New Build Questions

[Holesto]

So I ordered the parts for my new build, and everything came except my processor which is on backorder But at least this gives me time to work out a few potential problems I have - with the help of you guys of course!

This is the build that I am getting ready to build. I already have the DVD drive, a HDD, and the aftermarket heatsink/fan.

Thermaltake Chaser MK-I Gaming Case
Intel i5 2500k Processor
Corsair Vengeance (2x4GB) 1600MHz 1.5v LowProfile RAM
ASUS P8z68-v LE MOBO
Corsair 750TXV2 PSU
evga GTX 580 Superclocked Video Card
Corsair CSSD-F120GBGT-BK Force SSD
Windows 7 Home 64 bit

Now on to the questions. I am going to use the SSD as my boot drive, along with maybe a couple games. SSD technology is still kind of confusing to me, so that's where you guys come in.
1) Do I just assemble everything, install the SSD, and then put Windows on it as normal?
2) Do I need to update the firmware for the drive and MOBO before I install the drive? If so, how do I do this?
3) My HDD has Windows XP on it, will this interfere with my SSD if the HDD is just going to be used for storage?
4) I've read about people moving the Users folder from the SSD over to the HDD to save space - will I have to uninstall Windows on the HDD before I do this since it is XP? Will this cause me to lose everything?
5) How much space will Windows 7 take up on my HDD? I've read anywhere from 10GB to 50GB(!!!) How is this possible?
6) I've never overclocked before, but I've read the 2500k is a cinch to OC up to 4GHz. Is there a guide for OC'ing with my processor and MOBO combination?

I'm sure there are more questions I am forgetting, but I will post them here if I remember. Also anything I may have missed that you guys can touch on for a SSD newbie would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[glc]

1. Yes. Leave the HDD disconnected till after Windows is installed.
2a. Corsair
Only update the firmware if necessary.
2b. Only if necessary.
3. I would back up your files before starting the upgrade and reformat it after reconnecting it, but that's not absolutely necessary. Make sure the SSD is first in the boot order.
4. No.
5. Depends on how much you install. Every program you install, no matter which drive you install it on, will add things to the Windows folder structure.
6. I'm sure you can find a guide somewhere. Do not overclock till you have everything installed and make sure it's running right, and make sure you have everything backed up before you start.

[Holesto]

Thanks for the reply, glc!
Have a couple more questions after reading through the motherboard manual.

Since I am not using the SSD as a cache drive, do I need to disable SRT in the BIOS, or is this a utility that you have to download?

Also, it seems that this MOBO has onboard video?? Do I need to disable this prior to installing the video card?

[jdeb]

no and no

[Holesto]

Even though the motherboard has a hdmi port, there is no onboard graphics to disable? Then where does the HDMI port lead to? Very confusing. Cuz this is one of the features "LucidLogix Virtu (Universal Switchable Graphics) - Auto Switching between Integrated Graphics and NVIDIA/AMD Cards" but the specs on newegg say no onboard graphic chipset. So what is the integrated graphics it's talking about?

[jdeb]

Originally Posted by Holesto Even though the motherboard has a hdmi port, there is no onboard graphics to disable? Then where does the HDMI port lead to? Very confusing. Cuz this is one of the features "LucidLogix Virtu (Universal Switchable Graphics) - Auto Switching between Integrated Graphics and NVIDIA/AMD Cards" but the specs on newegg say no onboard graphic chipset. So what is the integrated graphics it's talking about?

The intergrated graphics are built into the CPU and not on the motherboard. You would use the HDMI port if you did not have the discrete graphic card.

This article simply explains Lucid Virtu which is not hardware but software. It basically decides whether to use your discrete gpu driver or the Sandy Bridge Processor Graphics.

What is Lucid Virtu? | bit-tech.net

[Holesto]

Ah I get it now. Thanks a lot jdeb!

Back on the topic of overclocking...I will probably leave the cpu settings at stock for a month or two before trying anything, but the motherboard comes with an "easy overclocking tool" that I'm assuming you just click a couple times and it automatically overclocks your processor for you. Do you know if this feature is safe and reliable?

[glc]

To use SRT, you have to set the controller to RAID mode - so if installing a standalone SSD, simply set the controller to AHCI.

[Holesto]

That's what I was thinking, glc. So even if I'm just using the HDD as a storage, I will still keep the controller on AHCI mode?

[jdeb]

Originally Posted by Holesto Ah I get it now. Thanks a lot jdeb! Back on the topic of overclocking...I will probably leave the cpu settings at stock for a month or two before trying anything, but the motherboard comes with an "easy overclocking tool" that I'm assuming you just click a couple times and it automatically overclocks your processor for you. Do you know if this feature is safe and reliable?

Yes it is. The motherboard manual clearly states the stock overclocking features. I do not get all the enthusiasm with overclocking stuff, the stock speeds are good enough in my opinion. I only play around with it to understand what is going on when a customer flakes his system out.