From: "Chris Zwar" <chris@chriszwar.com>
To: "After Effects Mail List" <AE-List@media-motion.tv>
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Message-ID: <W8737613116189481357687654@webmail33>
Date: Tue, 08 Jan 2013 23:27:34 +0000
Subject: Re:  [AE] iMac SSD or Fusion?
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ArsTechnica recently ran a few articles that look at the fusion drive in =
depth, their main article is here:

http://arstechnica.com/apple/2012/11/achieving-fusion-with-a-service-trai=
ning-doc-ars-tears-open-apples-fusion-drive/

It's worth reading, the main thing to note is that until the SSD part of =
the fusion drive is full (which I think is 768 gig) then only the SSD is =
used, so the speed of the system will be the same as if you had a SSD onl=
y.  The fusion drive will be slower than an SSD-only system when you are =
accessing files that are stored on the normal HDD, which will happen if t=
he SSD is full and if you haven't accessed that file recently.  Frequentl=
y accessed files are automatically copied from the HDD to SSD - it's all =
in the article.

-Chris

-----Original Message-----
From: Teddy Gage [mailto:teddygage@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, January 9, 2013 09:23 AM
To: 'After Effects Mail List'
Subject: Re: [AE] iMac SSD or Fusion?

I have a 256gb Vertex extreme in my windows workstation as OS drive, so n=
o,
not my first experience. The fusion drive is great but falls somewhere
between a HDD and an SSD in terms of speed. The most notable difference i=
s
that my laptop boots much faster, but it is no SSD in terms of file
transfers. I get maybe 10 MB/s more on long file transfers than a pure HD=
D,
but even that can make a difference. However my girl's macbook air with a=
n
SSD boots in less than half the time into the same version of snow leopar=
d
(maybe 10-15 seconds?). And file transfers are at least 2x faster.

I'm starting a new long term freelance job so I may justify the purchase =
of
a new quad core retina mbp...

On Tue, Jan 8, 2013 at 3:46 PM, D <dow.hanson@gmail.com> wrote:

> Teddy, can I ask, is your fusion drive the first experience you've had =
of
> using an SSD or had you used a separate SSD boot drive before then? If
> you've experienced both scenarios, what were the differences, if any?
>
> Have to say, I recently added an SSD to a late 2008 MBP as a boot
> drive alongside a data doubler from OWC for my HDD. This is my first
> SSD experience. The speed has blown me away.
>
> Thanks.
>
>
> On Tuesday, January 8, 2013, rendernyc wrote:
>
>>
>> http://www.macworld.com/article/2014011/how-to-make-your-own-fusion-dr=
ive.html
>>
>> apparently when you format the drives this way osx is supposedly manag=
ing
>> it as a fusion drive.
>>
>> Its similar but not the same as a hybrid drive that has a few GB of fl=
ash
>> memory caching files
>> http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2412726,00.asp
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Jan 8, 2013 at 3:01 PM, Teddy Gage <teddygage@gmail.com> wrote=
:
>>
>> I guess that wasn't clear. I was speaking about the single fusion driv=
e
>> as a hybrid SSD / HDD being one volume. You can't choose which files g=
o on
>> the SSD side of the fusion drive, like you said. NOT that I formatted =
two
>> separate drives as some kind of JBOD. I wonder if that would even be
>> possible...
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Jan 8, 2013 at 2:56 PM, rendernyc <rendernyc@gmail.com> wrote:=

>>
>> You installed an SSD as well as a conventional disk and formatted as o=
ne
>> volume?
>> Any reason that you didnt keep them separate?
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Jan 8, 2013 at 2:51 PM, Teddy Gage <teddygage@gmail.com> wrote=
:
>>
>>  I have a fusion drive in my mid 2010 mbp (after the original hdd went=

>> kaboom). It is meant primarily as an OS drive, as the OS seems to keep=
 the
>> startup files on ssd partition for extremely fast booting. (although n=
ot as
>> fast as my girlfriend's 2012 macbook air with ssd) As Danny said, ther=
e's
>> no way to control which data goes where on the disk. for the user it's=
 seen
>> as a single volume. However it has made my mac feel significantly fast=
er
>> and I consider it a great upgrade, for an OS drive in a laptop. Not so=
 much
>> as a cache / project drive though.
>>
>> On Tue, Jan 8, 2013 at 2:36 PM, rendernyc <rendernyc@gmail.com> wrote:=

>>
>> The OS determines whats on the SSD. its completely transparent to the
>> user.
>> If you want to use an SSD for the AE cache there is no way to set unle=
ss
>> you have a discreet SSD.
>>
>> i work at a place where they put an SSD in an external TB case and hav=
e
>> it mounted to the back of the imac and thunderbolt connected, so thats=
 an
>> option as well.
>>
>> If you have an extra system that you want to see how it may work there=

>> apparently is a way from the terminal to make your HD and SSD one volu=
me
>> and OSX will manage it as a fusion drive. i have it tried it so ymmv..=
.
>>
>>
>> http://www.macworld.com/article/2014011/how-to-make-your-own-fusion-dr=
ive.html
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Jan 8, 2013 at 2:21 PM, Brian Klein <briancklein1@gmail.com>wr=
ote:
>>
>> I'm curious if anyone has played with the fusion drive set-up in a
>> production environment on the new iMacs? We're debating on whether or =
not
>> we want to spend the extra $1,000 on an SSD or not. I'd prefer to do i=
t
>> that way, but the budgeteers want to save the money... :)
>>
>> I'm mostly wondering how well it'll work with an AE cache? And if you =
can
>> determine what is installed on the SSD in the fusion drive setup. for
>> instance, I have a ton of apps that I really don't care if they are on=
 the
>> SSD or not, I just want my pro apps on the SSD, and then use the remai=
ning
>> space for the AE cache.
>>
>> Brian Klein
>> Video Editor and Motion Graphics Artist
>> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
>> StoneArch
>> stonearchcreative.com
>> twitter: @kleinbc
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> danny princz
>>
>> exposedideas.com
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Animator
>>
>> --
>> danny princz
>>
>> exposedideas.com
>>
>


-- 
Animator & Editor
www.teddygage.com
Brooklyn