Mutliple disk configuration performance question

Going to set up my disks without raid.
Let me know if this below confirguration I have in mind will be good floating performance all round. Good idea? thanks.

2x sata 120gb
2x ide 60gb on separate ide channels

This is how I intent to setup:

1x sata 120gb with operating system only, rest of drive will be used for large file storage which will not be accessed very often (cd backups and movies). Basically a dumping ground if I need it.

1x sata 120gb for all programs, entire drive will only be used for programs.

1x ide 60gb for split pagefile (1536mb), rest will be used to store any smaller files or misc

1x ide 60gb for split pagefile (1536mb), rest will be used to store any smaller files or misc


I guess it might be a good idea to partition the operating system to the front of the 1x 120 sata disk. How many gb's will it need to be.

Almost no doubt that the 2x ide 60gb disks will need to be partitioned, as the above sizes.


What I think this will do... Operating system can be free for total access on own disk and channel
Programs can be loading on own disk and channel.
If pagefile is need to be accessed, then will have own channel. (according to MS, windows will balance the pagefile spread across different disks, my case 2x 60gb).

3 seperate channels:
- operating system
- programs
- pagefile

In theroy this should increase performance, as all will have its own bus and disk(s).
No need for crazy access, like if all three of the above areas were to be on one disk or raid array would.

I would not split the pagefile. Make it one big 3/4GB one on a single drive. Spreading it over multiple drives increases swapping under load, thereby lowering performance.

Overall it looks nice. Not my choise though (raid 'em!)

MS says it is recommended mutliple drive for paging if equal speed and improves access time.

Those I will be using 2x 60gb 7200rpm 2mb drives are exactly the same and will be free from operating system or programs.

Nar, the raid was not as good as it looks. I see your seagate are the 7200.7 models, my drives are the earlier seagate sata drives, first ones on the market (can't remember what model, cannot see the sticker, mounted in rack).

Don't understand what you mean by increased swaping, can you explain why please.

It looks good, but I think you're worrying about the pagefile a little too much. You have 1 gig of ram so I doubt you'll be hitting the page file.

-Andy

microfire said:

Don't understand what you mean by increased swaping, can you explain why please.

Click to expand...

If you make 2x 1500MB swap file, and there is more then 1500MB of it in use, the OS will start swapping files over from one disk to another. The OS will always try to put the swap files on disk in a certain 'logic' order, but because the swap file then is split up, that may work against performance because some files will not fit / too big / fragmented between the drives etc.

I get the idea, thanks.

Maybe I could make each as large as possible, 3072 on each disk. I though windows has a maximum limit on how ram use, does it not. Anymore being useless?

Page file gets hit more than you would think. When I run UT04 on fully max, I can get some swapping, alt+tab has this swapping like mad if suddenly I get an idea and want to view a web page mid game.
Im not sure about this part, but windows will page alot more if it sees there is a plenty of spare space over there.

Will be trying to keep the page file fast as possible without being on the other disks. These are the only two I have leaft over to work with. I can partition them, all data at front.

ide1 master: 60gb seagate 2mb 7200rpm

ide2 master: 60gb seagate 2mb 7200rpm

What is a good size for the OS partition? 20gb be enough for everything, all programs will go on the other disk (no partition, full disk utilised).




Right now as I am writing this, current disk config below, until I decide to try my above plan:

1x seagate sata 120gb - OS and programs

1x seagate sata 120gb - 3gb pagefile partition, the rest is free space.

1x seagate ide 60 - data storage

1x seagate ide 60 - more data storage

i myself am using a 20GB partition for windows & swap file (4GB), and it runs very smooth.