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Any experiences with SSD (Solid-State-Drive)?
Thread poster: Matthias Brombach
Matthias Brombach
Matthias Brombach  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 09:45
Member (2007)
Dutch to German
+ ...
Apr 12, 2013

Dear colleagues,

I am considering to speed up my machine (2.1 GHz, 4 GB RAM, 220 GB HDD) with replacing the HDD with an SSD to fasten the read/write processes of my CAT-tool (Deja Vu) when using large TM´s. Yesterday I was told that the lifetime of such a device is limited, especially when you perform more write-processes than read-processes, as you do when using a CAT-tool (which is nothing else but a complex database-application) and when receiving/writing dozens of emails every
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Dear colleagues,

I am considering to speed up my machine (2.1 GHz, 4 GB RAM, 220 GB HDD) with replacing the HDD with an SSD to fasten the read/write processes of my CAT-tool (Deja Vu) when using large TM´s. Yesterday I was told that the lifetime of such a device is limited, especially when you perform more write-processes than read-processes, as you do when using a CAT-tool (which is nothing else but a complex database-application) and when receiving/writing dozens of emails every day with large attachments. What are your experiences with an SSD and large term bases? Do you share my concernings?

Best regards,

Matthias
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Michael Beijer
Michael Beijer  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:45
Member (2009)
Dutch to English
+ ...
Hi Matthias, Apr 12, 2013

I have been using SSDs in my main work desktop now for a few years and would never go back. I work in memoQ as opposed to Déjà Vu, but I am sure you will get a similar increase in performance. I have tried everything to make memoQ as fast as possible when dealing with very large TMs and the SSD was what really worked. Now I can attach over 30 different TMs to my project (with a total of around 8,000,000 segments!) and without experiencing anymore slowdowns.

Concerning their longe
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I have been using SSDs in my main work desktop now for a few years and would never go back. I work in memoQ as opposed to Déjà Vu, but I am sure you will get a similar increase in performance. I have tried everything to make memoQ as fast as possible when dealing with very large TMs and the SSD was what really worked. Now I can attach over 30 different TMs to my project (with a total of around 8,000,000 segments!) and without experiencing anymore slowdowns.

Concerning their longevity: I would say you don't really have much to worry about. By the time they start to wear out you will already be 2 PCs further down the line. At least that's my experience. I upgraded my original SSD, just because I needed a bigger one, but the old one was still working fine so I stuck it in my old laptop where it is still going strong. In fact, the SSD is the only reason I got my old Toshiba laptop to run Win7 so fast.

I would also recommend getting more RAM than 4GB. I have 16GB at the moment.

Michael

[Edited at 2013-04-12 10:24 GMT]
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Rolf Keller
Rolf Keller
Germany
Local time: 09:45
English to German
It depends, but ... Apr 12, 2013

Matthias Brombach wrote:

Yesterday I was told that the lifetime of such a device is limited


Typical SSDs can write, say, 35 Terabyte or more. There is no limit for reading.

35 TB / 350 days / 5 years = 20 GB /day.

When you write/update a singe entry in(to) a database, only the new/changed data (plus sometimes some indexing info) are written - that's the basic principle of databases. Moreover, databases collect changed data ("delayed write") in order to avoid some disk access actions.

Thus, working with large TMs should be no problem, provided that these TMs reside on your SSD and are not downladed/copied daily.


 
Oliver Pekelharing
Oliver Pekelharing  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 09:45
Dutch to English
off-topic: multiple TMs Apr 12, 2013

Just out of interest Michael, do you find that 30 TMs improves segment matching? Or do you enable them all only for concordance purposes?

Olly


 
Erik Freitag
Erik Freitag  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 09:45
Member (2006)
Dutch to German
+ ...
My experience Apr 12, 2013

Moin Matthias!

Initially, I had my last PC built with SSD drives. Speed gain was impressive, but I've had everything reverted to old-fashioned harddiscs again, as the SSD drives degraded much quicker than I expected. Maybe I could have fiddled with some settings, but I didn't want to take any risk. Even with standard HDs, my PC is still more than fast enough.

Maybe things have changed in the meantime, this happened some two years ago.

BTW: 16 GB RAM here as
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Moin Matthias!

Initially, I had my last PC built with SSD drives. Speed gain was impressive, but I've had everything reverted to old-fashioned harddiscs again, as the SSD drives degraded much quicker than I expected. Maybe I could have fiddled with some settings, but I didn't want to take any risk. Even with standard HDs, my PC is still more than fast enough.

