XP to 7 Install - Maintain my current C: RAID setup?

[Big Jeff]

I have Windows XP Pro 32 bit and am planning to upgrade to Windows 7 Pro.

My current C: drive where Windows XP is installed is set up with 2 10,000 RPM raptors and is visible as one drive (2 x 150 GB Raptors = 1 C: drive 300 GB). I have the RAID set up for the extra speed for gaming, etc...

When I install Windows 7 I realize I need to do Custom install and it will wipe my C: drive. Will it maintain my RAID setup?

Side question that I think I know the answer for....but just in case. I also have a D: drive (data storage) that has no programs installed on it, just data. The Windows 7 install should not touch that drive, correct?

Thanks for any help.

 

[Zoron]

Well if another poster here is any indication, your best bet is to disconnect that data drive... as Windows 7 might create a restore partition on that drive as part of the set up, which would likely delete your data. As for the RAID array... as long as it's a hardware and not a software RAID, then your array will remain intact.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

I have the RAID set up for the extra speed for gaming, etc...

Do you measure actual gaming performance w/ and w/o the RAID ? Haven't seen anything published as yet which contradicts storagereview.com's analysis which showed a 1.9% performance improvement in gaming way back in 2002.

http://faq.storagereview.com/SingleDriveVsRaid0

SR Gaming DriveMark 2002 519 IO/sec 529 IO/sec

Not much better here:

http://www.anandtech.com/storage/showdoc.aspx?i=2969&p=8
http://www.anandtech.com/storage/showdoc.aspx?i=2101&p=10

http://www.anandtech.com/storage/showdoc.aspx?i=2969&p=9
http://www.anandtech.com/storage/showdoc.aspx?i=2101&p=11

"However, RAID 0 is just not worth the trouble or cost for the average desktop user or gamer, "

"If you haven't gotten the hint by now, we'll spell it out for you: there is no place, and no need for a RAID-0 array on a desktop computer. The real world performance increases are negligible at best ......."

With SSD's dropping, and expecting to drop even further in early 2010, I'm wondering if the following couldn't meet both the performance needs and storage needs of a person with a large gaming inventory.

1. Disconnect your SATA drive, install the SSD and your OS.
2. Install Game "A" on the SSD to C:\MyGames\[your game's foldername on HD]
3. Delete Game "A" folder from SSD (do not uninstall ... you want to keep all registry edits etc)
4. "Rinse and Repeat" for all your games.
5. Connect your old SATA drive, delete OS from HD.
6. To play any game at peak speed, simply copy the entire game folder from HD to SSD.

You should be able to keep at least 4 games or so on an 80GB SSD at a time an simply swap em back and forth when you wanna switch.

(2) 150 GB Raptors in RAID 0 = $360
(1) Intel 80 GB SSD and any 1 TB drive = $379

 

[Big Jeff]

Jack, thanks for the information.

When I build my next rig the solid state drives will certainly be installed. The unit in question that I referenced here is 3 years old and I am just installing Windows 7 to try and extend it's life a bit. At the time I built it the 10,000 RPM raptors were all the rage and everyone was RAID'ing them up, so I did also. I really don't have any complaints to date but certainly going forward there are better options (like SSD).

Thanks for the comments. Hopefully I can get 7 installed without any hitches.

 

[apache_lives]

blaaarrrrrggggg dont do an upgrade thats the most messy dodgy way to do things - do a clean install please!

 

[Big Jeff]

I think the only way to go from XP to 7 is to do a clean install. You can only "upgrade" in going from Vista to 7 (from what I have read....I plan to venture into this later in the week on 3 different rigs).