RAID question from newb
I'm building myself a computer right now that is going to have at least two 500GB Caviar HDD in it and I'm debating on an SSD drive for boot up. I want to RAID the two 500s and I was hoping to keep the read/write cycles for the SSD down. Unless the current SSDs don't carry the same problem that most SSDs carry with the max read/write cycles. Would it be possible to boot off of the SSD and then use the RAID array as my C: drive for regular installs. Because as far as I know whichever drive you boot off of becomes your C: drive. Most applications automatically install onto the C: drive and if that's the SSD that would destroy the read/write cycles. So I'm looking for a work around that so I can continually boot from the SSD and only boot from it but not access anything else. I want to enjoy the quick boot times. Any help or advice is appreciated and welcome.
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Comments
Hardly anything "automaticaly" installs to c: by default anymore.....
They will go to your windows "My Programs" which could be on drive z:
As long as you TRIED to not install programs there (most let you choose a destination) then MOST will not be on the windows directory anyway....then I do have a tool that lets you move almost everything else off the ssd.
But listen.... I am about to give you some strong advice.........
I have been tuning high performance disk arrays and disk subsystems all my life... Ask anyone here about my crazy 12 disk scsi arrays with caching raid controllers etc.....
but in real life you don't need it and its a pain to keep backed up. If you are some avid gamer I would get more ram and make a ram drive instead of the ssd.... And yes I have installed quite a few SSD's.......
But come on here..... With hibernate anymore on these motherboards..... They wake up and are online in seconds.....
I honestly never turn mine off so boot times mean nothing to me anyway.
Your really trying to install a SSD and raid to eliminate boot times??????
No offense but this is the silliest excuse for a SSD and raid-0 I have ever heard and trust me... I thought I had heard them all at this point.... (rolls eyes...)
Kindest Regards
Tex
That's actually exactly the kind of advice that I was looking for so I actually liked your advice. But when you say it's a pain are you talking about your RAID array, that RAID array I was thinking about or any RAID array in general. I've never used a RAID array before so I'm just trying to get some of the problems out of the way.
I am serious I had a 19" rack with multiple dual cpu servers with huge arrays.
Benchmarks were crazy fast. I had huge posts here helping folks tune these little raid-0 arrays......
But in REAL LIFE.... I mean it was fun installing XP in 12 minutes... But if you have stable hardware how many times is that really important?
If I were you I would get one raptor for the OS. put the temp files on seperate disks.
With raid-0 if ANYTHING fails you lose it all. Might be software.... bad cable.... one faulty disk.. We have all gotten trashed by a failed raid-0 array at some time... Every time you turn it on your rolling the dice.... Is my S H I T gonna still all be there???
Everything you worked so hard for is gone.... Unless you back up like its a religion..... And mnost folks do not....
NEVER EVER PUT ANYTHING on raid-0 you can not afford to lose in a blink of an eye......
Listen some will argue with me here but I have done this for a living for 20 years.
You will not FEEL that much differance with raid-0 in most things. Its funny to play and compare benchmarks.
I'm a SCSI nut.
But for MOST (not all) folks.... just getting a raptor or two is better and back your critical data up from one of the big ides's to the other or use raid-1 which mirrors those ide drives. (wink)
If your a gamer guy and load huge maps etc... make a ram disk..........
Other then that if you just setup a system and configure it right anymore... Its plenty fast....
You wanted reduced load times but if you get a MB that will hibernate properly it is awake and running in a couple seconds... So who cares???
And I am sorry if ANY of this sounded snotty as it is not ever meant to be....
You can call me on the phone and I will WALK YOU through setting a system up and many on here can testify.
But unless you have some special reason for that ssd and raid I just think your making a bad choice.
Love Ya Man ! (grin)
Tex
Now I have another serious question.....
Your going to have two 500 gb drives.... You are not going to mirror them in raid-1....
How do you plan to back those puppies up?
You would be better served (unless you have more music and porn then me... and I have a bunch... wink...) to use that second drive to back up the first. Look you can still tell all your friends you have a TB of storage!!!! I'm serious here.... They won't know you just went about this the smart way of using it by keeping two drives!!! LOL!!
Listen you know I am just having fun and yanking your tail in a nice way right! (wink)
Listen I will help ya tweak and tune any raid array you decide to build if thats what ya want....
My arguement is that its not needed for most things...
My advice to ya is get those two huge drives! Use one to backup to from the other.
Ditch that sexy sounding SSD for a raptor or two and just know your covered everywhere.
Best of luck pardner!
Cowboy