intel x25-m kingston SSD question

[drakore]

Hello everyone,

I currently have an x25-m and i was wondering if i could raid it with a kingston ssd. I know the kingston SSD is a rebadged intel one, but is there any difference in the drive bios? Does the kingston SSD show up as an intel x25-m in the system bios?

Thanks!

 

[Idontcare]

It is not an explicit requirement of Raid standards that the drives be identical. Some raidcards and onboard software raid solutions make it an artificial requirement, but that has nothing to do with the standard itself.

In theory you could raid-0 an 80GB X25M and a 120GB OCZ vertex...mind you that the raid size would still be limited to a multiplier of the smallest drive in the array (80GB in this case) so in this example your raid-0 array size would be 160GB and only 80 of the 120GB on the OCZ drive would be used in the raid-0 array.

Also the write/read speeds are then effectively limited to the slowest drive in the array (say vertex here for sake of argument) when reading or writing files that are truly striped (i.e. the filesize is larger than minimum stripe size for the array).

But again your specific raid controller could have artificial limitations which preclude you from creating mix-and-match raid-arrays so you really have to go to the source (manufacturer) on that and find out specifically for yourself.

 

[drakore]

Thanks for your reply.

I would be using the intel ICH10R onboard raid. Do you know if this requires exactly the same drives or not?

 

[Idontcare]

Originally posted by: drakore
Thanks for your reply.

I would be using the intel ICH10R onboard raid. Do you know if this requires exactly the same drives or not?

I don't know for sure, but do you have an extra spindle drive just sitting around that you could go ahead and attempt to make an array in combination with the SSD?

Not that you would use such an array but if you can't make it then you have your answer regarding "exact drives or not?" for ICH10R.

 

[drakore]

Can anyone who owns a Kingston SSDnow comment?

Thanks

 

[taltamir]

the reason it is suggested to raid the same drives together, is because of performance. If the drives have varying performance and size then the array's performance and size figures will be based on the WORSE of both drives. If the figures are identical you lose nothing. (well, generally speaking, some things are additive)

 

[chrisf6969]

Intel's Matrix Raid, etc. is supposed to be very flexible where you can use different brand & sized drives, so I don't think there would be any problem with you using a Kingston & Intel.

The question is why would you?

1. Intel drives are cheaper and you already have one!
2. You get the best performance when the drives are identical!

I know Kingston & Intel are SUPPOSED to be identical, but they could have slightly different firmwares with slight tweaks, so the kingston has slightly better x, at the cost of y.
And then the Intel has slightly better y at the cost of x. But what you get is the worst of both drives. (fill in x & y with sequential/random or read/write)

Imagine breeding 2 animals / people... and the resulting offspring has all the worst qualities of each. The idea of matched pairs... is you get basically an identical "offspring" Raid.

 

[Idontcare]

Originally posted by: chrisf6969
Imagine breeding 2 animals / people... and the resulting offspring has all the worst qualities of each. The idea of matched pairs... is you get basically an identical "offspring" Raid.

ZOMG I really thought that was headed downhill quick when I read the first few words of the sentence...it so ended in way I completely was not expecting, thankfully, as my imagining the breeding of 2 animals with people was not pretty :laugh:

 

[taltamir]

Originally posted by: Idontcare

Originally posted by: chrisf6969
Imagine breeding 2 animals / people... and the resulting offspring has all the worst qualities of each. The idea of matched pairs... is you get basically an identical "offspring" Raid.

ZOMG I really thought that was headed downhill quick when I read the first few words of the sentence...it so ended in way I completely was not expecting, thankfully, as my imagining the breeding of 2 animals with people was not pretty :laugh:

http://english.pravda.ru/photo/report/mutant-3050

 

[drakore]

Originally posted by: chrisf6969
Intel's Matrix Raid, etc. is supposed to be very flexible where you can use different brand & sized drives, so I don't think there would be any problem with you using a Kingston & Intel.

The question is why would you?

1. Intel drives are cheaper and you already have one!
2. You get the best performance when the drives are identical!

I know Kingston & Intel are SUPPOSED to be identical, but they could have slightly different firmwares with slight tweaks, so the kingston has slightly better x, at the cost of y.
And then the Intel has slightly better y at the cost of x. But what you get is the worst of both drives. (fill in x & y with sequential/random or read/write)

Imagine breeding 2 animals / people... and the resulting offspring has all the worst qualities of each. The idea of matched pairs... is you get basically an identical "offspring" Raid.

Thanks a lot for the info. The only reason why i would be buy a kingston one is if i could get a really good deal on one.

Thanks for the analogy

 

[footballrunner800]

Originally posted by: taltamir
http://english.pravda.ru/photo/report/mutant-3050

:shocked:

 

[footballrunner800]

Originally posted by: footballrunner800

Originally posted by: taltamir
http://english.pravda.ru/photo/report/mutant-3050

:Q

 

[cm123]

Originally posted by: drakore
Hello everyone,

I currently have an x25-m and i was wondering if i could raid it with a kingston ssd. I know the kingston SSD is a rebadged intel one, but is there any difference in the drive bios? Does the kingston SSD show up as an intel x25-m in the system bios?

Thanks!

Yes they are Exactly the same - I have 80GB and 160GB X25-M of the Intel and Kingston - even the bios see them as Intel product.

Actually just updated the firmware from Intel for all 4 of them (2 each) even (so yes firmware/bios is Intel as well)...

 

[n7]

:laugh:

Thanx for the LOLs (& info) in this thread.