Should I install the AHCI enabled RAID driver during Windows install?

[ahthurungnone]

Ok, I have between 2 to 4 drives I want on RAID1 just to ensure I don't lose data.

Since this is an onboard RAID controller, the performance is very poor in RAID10 with 4 hard drives using Windows Server2008. So, I'm going to install Windows7 using RAID1. If you know why RAID 10 is so slow with RAID10, please explain.

So, RAID1 can be setup and Windows7 installed without preinstalling the AHCI enabled RAID driver. Should I use this even though I don't need to? In order to use RAID I must set the bios to RAID (IDE) although I'd rather use AHCI but can't with the onboard RAID driver.

What should I do? This is a server that 30-50 people use at once and there's tons of lag waiting for the hard drives.

P.S. Will 4 hard drives in RAID 1 perform faster than 2 hard drives in RAID 1?

 

[WyomingKnott]

If you set up the RAID array before you install the OS, the Win7 installation will install appropriate drivers. It's generally a good idea to download the Intel Matrix Storage Drivers and install them after the initial install; the system will pick the right one automatically.

Umm, if performance is bad in RAID 10 why not just use one big disk? Seriously. If what you need is a certain performance, and RAID 10 is slower than a single disk, use a single disk!

And just in case - RAID1 is not a substitute for backups. It does make the system a little more reliable, but you want to do backups anyway. RAID1 will not protect you if the system gets soaked by rain or fire extinguishers, if malware scrambles your data, if something is accidentally deleted, or any of a dozen other situations that will call for a separate backup. RAID1, by itself, will not ensure that you don't lose data.

 

[ahthurungnone]

Best answer selected by ahthurungnone.