I need a raid card

Jackfx · Feb 5, 2014

I need a raid card so i can upgrade my storage in the future(i just want 1 drive, and i want to be able to upgrade my pc and run the raid on future use's)

But the only problem is i have my only pci express 1 slot in use by my wifi adapter.
I can't find another raid card for a decent price(bellow 100) that will go into any other slot.

These are my available slots:

sorry for the flash, dark room and dont have case lights and took on phone.

Is there a raid card i can get for this?
Thank you

hunter315 · Feb 5, 2014

Most motherboards support at least RAID 0/1 some support 0/1/5. You have a PCI-e slot and 3 PCI slots so you have lots of upgrade options. What style of RAID were you looking to do in the future?

Be aware that setting up 0 and 5 will destroy all data on the disks so you cannot set them up on a system that is already in use.

USAFRet · Feb 5, 2014

What do you want this RAID to do?

Adding more storage does not require any RAID situation.

Jackfx · Feb 5, 2014

USAFRet :

How can i add more storage so that i don't have 3 different drives? since i install games from steam so that folder is pretty big and is taking up most of the 250gb i have currently

And i just want more than 250gb

cklaubur · Feb 5, 2014

hunter315 :

There are actually 2 PCI Express x16 slots with a Conventional PCI slot between them.

To the OP, you can put a PCI Express x1 card in either of the PCI Express x16 slots, but I'd suggest looking at your motherboard's manual and see how that might affect your video card. Some motherboards will run the PCI Express x16 slots at x8 speeds if a second x16 slot is occupied.

Casey

hunter315 · Feb 5, 2014

Oh, thats easy, when you go to download a game from steam it asks you where you want to install it. I added a 1TB drive for media and now have steam installing to a folder over there. It creates a new drive letter but you can put stuff there just like you would on your C drive, you can save files, install games, store movies, whatever you want. You cannot have a single file split between two drives, but you can have half your steam games on C and half your steam games on E, it works just fine.

USAFRet · Feb 5, 2014

Jackfx :

It's just different drive letters. In the Steam client, you can tell it multiple locations. This game here, that game there....whatever.

What you seem to be looking for is a RAID 0, everything in one drive letter. Many, many considerations to account for first.
Unless all the drives are the same size, speed, and type, you will have issues.

Just add another drive. It will be D (or whatever). In the Steam client, just designate a couple of other locations.

Jackfx · Feb 5, 2014

USAFRet :

Ye, i would have gotten another samsung 840 evo ssd to match my current one

To split this between the two drives, do i need to delete the current game content and re install? if so, would i lose my progress on those? or can i just drag and drop the steam folder into the new drive?

USAFRet · Feb 5, 2014

Jackfx :

Another 840 EVO, or a completely different drive, or whatever. RAID is not what you are looking for.
To create a RAID 0, you need to start from scratch. You can't just plop in a new drive and have it magically be a RAID array.

But let's put that out of the equation..

Add another drive.
In the Steam client, designate one or more other folders on the new drive.
See this from Steam for moving games:
https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=7418-YUBN-8129

NOTE: This does not work with all games. You'll just have to try and see with your particular ones.

Try to find the actual save data. Porting that over may work.

Jackfx · Feb 5, 2014

USAFRet :

Jackfx :

Another 840 EVO, or a completely different drive, or whatever. RAID is not what you are looking for.
To create a RAID 0, you need to start from scratch. You can't just plop in a new drive and have it magically be a RAID array.

But let's put that out of the equation..

Add another drive.
In the Steam client, designate one or more other folders on the new drive.
See this from Steam for moving games:
https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=7418-YUBN-8129

NOTE: This does not work with all games. You'll just have to try and see with your particular ones.

Try to find the actual save data. Porting that over may work.

Ok, Thank you so much.

One last thing, will putting steam on a mechanical harddrive sacrafice any game performance(dayz, skyrim stuff like that) versus it staying on my SSD? Thanks again

USAFRet · Feb 5, 2014

Jackfx :

On the SSD, level load times will be faster. FPS, no discernable difference.
In some games, being in the new level faster is a key component.

Jackfx · Feb 5, 2014

USAFRet :

and i can have those games that would benefit from the level loading on the ssd and the ones that are just stuff like dayz, and casual games/sandbox on the HDD?

USAFRet · Feb 5, 2014

Jackfx :

USAFRet :

and i can have those games that would benefit from the level loading on the ssd and the ones that are just stuff like dayz, and casual games/sandbox on the HDD?

Given enough SSD space, yes.
This is my Steam folders:

F drive = HDD
G drive = a different SSD

hunter315 · Feb 5, 2014

I didn't know you could find out how much space steam was eating up that easily, thanks for that USAFRet, now i know where 270GB of storage space went..... whoopsie

USAFRet · Feb 5, 2014

My Steam client lives on the SSD C drive. Games live elsewhere, depending on need.

So, for the OP - we've gone from looking for the expensive, complicated, no benefit RAID way...to the simple, cheap, effective solution.

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