SSD performance in WoW dissected

[burningforce]

Indeed. In my setup, I have most of the textures and "static" data files on my SSD junctioned in to my normal game directory located on a HDD. The HDD then takes the brunt of any write activity in-game, and the SSD really only gets written to during patches.

then what is the point to using an SSD for WoW? if you put the textures data on the regular HDD, doesn't that slow down the loading of zones, players, gear, etc? That seems to defeat the purpose of putting the game on an SSD in the first place.

[JamieW]

then what is the point to using an SSD for WoW? if you put the textures data on the regular HDD, doesn't that slow down the loading of zones, players, gear, etc? That seems to defeat the purpose of putting the game on an SSD in the first place.

I don't think you read that right, or I didn't explain it properly.

I have the static/textures directory located on the SSD. The rest of the installation is on the HDD. There is a junction point created in Windows that maps the information on the SSD to look like a folder on the HDD, so that the software is none-the-wiser that it's really spread across two drives.

[Rhand]

I don't think you read that right, or I didn't explain it properly.

I have the static/textures directory located on the SSD. The rest of the installation is on the HDD. There is a junction point created in Windows that maps the information on the SSD to look like a folder on the HDD, so that the software is none-the-wiser that it's really spread across two drives.

JamieW - Can you provide a bit of 'how-to' or detail on how you're structuring things? I'm assuming it works just like unpacking the MPQ's and placing them in the work directory of WoW ... forget the folder name ... the game looks there first to see if it's already unpacked and if not goes to the MPQ to retrieve the textures etc. I get the unpacking but how are you doing the junction points in Win7?