Maybe things have changed in the meantime, this happened some two years ago.

BTW: 16 GB RAM here as well.

Seeg to,
Erik
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Wesley Bormann
Wesley Bormann
Sweden
Local time: 09:45
Tip regarding SSD drives Apr 12, 2013

Should you start using a SSD drive, then ´see to it that automatic defragmentation is turned off in windows, I've heard that defragmenting a SSD can quite ruin its day.

 
Matthias Brombach
Matthias Brombach  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 09:45
Member (2007)
Dutch to German
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
And what about all the registration codes when migrating to SSD? Apr 12, 2013

Hi Michael/Rolf,

thank you for sharing your experiences and ideas! I guess after 5 years I would have to change my machine anyway, especially because it is unfortunately not able to process more than 4 GB RAM (due to the manual). It´s an 2emachines E725", almost 3.5 years old and it was a relatively cheap tool for all the revenue I already did with it.
One more question: When migrating (mirror) the HDD to the SSD, does it also affect the registration codes from my software to
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Hi Michael/Rolf,

thank you for sharing your experiences and ideas! I guess after 5 years I would have to change my machine anyway, especially because it is unfortunately not able to process more than 4 GB RAM (due to the manual). It´s an 2emachines E725", almost 3.5 years old and it was a relatively cheap tool for all the revenue I already did with it.
One more question: When migrating (mirror) the HDD to the SSD, does it also affect the registration codes from my software tools (like Deja Vu, Studio, Trados 2007, Word, etc.) or will the machine just run as if nothing has happened?

Best regards,

Matthias

[Bearbeitet am 2013-04-12 12:01 GMT]
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Matthias Brombach
Matthias Brombach  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 09:45
Member (2007)
Dutch to German
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Wat föör een Elend, Erik! Apr 12, 2013

Hoi Erik,

wat jammer, that´s the reason why I am still suspicious about it. How did the degradation take place? A crash without any warning? Or just a simple decrease in performance? And would you like to tell us the brand of your previous SSD? And 16 GB RAM on a mechanically HDD did improve your read/write-performance considerably as well? I just consider between the two alternatives: to buy a new Laptop with more RAM and a bigger HDD or just replacing the HDD by an SDD. Moreover,
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Hoi Erik,

wat jammer, that´s the reason why I am still suspicious about it. How did the degradation take place? A crash without any warning? Or just a simple decrease in performance? And would you like to tell us the brand of your previous SSD? And 16 GB RAM on a mechanically HDD did improve your read/write-performance considerably as well? I just consider between the two alternatives: to buy a new Laptop with more RAM and a bigger HDD or just replacing the HDD by an SDD. Moreover, I am not sure whether Windows 8 is compatibel with my CAT tools.

Fuchtig hollen,

Matthias
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Michael Beijer
Michael Beijer  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:45
Member (2009)
Dutch to English
+ ...
several replies Apr 12, 2013

@Olly: I only really have all those TMs switched on for concordance purposes. I rely on Google Translate for segment matching;)

@Matthias:

1. I didn't really notice any problems with registration codes, although I don't have Déjà Vu. But I do have Trados 2007 and Word, and they didn't complain.

2. Still on Win7 here. I see no compelling reason to mess with a system that works perfectly.

@ Erik: I haven't noticed any degradation in either of
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@Olly: I only really have all those TMs switched on for concordance purposes. I rely on Google Translate for segment matching;)

@Matthias:

1. I didn't really notice any problems with registration codes, although I don't have Déjà Vu. But I do have Trados 2007 and Word, and they didn't complain.

2. Still on Win7 here. I see no compelling reason to mess with a system that works perfectly.

@ Erik: I haven't noticed any degradation in either of my SSDs. My old one was an Intel, and this one is a Crucial M4 250GB.

Michael
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Vladimir Pochinov
Vladimir Pochinov  Identity Verified
Russian Federation
Local time: 10:45
English to Russian
My experience with internal and external SSDs Apr 12, 2013

I have been using SSDs since mid-2011 (an internal SSD in my MacBook Air and two external SSDs). No problem with them so far (touching the wood, just in case).

