RAID0 vs VelicoRaptor

[tecmo34]

Would two WD 160GB in RAID0 be faster for gaming than one 300GB Velicoraptor

 

[evongugg]

Welcome to the forums!

Access times would be faster with the Velociraptor.
Sustained output would be higher with RAID0.
I advise against RAID0, except for the enterprise.

 

[jitpublisher]

^ +1 here.
Most people will benefit more from the fast seek times of the Raptor.
The higher sustained throughput of RAID 0 is generally better if you spend a lot of time moving very large files.

I run RAID 0, a few years ago when drives were smaller and slower, you could see a benefit on a home build. However, since the new SATA drives are so fast, and so large, RAID 0 on a home or gaming rig.....there is simply just no real benefit, and you run a higher risk of losing your data.

Now, is the Raptor worth what you pay for? Only the highest demanding souls will say yes. It is a very fast drive, but so are a lot of other new drives.
If you are value minded at all, the addtional performance is not worth the price.

My 2 cents, this is a fast drive, and it is very reasonably priced.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136218

 

[tecmo34]

Thanks for everyone's feedback. I went with the Velociraptor. I was leaning toward the Vraptor but just wanted some feedback to get me over the fence with the cost compared to another 160GB hard drive.

 

[B-Unit]

If your gonna try to out-RAID the V-Raptor, youll want someting speedy like the WD 640GB Black drives, a pair of those would come close.