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Need INFORMATION on RAID!
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CKY_2084
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5. February 2005 @ 10:46 |
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Im new to the whole RAID idea. I use my PC mostly for backing up DVDs, Gaming, and Graphic Design with Photoshop and I heard that RAID 0 is bad for using DVD Shrink, so I will need something that works with Shrink. Im looking more for speed than anything else. So can I get more speed in a RAID Setup over a ATA setup and still be able to play my games and use DVD SHRINK? My mobo has a RAID setup already but I want to use a RAID CARD instead, any suggestions on a good one?
1: How many RAID configurations are there?
2: Is RAID worth the extra money?
3: Which RAID is better for gaming and using DVD Shrink to back up DVDs?
4: Is it safe?
5: Should I use SATA RAID or ATA RAID, I would like to go with the SATA but not familiard on SATA devices so are there any issues like booting from SATA? Should I get a smaller HD as a system boot drive then use my bigger drives to run my programs off us, how does it all work?
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 5. February 2005 @ 10:53
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Noqoilpi
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5. February 2005 @ 14:37 |
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Sorry I am not an expert. One will drop by sometime.
I have a Promise Fast Trak card that came with my Dell. I have two 160 GB hard drives set on RAID 0.
1) RAID is set up 0 or 1. Mirror(1), Striping (0) or Striping / Mirroring (RAID 0+1).
2) Worth depends on your needs.
3) RAID 0 is faster. Thus better for games and backups.
4) I have had no problems on RAID 0 but Mirror is the safest. You alwasy have a backup of your hard drive.
5) I have a SATA and again no trouble.
Just my 2 cents. I let the experts take from here.
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Praetor
Moderator
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5. February 2005 @ 15:01 |
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Quote:
1: How many RAID configurations are there?
0, 1, 0+1,3,4,5,6,10,50 are a few that I can recall of the top of my head. There's also that Intel Matrix RAID stuff
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2: Is RAID worth the extra money?
In reference to RAID0, If you have to ask then you probably are in a situation where it is not worth the money but actually will be a waste of the extra drive. For other types of RAID its case by case
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3: Which RAID is better for gaming and using DVD Shrink to back up DVDs?
RAID5 but odds are you dont need RAID.
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4: Is it safe?
With the exception of RAID0 (which isnt even RAID because its not 'redundant'), yes
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5: Should I use SATA RAID or ATA RAID, I would like to go with the SATA but not familiard on SATA devices so are there any issues like booting from SATA? Should I get a smaller HD as a system boot drive then use my bigger drives to run my programs off us, how does it all work?
If by ATA you mean PATA than probably. If you're doing a serious RAID setup than SCSI is the route to go, for household raid setupts it doesnt matter all that much although SATA is prolly the more popoular
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3) RAID 0 is faster. Thus better for games and backups.
Except for consumer uses its slower.
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CKY_2084
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5. February 2005 @ 16:01 |
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So RAID 0 sounds like what I want was does that do basically (COMBINE Two Drives into one so that you get better seek times and RPMs?)????
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AfterDawn Addict
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5. February 2005 @ 16:16 |
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Noqoilpi
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5. February 2005 @ 16:23 |
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Allows multitasking during disk transfers that
increase CPU efficiency. The CPU is free to
process tasks during IDE data transfers
through the PCI Bus to/from system memory.
Allows maximum data transfers over the bus to dramatically reduce the time to save and retrieve large files.
The key here is large files, if you are not dealing in large files you will not see that much improvement.
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CKY_2084
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5. February 2005 @ 16:25 |
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So is RAID 1 better? Cause it sounds like RAID 1 Combines the speed of the TWO Hard Drives yet only uses the space of the second one to back up the first one. So RAID 1 is faster and safer???
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AfterDawn Addict
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5. February 2005 @ 16:33 |
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I'm not sure if it is faster than RAID 0, but RAID 0 offers no protection. RAID 1 is safe. That's my recommendation.
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Noqoilpi
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5. February 2005 @ 17:17 |
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AfterDawn Addict
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16. February 2005 @ 22:24 |
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hi
i use mirror raid for backup on 2 hd's if 1 drives goes bang (which it has done!) then it will fire up on one drive thats left, and all you do is plonk another drive in and it will copy itself over on boot! so the drives mirror eachother all the time...
speed is what the drives are! mine are SATA150 i noticed a difference from ATA133...
Stripping doubles the drive gigage so 2 drives at 80 gig comes 160gig single drive... but if 1 drive goes bang, you have had it! bye bye system files etc...
raid has to be setup in the second bios on booting up! to what ever configuration needed...
also main bios has to be turned off from ATA boot to SCSI/pherifials etc to run!
also when installing xp pro you need the raid drivers on a floppy disc and hit F6 while booting from xp cd! and it will load these as it loads xp pro...
i love raid as i can use 6 drives 4 ata and 2sata
i would always bye a raid system infact my next system is going to be DUAL RAID 4xHD's raptors 10,000rpm !!!!
;-])
Nothing here to see, move along folks.
 This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 16. February 2005 @ 22:27
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