I use an external SSD (65.7x17.45x98.7mm, 70 grams) as my mobile office. The second one serves as a backup synchronized on a regular basis with the primary SSD. I use portable applications from PortableApps.com, such as 7-ZipPortable, FirefoxPortable, ThunderbirdPortable, SkypePortable, etc., and a portable version of Transla
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I have been using SSDs since mid-2011 (an internal SSD in my MacBook Air and two external SSDs). No problem with them so far (touching the wood, just in case).

I use an external SSD (65.7x17.45x98.7mm, 70 grams) as my mobile office. The second one serves as a backup synchronized on a regular basis with the primary SSD. I use portable applications from PortableApps.com, such as 7-ZipPortable, FirefoxPortable, ThunderbirdPortable, SkypePortable, etc., and a portable version of Translation Office 3000 that I have created myself. This makes it possible for me to receive/send emails, handle project management and invoicing tasks using any PC that might be available. All data is kept on the SSD.

By the way, all Trados-related TMs and termbases are kept on the external SSD as well. I consider trying and creating a portable version of SDL Trados Professional 2011 that I own.

[Edited at 2013-04-12 13:35 GMT]
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FarkasAndras
FarkasAndras  Identity Verified
Local time: 09:45
English to Hungarian
+ ...
Just return the license Apr 12, 2013

Matthias Brombach wrote:


One more question: When migrating (mirror) the HDD to the SSD, does it also affect the registration codes from my software tools (like Deja Vu, Studio, Trados 2007, Word, etc.) or will the machine just run as if nothing has happened?


With tools like Trados that have absurdly twisted license policies, just play it safe: return the license when you last run your old HDD, then enter it again after you install your system on the new one.
Windows itself doesn't seem to mind being shoveled onto a new drive.
The upgrade is very warmly recommended. It's the best upgrade you can do. Just get a good brand (Samsung, Intel) and the reliability will only be better than what you get from an HDD.


 
Eduardo Cano Rodríguez
Eduardo Cano Rodríguez  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 09:45
Member (2011)
English to Spanish
+ ...
Don't think about it anymore... Apr 12, 2013

... and go for it.

It is the biggest improvement I installed in my computer and I will never go back.

It is true that there was a time when the reliability of these drives was not as high as it should, but things are changing fast, and they eventually will replace HDD. Less heat generation, lower noise.

However, due to the GB/€ ratio, I recommend an external drive to make copies of your contents. This not only allows you to be on the safe side if the driv
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... and go for it.

It is the biggest improvement I installed in my computer and I will never go back.

It is true that there was a time when the reliability of these drives was not as high as it should, but things are changing fast, and they eventually will replace HDD. Less heat generation, lower noise.

However, due to the GB/€ ratio, I recommend an external drive to make copies of your contents. This not only allows you to be on the safe side if the drive fails, but will free space on your SSD. Take a look at Crucial M4 drives, for instance.

Good luck with your decision!
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Rolf Keller
Rolf Keller
Germany
Local time: 09:45
English to German
Know-how from experts Apr 13, 2013

[quote]Matthias Brombach wrote:

When migrating (mirror) the HDD to the SSD[quote]

Obtain c't, issue 22/2011, it contains about 20 useful pages with answers regarding your plans.

http://www.heise.de/artikel-archiv/ct/


 
Oliver Pekelharing
Oliver Pekelharing  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 09:45
Dutch to English
ssd only for files? Apr 13, 2013

Would there by any significant increase in speed if I bought an external ssd and only used it for storing TMs, termbases and translation files? Or is the main speed advantage gained by installing your OS and (translation) software on it?

Thanks,

Olly

[Edited at 2013-04-13 12:48 GMT]


 
Meta Arkadia
Meta Arkadia
Local time: 15:45
English to Indonesian
+ ...
It depends... Apr 13, 2013

Olly Pekelharing wrote:
Would there by any significant increase in speed if I bought an external ssd and only used it for storing TMs, termbases and translation files?

It all depends, I think. On how you connect that SSD (USB 2, USB 3, Thunderbolt, SATA, etc.), and how your CAT tool works. I haven't tried an SSD yet, but my CAT loads the various databases in RAM, so I doubt if an SSD would make assembling and searching any faster, and then again, it can hardly be any faster. Your OS and your apps on SSD will make a difference, a huge difference, but again, it depends on how you work. If you don't shut down your computer, and if you don't quit apps, and run most of your apps at start-up, I don't think an SSD matters that much. I'll buy one, though. I almost did, but my dealer told me that installing one would be his first...

Cheers,

Hans


 
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