Upgrading PC to MSI K8N-Diamond Plus, Raid questions?

[gordong11]

Hi all I'm upgrading my new system From:

Abit IC7-G
P4 2.8 soc 478
4x 256 Corsair Dual Channell DDR PC3200
2x WD Raptors, Raid 0
XFX 6800 GT 256mb AGP
Zalman CNPS 7000 copper
Samsung SM-352 DVD/CDRW

To:

MSI K8N Diamond Plus
AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+
Keep 2x WD raptors SATA raid 0 (72 gig total) or no raid?
1x Seagate Braacuda 80GB SATA II
Keeping Dual channell DDR ram
MSI Geforce 7600 GT PCI-X
Samsung Dual Layer DVD Burner
Keeping 450 Vantec Ion PSU and CASE, CDRW


Would it be better to install the Wondows XP on the SATAII drive, or Raptors in raid? or Raptor without raid, and use 3 seperate drives?(maybe 1 for linux)

Also, does anyone know where a step by step raid install guide for this mobo is on the web, if any? It has been a long time, 11/2003, since I installed raid. Thanks!! 8)

Gordo

 

[moparman390]

I have RAID running on this exact same board. I don't like RAID 0 (Striping) because it increases your chances of failure without increasing preformance. I run a single 74GB Raptor as the system drive and two WD 320GB drives in a RAID 1 (Mirroring), I do this so there is fualt tollerance. If I were you I would just use one Raptor as the system drive and keep the others seperate, even if they are used for only storage. This way if one drive fails you don't lose everything and you don't gain much bu RAID anyway.

If you do choose RAID:

Setting up RAID on this board is really easy, the manual is great.
Here is a link to the manual. It should answer your RAID questions.
http://www.msi.com.tw/program/support/manual/mnu/spt_mnu_list.php?kind=1&CHIP=Socket%20939%20(AMD%20K8)&ID=5
(click on the link for K8N Diamond Plus)

 

[gordong11]

Awesome Reply

Thanks, I wasn't sure if the new SATA II performance was going to better than a single Raptor. I have never had an issue with raid 0, but what I would love to do someday is buy one of those XFX raid cards and run raid 3 or 5(I forget which one is best) and buy SATA II Raptors when they finally come out.

This is what I'm gonna do. Put windows and games on one Raptor, and use the 80GB SATA II for storage. Then with the 2nd Raptor, put Ubuntu Linix for a Dual OS solution. Thanks again!

 

[modmandan]

Awesome Reply

run raid 3 or 5(I forget which one is best) and buy SATA II Raptors when they finally come out.

SATA II Raptors??? wouldn't that be nice!

RAID 5 is the best combination of speed and fault taulerance due to parity spanning with the performance of RAID 0. just make sure the controller has it's own XOD processor and can take memory or you would be running a software RAID 5 and that's really slow.

 

[pat]

Install OS, apps and games on the RAIDed RAPTOR. Then use the 80 gigs a storage/backup.

You can have a mirror copy of important files on both HDD, negating the need for RAID1 array. Apps like secondCopy do simply mirror selected folders.

this way, if either the array or the 80 gigs fails, there will still be a spare copy of important files(digital pictures, personnale notes, games data,..) on the other drive.

you don't need to have a mirror copy of Windows, apps, games or everything you already have on cd or easily retrieved from the internet. That a waste of hdd space.

I still have to see an array to fails.. I have one and will always have. and funny enough, the HDD that died on me were all single drives....

 

[gordong11]

I"m still unsure if I want to use raid again

OK My new Rig is going to be and fully ordered:

MSI K8N Diamond Plus
AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+
Enermax Liberty 500w PSU http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817194003
XFX Geforce 7600GT XXX 26mb
1 GB total 2x 512 mb Dual Channel Corsair XMS PC3200 C2/PT(From Old PC)
2x WD Raptors 36 gig (From Old PC)
1x Seagate Barracuda SATA II 80GB (For Ubuntu Linux 64bit version 5.10 Breezy Badger-Awesome Windows Alernative!)
Have Zalman CNPS 7000 Copper CPU cooler(not sure it will work, lost AMD connector)
Antec 1000 PErformance Plusview Case(Want to Upgrade to Thermaltake Sviking $80 @zipzoom http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811133142 soon)
Windows XP PRP SP2 + Ubuntu Linux 5.10 64bit www.ubuntulinux.org ( you can try it on any PC without disturbing your current windows install with "Live Version".

Reply about Ubuntu "Live" and I can post more details, but it is awesome and free!

Will Probably Add 2nd Vid Card for SLi, and new case with a month or so. I realized I needed a new PSU because of 8-pin 12v connector, current is only 4-pin. I have read decent things about the Enermax Liberty, excellent bag for buck ratio at $100, 400 watt unit is only $75, but MSI reccommends 450 watts or greater for Siamond board, plus needs a rating of at least 18A, on 12v. I am psyched!!!

 

[modmandan]

I"m still unsure if I want to use raid again

OK My new Rig is going to be and fully ordered:

2x WD Raptors 36 gig (From Old PC)
1x Seagate Barracuda SATA II 80GB (For Ubuntu Linux 64bit version 5.10 !

I've been using 36GB raptors in a RAID 0 for over a year now and have had zero issues with drive errors. Granted I use two 250GB's not in a raid for data storage and use the raid only for the OS and games

 

[gordong11]

I just Decided what heck and decided to spend the extra $300 and get a new case and memory here is what my new rig will be......albeit once parts arrive and build it.

Thermaltake SVking Case - On Order ZipZoomFly
MSI K8N diamond Plus
AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+
Corsair TwinX2048 PC3500 LL PRO Kit - On Order ZipZoomFly
XFX 7600GT XXX Edition - On Order ZipZoomFly
Enermax Liberty 500W PSU - On Order ZipZoomFly
2x WD Raptors 72GB total (From old PC -may use only 1 and keep old PC intact)
1x Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 80GB SATA II
BenQ DVD+/-R DL Burner w/Lightscribe
Samsung SyncMaster 172t (From old PC)

With rebates totalling $95 on this stuff, I really just figued what the heck, why wait....besides I might as well be ready for Vista. The 2 GB Memory is because I hate having to upgrade it, so I might as well buy what I want, especially with $40 rebate.