raid0 setup help

Im planning on setting up a raid0 array with my 2 150gb raptors, once I get them. I know how to do this, I did it with 36gb raptors awhile back. What I want is 2 things. First I want to add a backup drive, like a 320GB drive or something incase one of my RAP's dies on me. What would be the best way to do this? I also kinda glanced at the Intel Matrix sticky, could I setup something like that? This is the first I have heard about it but I like it. I run an AMD system so I doubt I can run it, but does AMD have something similar?

thanks!

in a raid 0 array there is no backup. you can run the large drive as storage, but it would be on its own, anything on the raid drives are at risk if 1 drive fails. I suppose you could ghost the raid somehow at the end of each day.

to actually back up the raptors you would need a raid 0+1(I think thats it) which is basicly a raid 0 of 2 raid 1's. or something... maybe its a raid 1 of 2 raid 0s... whatever. it requires 4 raptor drives, and Im doubting your looking to spend 800$ on storage.

the matrix is something else, as I understand it you basicly partition your drives, the outer rings of the plates are partitioned and placed in raid 0, inner into raid 1. outer is your speed, inner is your storage. if a drive fails you loose the raid 0 stuff, keep the raid 1 stuff.

He says what iam going to do is have to raptors in raid 0 and have a single drive on it's own for storage!
I have the same setup 2 raptors in raid 0 and i just bought a seagate 320gb 16mb prep. for storage for $95 +tax this is one of the best drives now!

Yes, I would like to have the ratpors in RAID0 and use a 320GB drive as backup, either in a RAID0+1 or by other means.

I want the best performance I can get, is there a way to do this Intel Matrix thing with what I have, or do I need an Intel chipset?

Intel Matrix IS CHIPSET DEPENDANT IIRC. It also uses more CPU Power IIRC.

I'd just configure your Southbridge SATA ports as RAID (in the BIOS), and then build a standard RAID-0 array with the Raptor's (build the array in the RAID's BIOS), and then the 320GB will be left as a "Non-RAID Disk", and wil be visible as a single drive in Windows.

I do this too, but my 2 "Non-RAID" Disks are removeble caddy bays. Hot Swapping works fine, even with the Raptor RAID-0 on the same chipset!

PS - Check these bad boys out. 5.25" Bay, SATA Caddy that DOES NOT USE CADDIES!!! The bare drive slides directly into the Bay!!! THis way, you can swap out your Back-Up drives (not such a big deal with your small RAID-0 array, but it comes in handy for my 4x 320GB RAID-5 array )

http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16817998001

These things ROCK!!! And they are dirt cheap, too...