Larger internal HD or external for games?

I have a mid 09 2.53 C2D , 8Gb , osx 10.6.6 MBP. I recently installed Win7 HP via bootcamp and realize that my internal storage space is rapidly running out. My primary (okay only) use for Win7 is gaming. To get more storage for games should I replace my 250Gb internal HD with a 500Gb model or just shell out for a full 1Tb external model? The 1Tb external SEEMS perfect since I could make partitions for time machine and Windows backup also but I am clueless as to whether or not I can boot Windows from my internal drive and then run games from an external HD. Is this possible? What would you recommend? My MBP NEVER leaves the house so getting the larger internal HD for carrying games everywhere is not a factor.

You certainly can do this yes, when it comes to installing games just direct it to your External HDD when it asks where to install to.
Of course you then could not play the game if you were to unplug the external HDD, but thats a sacrifice you would have to make if you wanted that kind of storage.

- Simon

Well then............................

Okay, I must admit the external is tops on my list. While I have no fear of opening my MBP (I put in my own RAM sticks from Crucial) the external option is by far easier and cheaper. I would like to use a wireless backup scheme like time capsule but time capsule is out of my price range for now. Are there any other comparable HD's out there I can hook up to my Linksys E1000 router that would function similarly?
Pardon any confusing language I might have used. I stirred up a hornets nest on the Archos forums yesterday by misusing the terrm RAM when I should have said storage. The debate still rages. Boy Android people are sooooooo sensitive!

scottmcp432 said:

Okay, I must admit the external is tops on my list. While I have no fear of opening my MBP (I put in my own RAM sticks from Crucial) the external option is by far easier and cheaper. I would like to use a wireless backup scheme like time capsule but time capsule is out of my price range for now. Are there any other comparable HD's out there I can hook up to my Linksys E1000 router that would function similarly?
Pardon any confusing language I might have used. I stirred up a hornets nest on the Archos forums yesterday by misusing the terrm RAM when I should have said storage. The debate still rages. Boy Android people are sooooooo sensitive!

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More like computer nerds are so sensitive. If you are gaming I wouldn't do it off of an external because access data is going to be slower.

That's why gamers were obsessed with 10,000 RPM HDD in raid0. Some still are I'm sure. >_<"

Slower in gameplay or loading of levels for example? Would my FPS or ping take a hit in a game like COD4 multiplayer? My OSX partition has my startegy games (civ4, warcraft3, aoe3, etc.) and my windows partition, which is where I really need new room, contains mostly shooters and RPG's I play online. Would these factors alter your suggestion in any way?

scottmcp432 said:

Slower in gameplay or loading of levels for example? Would my FPS or ping take a hit in a game like COD4 multiplayer?

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Slower loading levels or whenever it needs to access the drive for data. The gameplay itself wouldn't be slower. That has to do more with FPS and that's your GPU.

CrimsonRequiem said:

Slower loading levels or whenever it needs to access the drive for data. The gameplay itself wouldn't be slower. That has to do more with FPS and that's your GPU.

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That then is all I need to know. Hey, at 42 years old and with an 8 year old daughter (single dad here) I have learned enough patience to wait for something to load.

but it does take excruciatingly long to load games. i tried through USB2 for medieval total war, and it took about 5-10 minutes to open anything.

I used WoW on an external HDD, connected by USB 2.0, I could see the change in loading times but it wasn't too bad, added another 10-20 seconds onto time but i'm quite patient

- Simon

Okay, firewire or usb 2.0? My boss, who considers himself some sort of Apple guru, claims that the speed advantage of firewire would be measured in milliseconds and therefore a waste of money. What I have found online indicates otherwise, speed increases of between 40% to 70%. Keep in mind that those are increases in read times only.

Firewire can be a great improvement to speeds in my opinion, plus they are not really much more expensive, you may even find ones cheaper if you are lucky enough

HTH
- Simon