RAID array with HDD's of different sizes?

[Gravemind]

Could I, for example, use a 500gb drive with a 320gb drive in a RAID 0 array together?

 

I've heard everything from a flat out "No.",

To "Yes, but when you pass the halfway mark, the larger drive will be the only one used, so speed will suffer above half capacity."

And so on.

 

So what's the verdict? Or is it much more grey than that?

[zMeul]

you can use them, but the 500GB won't be used at full capacity, only 320GB of it

 

the best solution in this case is to JBOD them, but you need a 3rd disk to install the OS on

[Gravemind]

1 minute ago, zMeul said:

you can use them, but the 500GB won't be used at full capacity, only 320GB of it

 

the best solution in this case is to JBOD them, but you need a 3rd disk to install the OS on

Aye. I wasn't planning on it having the OS on it, just a way to combine older drives.

[Leadneck]

10 minutes ago, zMeul said:

you can use them, but the 500GB won't be used at full capacity, only 320GB of it

 

the best solution in this case is to JBOD them, but you need a 3rd disk to install the OS on

This is correct, the RAID volume will require a 320GB volume on the 500GB disk and totally ignore the rest.

[Syntaxvgm]

with software raid solutions, including those in windows, you can ina way. In windows, you can make it an extended volume, but I honestly don't recommend this unless you JUST install games and store movies, ect. It isn't technically raid, but hey it works. With software raid solutions, you can cut 320GB of the 500GB disk and stripe or mirror it with the other disk and use the rest as its own volume as well....but this is messy don't do it. 

[Gravemind]

1 hour ago, Syntaxvgm said:

with software raid solutions, including those in windows, you can ina way. In windows, you can make it an extended volume, but I honestly don't recommend this unless you JUST install games and store movies, ect. It isn't technically raid, but hey it works. With software raid solutions, you can cut 320GB of the 500GB disk and stripe or mirror it with the other disk and use the rest as its own volume as well....but this is messy don't do it. 

I'd rather build a computer case out of magnets than attempt that >.>