I don't disagree that large files are better, or at least simpler. I do think gaming drives are more likely than most to be fragmented (large file sizes, frequent updates plus uninstalling and re-installing). A single large file should make the next read predictable and easy to buffer.
I am a little curious about the performance of reading several small files concurrently versus reading a large file linearly. I could see small files performing better with concurrent reads if they can be spread around the disk and the IO scheduler is clever enough that the disk is reading through nearly the whole rotation. If the disk is fragmented, the small files should theoretically be striped over basically the entire disk.
I am a little curious about the performance of reading several small files concurrently versus reading a large file linearly. I could see small files performing better with concurrent reads if they can be spread around the disk and the IO scheduler is clever enough that the disk is reading through nearly the whole rotation. If the disk is fragmented, the small files should theoretically be striped over basically the entire disk.