RAID0/5 Matrix setup on new system advice

[digitalchaos]

I've done some research into this but I keep coming up empty handed, hopefully someone on this forum can help. I am building a new system from scratch (first time), my intention for this system is a general purpose media entertainment HTPC. I'm slapping four 320GB HDDs to a Intel 975XBX2 board and I want to take advantage of Intel's Matrix RAID storage technology. I want the performance of the RAID 0 for my OS/programs/games, with the protection RAID 5 provides for video/music/pics/etc. My idea is to use 40GB from each drive for the RAID 0, and the remaining 280GB for RAID 5 (40GBx4+280x3=1TB!).

Here's my dillema: Intel's website mentions that it has an easy to use program that you can use to set up the matrix raid config, but the program needs to be run in windows. If I set up the RAID 0 to install windows, will I be able to set up the remaining space on each HDD for RAID 5 without losing my initial windows install? or will I lose the install since I am reconfiguring the drive with a new RAID setup? is there a way to set this up without loading windows yet?

Also, a friend informed me that I might have saved money by going with two Raptor drives in RAID 0 and two slower larger drives in RAID 1 for storage. I think otherwise, but he thinks the two Raptors in RAID 0 would outperform the four slightly slower drives in RAID 0. Is this true or is he just blowing smoke? In case you want to know, I'm going with the following HDDs: Hitachi 320GB SATA300

Any help or advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[alcattle]

One of the features of seperate drives is if 1/1raid goes down the other drives remain intact. If you really are thinking about 4 drives, make 1 for games/OS/apps and 3 for data/media. Then what do you want from the RAID: Speed, Security, or little of both? So maybe a Raptor for the boot drive then the Hitachis in the Raid. Sorry I vote none of the above :?

 

[digitalchaos]

But doesn't a RAID 0 increase the transfer rates of HDDs? I guess ultimately what I'm asking is will two RAID 0 slower HDDs outperform 1 faster HDD? What if they are doubled? Will four RAID 0 slower HDDs outperform two RAID 0 faster HDDs?

 

[FTCold]

I'm with alcattle. keep one hdd or two in raid 0 for the os and games and then 3 (minimum) for raid 5 (you'll be able to lose 1 drive). Raid 0 will allow for better performance but again if you lose 1 drive you're toast (grab the cd's and start installing again).

My suggesstion: 2 drives @ raid 0 for os/apps/games, 3 hdd's raid 5 for media.

Alternative: If you are seeing heavy usage with your media files and want a good amount of redundancy, I'd build a new rig and go with raid 10. then you could have your gaming rig and a media rig - since serving out media on your gaming machine may impact your gaming depending on usage.