Currently have 36gb Raptor... need an upgrade!

[peteyboy23]

Hey guys... was hoping I could get some quick advice regarding buying 1-2 new hard drives. This would be a birthday present to myself, and this is really the only thing in the machine that could use some attention.

I'm simply tired of not having enough space on my Raptor, with just a few games installed, and am looking to upgrade. I'm considering either 1 WD1500ADFD, or perhaps two other drives in a raid. I have an EVGA 680i board to run it on, so I should be able to basically run any type of RAID 0 configuration. If you answer is RAID 0 with 2 drives, I'd appreciate exactly how you'd configure it, and how it would perform compared to my current Raptor 36g (about 4 years old at this point). Thank you all so much in advance.

[Ockie]

RaptorX + 500gb-1tb Drive FTW

[peteyboy23]

Well, I don't need that much extra storage, and the current 200gb drive I use for that is fine. I was more concerned with my boot drive, and having more space, but only alongside the best performance.

[Brahmzy]

RAID0 all the way.

What's your mobo - that'll help us help you.

Your Raptor's an ADFD, right?

[AthlonXP]

RaptorX + 500gb-1tb Drive FTW

that what I would do, but do you have a storage drive already??

[Skud]

I have a 74GB ADFD Raptor with a 250GB Seagate for general storage. On my file server I have 4 x 500GB Western Digital RE2s in RAID 5..

I say a 74 or 150GB raptor for OS and Apps with a 500GB or so drive for downloads, media, etc..

Riley

[naro]

I would suggest 2 x 74gb Raptor ADFD in Raid 0 since 200gb for storage is enough for you.

[peteyboy23]

that what I would do, but do you have a storage drive already??

Yes, the 200gb drive, and that's enough space, for now.

RAID0 all the way.

What's your mobo - that'll help us help you.

Your Raptor's an ADFD, right?

It's in my sig. Not sure about what type of Raptor I have, other than the 36gb model.

I would suggest 2 x 74gb Raptor ADFD in Raid 0 since 200gb for storage is enough for you.

So, two raptors in a RAID 0 on my motherboard will absolutely outperform 1 raptor?

Also, what's the difference between ADFD and AHFD?

[Brahmzy]

So, two raptors in a RAID 0 on my motherboard will absolutely outperform 1 raptor?

Also, what's the difference between ADFD and AHFD?

Yes, day to day computing experience, 2 ADFD Raptors in RAID0 will SMOKE your single GD Raptor. That said - you said you had a 4yr old 36gb. That's not an ADFD, it's a GD. Your best bet is to sell that old slow sucker. The ADFD Raptors are a lot faster than the first ones.

AHFD denotes the model number only of the windowed 150GB Raptor X.

[Crosshairs]

RaptorX + 500gb-1tb Drive FTW


This is the best advice in this thread..
Get the 150 Raptor and a large storage drive.

[naro]

Yes, day to day computing experience, 2 ADFD Raptors in RAID0 will SMOKE your single GD Raptor. That said - you said you had a 4yr old 36gb. That's not an ADFD, it's a GD. Your best bet is to sell that old slow sucker. The ADFD Raptors are a lot faster than the first ones.

AHFD denotes the model number only of the windowed 150GB Raptor X.

You've just answered the answers I wanna reply with.

This is the best advice in this thread..
Get the 150 Raptor and a large storage drive.

This would be my suggestion that I would recommend if the person needs more storage. However, since the threadstarter is already satisfied with 200gb storage, the budget for 1 x WD1500ADFD can get 2 x WD740ADFD with a bit of top-up and having a much better sustained transfer rate and almost the same seek time.

[peteyboy23]

So, is everyone agreed that if I get 2x 74gb ADFD Raptor drives, they would be superior in performance to a single 150gb ADFD? I'd love to pull the trigger today, so I can have these drives by my birthday.

[Old Hippie]

So, is everyone agreed that if I get 2x 74gb ADFD Raptor drives, they would be superior in performance to a single 150gb ADFD?
Yep, but now you're gonna hafta tangle with the RAID0 monster. Get a seperate back-up drive, a back-up program, and become intimately acquainted with both. ;)


I'd love to pull the trigger today, so I can have these drives by my birthday.
Happy birthday! :D

[peteyboy23]

I bought the drives and they should be delivered today. Anything special I should know about setting this up with a 680i mobo and Vista?

[shade_star]

make sure you have the raid drivers on a usb stick in case vista doesnt have them built in.
Raid 0 is fast but make sure you have a good backup strategy in case one drive goes bye bye

[peteyboy23]

Thanks. I don't use my boot drive to store anything I care about, so that's not an issue. I'll be sure to have those drivers available.

[bbz_Ghost]

The 1 Raptor + 1 500GB + 1TB is still the best advice, really.

RAID 0 isn't all that, it really isn't. And it's more trouble than it's worth when and if things go wrong - and they go wrong more often than anyone around here wants to admit.

While 2x74GB Raptors in RAID 0 might offer better burst speeds and somewhat better read throughput, in day to day operation you're better off with either a single Raptor 150 (the best solution) or using 2x74GB Raptors as just that, two separate individual drives. Set one up as the system drive/partition, and set the second one up with the pagefile or a secondary pagefile at the dead beginning of it - you won't do much else to improve performance on that box.

Except get a proper SCSI U320 15K drive, of course, but that's another thread altogether. :p

[tuskenraider]

The 1 Raptor + 1 500GB + 1TB is still the best advice, really.

RAID 0 isn't all that, it really isn't. And it's more trouble than it's worth when and if things go wrong - and they go wrong more often than anyone around here wants to admit.

While 2x74GB Raptors in RAID 0 might offer better burst speeds and somewhat better read throughput, in day to day operation you're better off with either a single Raptor 150 (the best solution) or using 2x74GB Raptors as just that, two separate individual drives. Set one up as the system drive/partition, and set the second one up with the pagefile or a secondary pagefile at the dead beginning of it - you won't do much else to improve performance on that box.

Except get a proper SCSI U320 15K drive, of course, but that's another thread altogether. :p Nice post. For an average user, RAID0 may give you a 10-15% boost in some things, others nothing, I've found. If you got the money, go for it and learn.