Can you guys explain RAID to me?

[h20link]

so i'm about to build a new comp: I'm planning on getting an xp1600+, ecs k7s5a mobo, 256mb of DDR (all that with case on computerra for $274) and i 'm wondering about the harddrive.

I see 10000rpm scsi harddrives (around 9 gigs) for cheap but what else do you need to run a scsi raid config? I know there's a raid card, is that just a PCI card that controls RAID? also, can raid store separate info on each hard drive or is raid just used to backup info onto an extra HD?

Can you guys explain to me how the whole raid thing works? Is it worth the hassle for a fast/bad-ass hard drive? or should i just go with like a 40gb 7200rpm type of deal. I don't store a lot of mp3's, mostly just games and graphic design programs but the current 10gb hard drive on my POS compaq is full right now.

thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

[rogerdugans]

There is not usually a lot of benefit to raid for the "average" user, except maybe as a backup (mirror- 2 drives, exact duplicates).

But I don't have time for details- 19 month old nephew visiting, and he shut this thing off once already!

Someone will go into more detail; if not I'll be back tonight.

There is LOTS of info about raid on the net too.;)

[h20link]

so i did some reading at pcmech.com....i think i'd probably use a raid 0 config...i don't care so much about redundancy as speed.
I was looking around pricewatch and found this on newegg.com:


Chipset: Expansion Slot:2 x ATA100 Channels. SCSI: IDE RAID. Form Factor: PCI Ultra ATA100 RAID Controller $ 43

Will this work as a scsi raid card?

[Kingslayer]

No. That is an IDE RAID controller.

[Ridenow]

For most people it is not worth it. I have an IDE RAID because I can and wanted to learn how to do it.

RAID=Redundant Array of Independant Drives.
It is basically 2 or more hard drives working as one drive. There are 2 basic types(and several more complicated ones).

Mirroring= both drives have the same data on them. If one drive fails, you just replace the bad drive and copy the data from the good one. Some computers you do not even have to shut it off to do it. This is good for production servers where the can not loose any data.

Striping=The data is split between the drives in alternating fashion. This means that the computer can access the drives at the same time. This is good for computers that are accessed constantly and speed is needed.

Sorry, I started this post about 30 minutes ago, but was interupted.

Post 2001!:D

[h20link]

it's actually Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks

(according to PCmech.com)

Has anybody striped a 7200rpm IDE raid 0 array? Did you notice a big difference in speed?

[Ridenow]

Originally posted by h20link
it's actually Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks

(according to PCmech.com)

Has anybody striped a 7200rpm IDE raid 0 array? Did you notice a big difference in speed?

I have seen raid defined several ways. I like independant drives better and have seen it more often. It should be no problem to find a site or book that defines it either way.
Mine is a 0+1 IDE RAID using 7200RPM ATA WD400BB drives. Yes it is faster, but I would not say it is "noticably" faster unless you are looking for the difference. Right now it is faster than my SCSI drive, but that is because of how I have that drive setup with an adapter.

Here is a site I like for more complicated RAID setups: http://www.acnc.com/04_01_00.html

[xdroorsx]

Has anybody striped a 7200rpm IDE raid 0 array? Did you notice a big difference in speed? yes, i have. it sucks badly. i'm not sure if it's my highpoint raid controller that's onboard my motherboard, or what.. but my scores are pretty pathetic in every test i've tried.

i've talked to many people using the abit kg7/kr7 raid boards that are complaining of similar, horrible performance. i've tried different highpoint drivers, bios's(?), etc.. nothing. in sandra i max out in the high 20 g's, usually less than a single ata100 7.2k drive though for the most part.

i've gone through about 7 (:mad: ) reformat/installs of windows xp on this new system so far, so i'm not about to jump up and do it again to try and figure things out. to sum things up, don't bother with it unless you have the need.

[Caffinehog]

The word is INDEPENDENT. Not inexpensive. Saves everything if you use mirroring and one drive goes bad. Lots of people call it inexpensive because lots of people use it with inexpensive drives for higher performance. Honestly, inexpensive might be a better description....... But the idea is to save your A$$ if something goes wrong with one of your HDD's. That's why servers use it.

[Ice_Gargoylle]

i got raid 0 on this machine..and i love it..photoshop takes literally 2 seconds to load, as all the adobe progies...3dmax takes 4 secs..and this motha will write to no end...the only thing that sucks is my cd's cant keep up w/ it when installing and such:(, but thats about it....

[Henry Rollins II]

Originally posted by h20link
it's actually Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks

(according to PCmech.com)


LOL raid has been around for many years now. When it was invented "disks" were far from inexpensive. So that I don´t belive.

Regards,
Henry.

