Is a RAID Card needed for Raid 0?

[Prtssguy]

Im going to be making a PC soon, for the first time and I need to know if it's recommended/needed to use a raid card for raid 0. links would be awesome too ^^

[pik4chu]

Many current day motherboards have RAID 1/0 functionality built into them so a seperate card generally isn't needed. RAID 5 is where an add-on card comes in. So in short, look at the mobo you plan on buying to see if it supports raid. Otherwise any basic raid card will do 1 or 0 if you have your heart set on a certain mobo.

[jeffp83]

I think you can 'trick' Windows XP into doing RAID0 via software, but I don't think it would be very fast at all. Best bet is a ~$50 RAID card (if ofcourse your motherboard does not come with RAID built in, but as said before, most newer ones do).

[pik4chu]

I think you can 'trick' Windows XP into doing RAID0 via software, but I don't think it would be very fast at all. Best bet is a ~$50 RAID card (if ofcourse your motherboard does not come with RAID built in, but as said before, most newer ones do).
frankly, windows raid (only in Pro, not home) is not raid, its not redundant, it doesn't really function like it and with most modern boards capable of RAID onboard there is little reason to do it unless to just say "I did it"

[jeffp83]

frankly, windows raid (only in Pro, not home) is not raid, its not redundant, it doesn't really function like it and with most modern boards capable of RAID onboard there is little reason to do it unless to just say "I did it"

This is true, not to mention the fact that your disks have to be converted to dynamic disks, which most basic imaging programs don't support.

[klingens]

WIndows XP raid is not slower than "hardware" raid from cheapo $50 cards. And it has the added advantage of working with the nextmobo/controller you use. If your "hardware" raid controller changes or dies, the data on disk is essentially gone: you'd need exact the same controller again which is hard to get with today's consumer gear.

And RAID0 is never redundant :)

[hafa]

RAID striping (RAID0) can be alot of fun to experiment and play with, but you might consider just using a single drive since this is your first build. After you've spent some time tweaking and are ready to take the next step, you can add a drive and experiment with RAID if you like.

Keep in mind that when you decide to add that other drive, you'll want to install the RAID drivers before you do a drive image...

[Snugglebear]

WIndows XP raid is not slower than "hardware" raid from cheapo $50 cards. And it has the added advantage of working with the nextmobo/controller you use. If your "hardware" raid controller changes or dies, the data on disk is essentially gone: you'd need exact the same controller again which is hard to get with today's consumer gear.

And RAID0 is never redundant :)

It's possible to keep an el cheapo controller-based array alive by using another controller from the same manufacturer, even if it's not identical. All of them store metadata about the array configuration and status in and around the MBR of the drives and each manufacturer has their own format for this. Unless there's a serious leap over generations of controllers, they will be able to figure it out. And if you're really that paranoid, either buy an add-in RAID card that can be moved between machines (smart) or don't use RAID0 (smart++). With enterprise cards it's actually quite trivial - we've migrated arrays from 1990s-era Mylex/LSI cards to modern LSI cards without a hitch down at the office.

Also, RAID5 is available from certain integrated controllers. The Intel ICH7R offers this, as does the newer Nvidia chipsets (IIRC the intel version has this, but the AMD does not due to the product age). Write performance is not great, but is adequate, though read performance is astronomical.

[jeffp83]

WIndows XP raid is not slower than "hardware" raid from cheapo $50 cards. And it has the added advantage of working with the nextmobo/controller you use. If your "hardware" raid controller changes or dies, the data on disk is essentially gone: you'd need exact the same controller again which is hard to get with today's consumer gear.

And RAID0 is never redundant :)

Yes actually, XP raid0 is slower. I've tested this out myself. An add-in card will be faster... period.