HDD SDD best setup with Z68 RST?

[mezo mezo]

Hi, i got a new i5 2500K and MB with Z68 chip also a 64SSD and 1 TB HDD. my question is for best performance do i want to use the RST technology the chip offers and setup a raid of some-sorts between the HDD and SSD and which? or should i use SSD as boot up drive and use the HDD for data? which will give better speeds and capacity

 

[WyomingKnott]

RAID isn't relevant; the Z68 SSD cache option is to allow you to use SSDs that are too small for installing an OS as cache.

My answer depends on what apps you intend to install. Some people can install and run their entire OS on a 65 GB SSD; if your apps will fit, install the OS on the SSD, repoint My Everything (My Documents, My Music, ...) to a directory on the HDD.

If you are installing enough apps to take your OS drive well over 64 GB, then you might want to use the SSD for cache. But you get more bang-for-the-buck by installing your OS on the SSD and not using it for cache.

On your current system, how much space is used on your OS partition?

 

[mezo mezo]

Thnx for the reply, that is the reason i'm considering raid is because after installing everything i get too close to 50gb. i tried to change the default install directory to the HDD but got all sorts of bugs

 

[WyomingKnott]

Mezo

You can't, or at least shouldn't , put these two devices in any kind of RAID. Period. Such a RAID would be limited to the speed of the HDD, negating the advantage of the SSD, and be limited to the capacity (RAID1) or twice the capacity (RAID0) of the SSD. You would be wasting most of the space on the HDD.

(Note that setting the controller mode to RAID does not put volumes into a RAID set, it just allows you to do so manually.)

The Z68 chipset allows you to use an SSD as an extended cache. Doing this makes the space on the SSD unavailable to you for direct use. If you use it that way, you will have to install your OS on the HDD. Honest.

My Win7 install also runs close to 50 GB, but I'm running a 128 GB SSD.

 

[mezo mezo]

Mezo

The Z68 chipset allows you to use an SSD as an extended cache. Doing this makes the space on the SSD unavailable to you for direct use. If you use it that way, you will have to install your OS on the HDD. Honest.

My Win7 install also runs close to 50 GB, but I'm running a 128 GB SSD.

so which do u think will be better, Boot up drive or SSD caching the HDD?

 

[WyomingKnott]

If you can fit the OS on the SSD, having it be your boot drive will be better. If you cannot fit the OS on the SSD, use it for caching (or trade it for a bigger SSD).

 

[mezo mezo]

Thanks a lot man

 

[mezo mezo]

Best answer selected by mezo mezo.

 

[jhedden]

RAID isn't relevant; the Z68 SSD cache option is to allow you to use SSDs that are too small for installing an OS as cache.

My answer depends on what apps you intend to install. Some people can install and run their entire OS on a 65 GB SSD; if your apps will fit, install the OS on the SSD, repoint My Everything (My Documents, My Music, ...) to a directory on the HDD.

If you are installing enough apps to take your OS drive well over 64 GB, then you might want to use the SSD for cache. But you get more bang-for-the-buck by installing your OS on the SSD and not using it for cache.

On your current system, how much space is used on your OS partition?

I have a question somewhat relevent to this discussion I was hoping someone could help me with. I have a new build (all components at home ready to go together!). I have a Gigabyte Z68 UD3 mobo, a 120GB Intel SSD (SATA3), two 1.5 TB HDD's and will be running Win 7 64 bit. My goal is to run OS and programs from the SSD and run the two HDD's in RAID 1. My question(s) are:

1) Does it matter which SATA3 controller I connect the SSD to? Marvell or the integrated Intel controller?
2) Do the two HDD's in RAID 1 need to be on the same controller (i.e. both ont he marvell or both on the intel controller)?
3) The biggest question: After reading the mobo manual I get the feeling the instructions for RAID setup assumes your OS is going on the RAID drives so it says you need to install the raid drivers ahead of loading the OS. Since I am installing the OS on the SDD (non-RAID), can I just set up the system without the RAID HDD's and install the OS and then once up and running, then set up the two HDD's in RAID 1? Or do I still need to have the HDD's set up in RAID prior to installing the OS on the SSD?