Here is my situation. I had an old system that ran on a 250Gb SATA 150, but ultimately the mobo failed and i couldn't find a suitable replacement. I haven't been able to recover the data off of the 250Gb drive and don't want to lose. Anyway I building a new system, Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3R Core 2 E8400, 2 Gb Corsair DDR 800, EVGA 320Mb 8800GTS, and an 80Gb SATA 300.

I haven't been able to recover the data off of the 250Gb drive and don't want to lose it, but I want to keep the 250 Gb as a data drive. I plan to run the system off the new 80Gb drive and use the 250 as a data drive. How should I configure the system to achieve this and not erase the 250Gb drive? Some form of a RAID or AHCI

Just put the 80GB in the first SATA port, and the 250GB into the second. Then, make sure you install your OS on the 80GB.

then delete all the windows system files on the 250gb one and you're set. to be sure that you are installing it on the right hard drive, simply disconnect the other one during the installation. then reconnected once the windows is installed.

seems that the sentences in my previous post got shuffled around, not to sound like a complete moron here it is agian

to be sure that you are installing it on the right hard drive, simply disconnect the other one during the installation. then reconnected once the windows is installed. then delete all the windows system files on the 250gb one and you're set.

hope this helps