Question about RAID

[DragonFire]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I assume I can't use a Raptor 74GB 16MB cache drive with my raptor 74GB 8MB cache in a raid setup? If not, anyone know where I might find a new 74GB raptor that only has 8mb cache?

 

[Blain]

Sure you can use them both. The array will function at the slower of the two.
But both are almost exactly the same.

RAID 0 I assume?

 

[Maluno]

Antilock Braking System. That way when it crashes, he won't have the excuse that the brakes locked up and he lost control.

 

[DragonFire]

Originally posted by: Blain
RAID 0 I assume?

Correct, so the array would simple ignore the extra 8MB of cache?

 

[Blain]

The amount of cache per HD has nothing to do with the array except to effect drive performance.

 

[the Chase]

Originally posted by: Blain
Sure you can use them both. The array will function at the slower of the two.
But both are almost exactly the same.

RAID 0 I assume?

I am just about to RAID a couple of 74's that were on sale at BB "cheap" and have been reading about different RAID levels. A few well entrenched forum peeps have said that RAID 1 would be the fastest RAID for the OS and apps to be on.(Unless you do a lot of video file manipulation or such). Especially reads after random seeks.

Of course you lose half of your size but..... Anyone here have experience or knowledge to say RAID 0 or RAID 1 would be the best setup for desktop OS/games/apps?

 

[ch33zw1z]

RAID 0 = Disk striping over 2 drives. It offers increased speed(not always noticeable), but absolutely NO redundancy. It's not really considered "RAID" by enthusiasts.

RAID 1 = Disk mirroring over 2 drives. Speed is not increased due to RAID, offers 100% redundancy. Lose a drive and you're still up and running.

The 74GB Raptors are incredibly fast when loading apps, games, etc...I would use one for the OS.

IMO, use RAID 1(most setups offer a hot spare feature) or skip to RAID 5 if possible. I'm lazy and don't want to be forced to replace a drive and ghost a machine just because I lose a drive.

 

[Madwand1]

Originally posted by: the Chase
I am just about to RAID a couple of 74's that were on sale at BB "cheap" and have been reading about different RAID levels. A few well entrenched forum peeps have said that RAID 1 would be the fastest RAID for the OS and apps to be on.(Unless you do a lot of video file manipulation or such). Especially reads after random seeks.

Of course you lose half of your size but..... Anyone here have experience or knowledge to say RAID 0 or RAID 1 would be the best setup for desktop OS/games/apps?

Much in RAID is implementation-specific and environment / application specific. Often generalizations are easily shot down with specific examples and exceptions. You can't say much conclusively about RAID 1 read performance in general, because the implementations vary quite a lot. The only approach that begins to be reliable is to measure such things in your own environment with your own real applications, not synthetic benchmarks, and build up a knowledge base and history of what works for you. These are of course readily generalized to what everyone on the whole planet should do, although indefensible.

 

[the Chase]

Originally posted by: Madwand1

Originally posted by: the Chase
I am just about to RAID a couple of 74's that were on sale at BB "cheap" and have been reading about different RAID levels. A few well entrenched forum peeps have said that RAID 1 would be the fastest RAID for the OS and apps to be on.(Unless you do a lot of video file manipulation or such). Especially reads after random seeks.

Of course you lose half of your size but..... Anyone here have experience or knowledge to say RAID 0 or RAID 1 would be the best setup for desktop OS/games/apps?

Much in RAID is implementation-specific and environment / application specific. Often generalizations are easily shot down with specific examples and exceptions. You can't say much conclusively about RAID 1 read performance in general, because the implementations vary quite a lot. The only approach that begins to be reliable is to measure such things in your own environment with your own real applications, not synthetic benchmarks, and build up a knowledge base and history of what works for you. These are of course readily generalized to what everyone on the whole planet should do, although indefensible.

Yeah the more I read the more I realize there are a lot of different variables that play into the levels of RAID and how it performs. Chipsets, the way an app is written, CPU power, and on and on...

I've been messing around with Bf2 load tests with single/RAID 0/RAID 1 runs and at least for Bf2 on my system (Nf4) they are all within 1 to 2 seconds of each other. This is off of the OS drive so far but want to re-install windows on the 2 new HD's. Hoping to choose the right solution the first time as re-installing Windows is a lot more of a pain than Bf2.

 

[Maluno]

Originally posted by: Maluno
Antilock Braking System. That way when it crashes, he won't have the excuse that the brakes locked up and he lost control.

wtf was i on this morning??!

i don't even know what that was in reference to... although I vaguely remember posting something about a car.

 

[DragonFire]

Originally posted by: Maluno

Originally posted by: Maluno
Antilock Braking System. That way when it crashes, he won't have the excuse that the brakes locked up and he lost control.

wtf was i on this morning??!

i don't even know what that was in reference to... although I vaguely remember posting something about a car.

I wasn't going to say anything.. I just walked away slowly from that one.