage to play games from on PS4 and switching your HDD on Xbox One isn't easy and might void your warranty.

[antithesis]

I banged a SSD into my PS4 Pro. Load times were definitely faster, but I couldn't handle the lack of space on a 500GB SSD (400GB usable) vs a 2TB (1.77 TB usable) HDD.


Suffice to say, the SSD is no longer in use. I'd rather longer load times using the HDD than shuffling games on and off the PS4 to fit more than a handful of games.

[willthetech]

Crucial 750gb ssd in my pro. Got a great deal for 149 at my local micro center. The difference is noticeable for sure, specially when the game needs to get info from the drive that is not loaded in memory.  you will be surprise what millisecond can do in destiny when you need to get some heavy , plus is just a better experience over all. I dont mind much space, I usually play 2 to 3 games and when i am done is very rare i re-visit them, and if i need them i just re-download.

[Squandarlo]

The external is just fine. I use an external 7200 rpm hard drive and it's a noticeable improvement in load times.

[DrCube]

For the Xbox One, an external USB 3.0 hard drive with an SSD inside is your best option but the drive must be at least 256GB in size.

I bought an empty USB 3.0 enclosure and put a Samsung 830 512GB drive inside. Load times are roughly 20%-40% faster. On Battlefield 1 I will load into the map/match long before most other players. Whenever I have to restart Call of Duty Infinite Warfare because it's party system @#$% up I am back in the game while other players are still looking at the Activision logo. So, it does help, and it is noticeably better than a mechanical drive (I'd never go back to using one), but it's not super ultra blazing fast.

[Squandarlo]

I bought an empty USB 3.0 enclosure and put a Samsung 830 512GB drive inside. Load times are roughly 20%-40% faster. On Battlefield 1 I will load into the map/match long before most other players.

You're the guy who gets the driver seat in the Hindenberg! I'm usually in the gunner loading in second with my 7200 1TB.

[ZioComposite]

SSHD would be the best compromise.  Largest if I remember for PS4 would be 2TB seagate variant

[UnRyValD]

There are a lot of test for this on youtube. It will be faster but only by a few milisecs on fast loads and a couple of secs on longer loads. It's not worth spending lots of money for.

The ps4 seems to limit the loading speeds on purpose. I'm not an engineer and I don't know why but maybe so it doesn't slow down the OS and the other things going on with it.

That being said I have a hybrid in my ps4 pro. Hybrids were just as fast as ssd's in tests on youtube. I get into games abit faster on some games like BF1 and I get a few seconds to pick tanks and vehicles. Again I wouldn't spend alot of money for this but if your going to upgrade anyway I so get a hybrid.

[Phil Ashio]

Actually, that's not true at all.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2016-is-it-worth-upgrading-your-ps4-with-an-ssd

An SSD can cut loading times up to almost half of the original HDD and more than 10 seconds from an SSHD load. On top of that, in games where you jump from location to location mid-gameplay (ie., switching characters in GTA) it loads faster as well, improving the flow of gameplay.

[UnRyValD]

Actually, that's not true at all.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2016-is-it-worth-upgrading-your-ps4-with-an-ssd

An SSD can cut loading times up to almost half of the original HDD and more than 10 seconds from an SSHD load. On top of that, in games where you jump from location to location mid-gameplay (ie., switching characters in GTA) it loads faster as well, improving the flow of gameplay.

I don't know what that is referencing and I admit I didn't read it but here are the actual digital foundry tests.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gs7RNzEqOe4

In they video they say basically what I said. It help but by very little

[Phil Ashio]

That youtube video you linked to is a PS4 Pro vs. PS4 Standard SSD loading times comparison. not SSD vs. HDD comparison. Though, in that same video they do show and say that there is a considerable improvement to using an SSD over HDD on either PS4 standard or PS4 Pro. What they were saying was that there wasn't a big difference between using an SSD on PS4 standard compared to using it on PS4 Pro.