simple question, running raid and sepearation OK?

[MrWizard6600]

I want to get a 36 gig raptor, put XP, and Vista on it, as well as the basic apps, and then get a 2nd 250gig drive and raid-0 em.

Is such a drive configuration possible or does the whole thing have to be in a raid array?

I've setup a raid 5 and a raid 1 array before but I've never tried raid-0 nor have I tried running drives in raid and others in separation.

[Gambit]

Just so I understand, you have a 36GB Raptor that you want to install windows on. Later, you want to add in a 250GB drive and run them in RAID-0? If that's true, it's generally a difficult thing to do and generally not a great idea.

Most controllers (such as the one on your motherboard) will require you to start with the array and then install windows on it, as opposed to migrating to it. You'll also only have a RAID-0 array of 72GB (36+36), since the array can only be as big as twice the smallest drive. Past that, RAID-0 really only shines in sequential reads, such as when you're working with big files.

Even if I misunderstood you and you're looking to run 2 250GB drives in RAID-0, I'd still say pass. If one of the drives fail for any reason, you can lose the entire array. Generally, RAID-0 is for specific circumstances; most people won't see a huge benefit from it.. 36GB is also stretching it for XP and Vista.

[MrWizard6600]

Just so I understand, you have a 36GB Raptor that you want to install windows on. Later, you want to add in a 250GB drive and run them in RAID-0? If that's true, it's generally a difficult thing to do and generally not a great idea.

Most controllers (such as the one on your motherboard) will require you to start with the array and then install windows on it, as opposed to migrating to it. You'll also only have a RAID-0 array of 72GB (36+36), since the array can only be as big as twice the smallest drive. Past that, RAID-0 really only shines in sequential reads, such as when you're working with big files.

Even if I misunderstood you and you're looking to run 2 250GB drives in RAID-0, I'd still say pass. If one of the drives fail for any reason, you can lose the entire array. Generally, RAID-0 is for specific circumstances; most people won't see a huge benefit from it.. 36GB is also stretching it for XP and Vista.

The later is correct. I currently own one 250 gig, and have access to a cheap 36gig raptor. I want buy a 2nd 250gig and raid it with my current 250 gig one (both cuda .10's btw), partition 2 spaces into the raptor for XP and vista, and then install (twice) the simple apps such as IE7 and WMP on the raptor, and install everything else on the Raid-0 cuda's.

I was wondering if there was a hardware difficulty with going with such a setup (ex windows ide controller looks at the setup and has no idea what to do), but from what I can gather from your post, there software or hardware problem with such a setup, just the question of weather its a good idea.



And I don't have any sensitive data on here that isn't backed up (onto an external), so I'm not worried about drive failure. If this HDD was to die tomorrow I wouldn't have any problems what so ever.