Setting up RAID 10

[BingoFishy]

I need more storage space, as my SSD (SanDisk Ultra II) is 95% full. I think I want a RAID 10 setup for more speed, as well as allowing me to have more space (that one drive). I was originally going to go for RAID 0, but I decided that probably wasn't worth the chance of failure, so I'll just use my hackintosh HDD as the backup part (it's okay because I couldn't get sound to work). Here are my questions:

 

1) Should I get the same SSD as I currently have (SanDisk Ultra II)?

2) How do I setup raid 10? Do I need software tools? (My mobo (MSI Z97 PC MATE) supports RAID 0/1/5/10)

3) Since my motherboard supports RAID, do I just connect the drives to the SATA ports?

[Oshino Shinobu]

Honestly, if you've got the money to buy three more drives, I would go for RAID 5 over RAID 10. 

 

1) Yes. It's advised to use the same drives in RAID for best results.

 

2) You can set it up through your motherboard's BIOS (technically separate from the BIOS, though). If you're using Intel, then it will likely be the Intel RAID controller, which is accessed by pressing Ctrl + I on boot. It requires the SATA controller to be set to RAID first and the keys to get into the config can change with different boards. 

 

You can also set up RAID through software solutions, but this will not work for booting from the RAID array. 

 

3) Yes. They should all be on the same controller. If you have an Intel and an ASMedia (or any other one) controller, connect them all to the ports linked to the Intel controller. 

[BingoFishy]

41 minutes ago, Oshino Shinobu said:

Honestly, if you've got the money to buy three more drives, I would go for RAID 5 over RAID 10. 

 

1) Yes. It's advised to use the same drives in RAID for best results.

 

2) You can set it up through your motherboard's BIOS (technically separate from the BIOS, though). If you're using Intel, then it will likely be the Intel RAID controller, which is accessed by pressing Ctrl + I on boot. It requires the SATA controller to be set to RAID first and the keys to get into the config can change with different boards. 

 

You can also set up RAID through software solutions, but this will not work for booting from the RAID array. 

 

3) Yes. They should all be on the same controller. If you have an Intel and an ASMedia (or any other one) controller, connect them all to the ports linked to the Intel controller. 

I'm only buying one drive. I already have the 1tb HDD and one SSD. Should I just do RAID 0 and a backup? What's the difference between that and RAID 10?

 

Edit: Never mind, Google is my friend. I'm just going to do RAID 0 with a backup. I can do that right?

[Oshino Shinobu]

19 minutes ago, BingoFishy said:

I'm only buying one drive. I already have the 1tb HDD and one SSD. Should I just do RAID 0 and a backup? What's the difference between that and RAID 10?

 

Edit: Never mind, Google is my friend. I'm just going to do RAID 0 with a backup. I can do that right?

You can, yes. I wouldn't really advise it though, especially if it's a boot drive. RAID 0 has a long list of negatives and only a couple of benefits, most of which are insignificant or not utilised by a lot of people. It does increase speeds, but only for large file transfers, really. For booting, it actually increases the boot time due to the RAID controller and array having to be initialised before the OS can be loaded.  

[BingoFishy]

1 hour ago, Oshino Shinobu said:

You can, yes. I wouldn't really advise it though, especially if it's a boot drive. RAID 0 has a long list of negatives and only a couple of benefits, most of which are insignificant or not utilised by a lot of people. It does increase speeds, but only for large file transfers, really. For booting, it actually increases the boot time due to the RAID controller and array having to be initialised before the OS can be loaded.  

Oh, really? In that case I think I'll just use it as a secondary drive. How can I make the two drives appear as one? Isn't there a way in Disk management?

 

EDIT: Also can I use different make/model drives for this?

[Oshino Shinobu]

36 minutes ago, BingoFishy said:

Oh, really? In that case I think I'll just use it as a secondary drive. How can I make the two drives appear as one? Isn't there a way in Disk management?

You can use something called JBOD (Just a Bunch of Disks/Drives) that essentially combines multiple drives into a single volume. It can be done through disk management, but AFAIK, it can't be done on the OS drive unless you partition the OS separate, then use the rest of the drive to combine with the new one. 

 

To be honest, it seems like a lot of hassle to me. I would personally just manage the storage across the two separate drives. Makes things easier if something fails or if you want to change drives in the future. 

[BingoFishy]

Just now, Oshino Shinobu said:

You can use something called JBOD (Just a Bunch of Disks/Drives) that essentially combines multiple drives into a single volume. It can be done through disk management, but AFAIK, it can't be done on the OS drive unless you partition the OS separate, then use the rest of the drive to combine with the new one. 

 

To be honest, it seems like a lot of hassle to me. I would personally just manage the storage across the two separate drives. Makes things easier if something fails or if you want to change drives in the future. 

Ok, thanks! Does make/model of the two drives matter, ie can they be different drives?

[Oshino Shinobu]

3 minutes ago, BingoFishy said:

Ok, thanks! Does make/model of the two drives matter, ie can they be different drives?

With JBOD, the drives can be different make and sizes, as they're not actually being combined in any meaningful way, where data on one drive is reliant or related to the other. It's more just about how it appears to the end user. 

 

That being said, it's probably a good idea to stick with a similar drive, if not the same. That way performance is consistent and it minimises the chances of errors. Keeping the drives the same or similar is pretty much always the advice given for storage solutions. 

[BingoFishy]

6 minutes ago, Oshino Shinobu said:

With JBOD, the drives can be different make and sizes, as they're not actually being combined in any meaningful way, where data on one drive is reliant or related to the other. It's more just about how it appears to the end user. 

 

That being said, it's probably a good idea to stick with a similar drive, if not the same. That way performance is consistent and it minimises the chances of errors. Keeping the drives the same or similar is pretty much always the advice given for storage solutions. 

Thanks for all the help! I'll follow up if I run into any issues -- I'll be going to Micro Center tomorrow.