What NTFS Allocation unit size should I use for 750 SSD?

[BDane1]

Just took delivery of a new Intel 750 PCI SSD card. How should I format it? I assume I'd format it with the Windows 7 installer. But what allocation unit size should I use?

I'm a web developer, not a gamer. Most of my time I deal with small'ish html files, large graphic and video files.

My plan is to partition the 400GB into 3 drives, one for the OS, one for my documents and Outlook files, and one for all my wwwroot files and projects. This is probably a leftover habit when I had multiple hard drives in my PC, but now I'm used to it and like keeping files organized like this. I guess I could format each drive with different allocation sizes. Suggestions?

Thanks

[ASouz7]

Bill_VA,

For the Intel® SSD 750 Series (400GB, 2.5in PCIe 3.0, 20nm, MLC) you will need to have the NVMe* drivers installed so Windows* can recognized it. You can find it here: https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/23929/Intel-Solid-State-Drive-Data-Center-Family-for-PCIe-... Intel® Solid-State Drive Data Center Family for PCIe Drivers - Notice that the drivers are offered in both architectures, 32 and 64 bit, be sure to choose the one that matches that of your O.S. and also, make sure to read the installation Guide and the http://downloadmirror.intel.com/23929/eng/Intel_SSD_Data_Center_Family_for_PCIe_ESXi_Driver_Release_... Release Notes as needed to guarantee proper installation.

Using our https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/18455/Intel-Solid-State-Drive-Toolbox Intel® Solid-State Drive Toolbox you will be able to run Secure Erase on the drive as you see needed but you can also use the option offered by Windows* by accessing Device Manager. *Before procedure such as this one, it is recommended that you have all your files backed up in order not to lose important data.

Regarding the partitions, there is not an specific recommendation. You can choose the size you think it is suitable for your files, just remember that you need to leave enough space for the O.S and its updates on the partition designated for it.

We hope this information helped you.

[BDane1]

You didn't really answer the main question. What size allocation unit should I use when formatting the drive?

[ASouz7]

Bill_VA

The basic page size of the SSD is 4KB. You can use any multiple such as 8KB or 16KB that should work just fine. For additional information only you can check on this third-party website: http://www.howtogeek.com/136078/what-should-i-set-the-allocation-unit-size-to-when-formatting/ What Should I Set the Allocation Unit Size to When Formatting?

*NOTE: This link is being offered for your convenience and should not be viewed as an endorsement by Intel of the content, products, or services offered there.