[Intraveinous]

RAID in it's original incantation was Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks. As you say, disks were far from inexpensive when RAID was invented, but it was far cheaper to buy five 10MB drives than it was to buy one 50MB drive... Hence the naming...
Peace
John

[UnseenMenace]

A RAID consists of two or more hard disks which are hooked up to the same disk controller. Using sophisticated logic, the RAID controller can "stripe" data across several disks; by reading and writing to all drives simultaneously, a striped RAID can improve performance. The RAID controller can "mirror" data on two or more drives, so that the same data is always available on both drives. If a drive fails, it can be pulled immediately and replaced, with minimal downtime. Several variations on these schemes allow the RAID controller to store data more efficiently and more safely, in a variety of configurations.

* RAID 0 Striping = High Read / High Write
Performance = 2 Hard Disks Required

* RAID 1
Mirroring = Medium Read / Low Write
Performance = 2 Hard Disks Required

* RAID 1+0
Striped Mirrored Array = High Read / Medium Write
Performance = 4 Hard Disks Required

* RAID 4 and 5
Striped Array w/ Parity = High Read / Medium Write
Performance = 3 Hard Disks Required

The size of the performance increase your system may obtain largely depends upon how often disk access occurs

[Ice_Gargoylle]

my teacher said he paid bout 2k for a drive in the 80's that was 2 gigs i think....20k for total machine..top of tyhe line bak then

[h20link]

hey i'm just going by what pcmech listed it as:

What is it?

RAID stands for Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks. This is actually a great name for it. And with the price decreasing like never before, the "Inexpensive" part of the name is now becoming a reality

found here: http://www.pcmech.com/show/harddrive/296/

[Christoph]

Could you all please pick something better to argue about? The inexpensive vs independent debate beats the AMD vs Intel debate, but not by far.
This place is for information. It ought to suffice to say that there's much disagreement as to whether it's inexpensive or independent, but both apply.
RAID would be a blast, but I just don't need that kind of performance. If you do video editing or run a server, then have at it by all means.

[donny_paycheck]

I have 2x Maxtor 40GB ATA100 7200/2mb drives in RAID 0 and it runs noticably faster than a single ATA100 7200/2mb 40GB Maxtor does in another computer of mine. Noticably meaning that Windows loads faster, programs start faster and the more disk intensive something is the more I notice. This is on my 1800+@1800 machine. It's an Abit KR7A-RAID with the onboard Highpoint HPT372 controller. It works pretty well I say, and for not much more $$$. Faster than a single U160 10k or 15k RPM SCSI drive for sure.

[Darrenct]

I hate to get off the subject... But... Donny, could you tell me about your Air-cooled Peltier... I asked about it in cooling and people told me it wouldn't work. It obiously worked for you, what was your set up?

[donny_paycheck]

Originally posted by Darrenct
I hate to get off the subject... But... Donny, could you tell me about your Air-cooled Peltier... I asked about it in cooling and people told me it wouldn't work. It obiously worked for you, what was your set up?

It works well, but not to an extreme. I use and 80 watt module with a swiftech MCX462 and a 68CFM 80mm delta fan. The Palomino doesn't put out as much heat as the tbird so the 80 watt module is enough to keep it below ambient (10C Idle, 15C full load, usually, depending on ambient temp). The MCX462 is an awesome HSF - the best air cooling available - so it can dissipate the heat from the pelt on top of the heat coming off of the processor. I have the 550 watt enermax monster PSU that has a 24 amp rating on the 12 volt line, so it's enough to power the module. The 80 watt module also has a peak effeciency voltage of around 12 volts so it pumps good and doesn't need a dedicated, adjustable PSU. I filled the socket holes with silicone dielectric compound and covered all the cold stuff with neoprene so condensation wouldn't find it's way in and the setup would function with the greatest effeciency. Any larger of a module and I would need water cooling, any smaller of one and it wouldn't be able to cool the XP processor. At 1.75 volts it generates about 65 watts of heat. I found the sweet spot. Here is a pic of the original config. I initially used an MC462 because I had it laying around. I upgraded to the MCX- because it works a little better.

[donny_paycheck]

Here it is without the HSF, just the insulation:

[Darrenct]

Do you think that my Athlon 1.4 runs too hot to do this? I Have an Alpha pal8045 and a Delta 68 cfm... If I could set up a peltier without buying a watercooler, that would save me a couple bucks.
What is your insulation made out of?

[donny_paycheck]

Originally posted by Darrenct
Do you think that my Athlon 1.4 runs too hot to do this? I Have an Alpha pal8045 and a Delta 68 cfm... If I could set up a peltier without buying a watercooler, that would save me a couple bucks.
What is your insulation made out of?

A tbird generates way too much heat for an 80 watt peltier module, and anything more than an 80 watt would be too much for a HSF too. I'd suggest a 120 for your tbird and water cooling.

The insulation is neoprene foam. You can get it in camping stores as sleeping pads and plumbing stores as pipe insulation. It's the best insulation around.

[Darrenct]

Thanks for the info, I'll probably just upgrade to an XP soon. Then do air cooled peltier, hopefully I can get similar results to yours. Of course, then I'll have to get a new PSU... And then... My system will never be finished!!!:(