My plan is a RAID array around 4GB. I guess with some RAID controllers (areca, maybe others?) you can change the block size to 4K so you can have up to 16TB in 32 bit windows xp. Does this work without GPT? The only other OS I would use is 64 bit xp, so would that be a better option? I would prefer to avoid switching the OS because I am currently using 32 bit xp, but I will if that's my only option.
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>2TB in Windows XP
- Thread starter Daynja
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I've done with with my Areca controllers (tested it on a 1130ML and 1280ML). Just enable 4K blocks and you'll be fine. Windows XP 32 bit doesn't support GPT, so I wouldn't worry about that (with Areca controllers, you have to option to do 4K blocks or GPT, not both).
yeah I won't be hitting 16TB for several years. Is areca the only RAID card that has this feature, or do you know of others?
houkouonchi
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I personally would not go the 4kb block route and just run windows XP x64 or another version of windows which supports GPT/large block devices. Also windows XP 32 doesnt just not support GPT it also does not support large block devices (over 2TB) assuming a 512-byte block size. I was disappointed at this since all my data is stored on a linux-filesystem and I was planning on accessing it with a VM which had access to the device itself (as long as the VM supported GPT it would be ok) but windows itself only sees the device as 2TB =(.
I would like 64 bit xp for the 4GB+ memory also, but re-doing the OS is such a pain. I'll probably try it with the 4K block first and if it sucks, maybe go 64 bit. neweggs price on 64 bit xp system builder edition seems like a really good deal to me.
so I'm planning a 4 drive array, probably no more. Areca 1210 or 1220? I definitely don't need 8 drives, but is the 1220 worth an extra $150? I'm pretty sure I would become physically ill if I spent more than $500 on a controller.
also....kind of way out there...does xp 64 bit resolve the issue with having too many windows open? In my 32 bit xp if I open like 30-40 windows I seem to hit a maximum and start getting weird errors.
so I'm planning a 4 drive array, probably no more. Areca 1210 or 1220? I definitely don't need 8 drives, but is the 1220 worth an extra $150? I'm pretty sure I would become physically ill if I spent more than $500 on a controller.
also....kind of way out there...does xp 64 bit resolve the issue with having too many windows open? In my 32 bit xp if I open like 30-40 windows I seem to hit a maximum and start getting weird errors.
houkouonchi
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What raid level are you planning for? I personally would go with the one with more ports for future expandability so you don't end up having to buy another one later down the line just to get more ports like I ended up doing (originally going with an ARC-1231ML and then later getting a ARC-1280ML.
The ARC-1210 is a iop332 vs the iop333 in the ARC-1220. This might make a difference if you are running a parity raid (raid5 or raid6) but if you are planning to do raid0 or raid10 you probably wont see a difference. If you are sure you are going to stick with 4 drives and are going parity raid I would just go with the ARC-1212 as that has the much more powerful iop348.
The ARC-1212 will run you $337 from ewiz so about $30-50 more than the ARC-1210.
The ARC-1210 is a iop332 vs the iop333 in the ARC-1220. This might make a difference if you are running a parity raid (raid5 or raid6) but if you are planning to do raid0 or raid10 you probably wont see a difference. If you are sure you are going to stick with 4 drives and are going parity raid I would just go with the ARC-1212 as that has the much more powerful iop348.
The ARC-1212 will run you $337 from ewiz so about $30-50 more than the ARC-1210.
Sorry, should have mentioned that I will be doing RAID 5. I have been using a 4 drive RAID 5 array for about 4 years now and I never really wished I could expand it. It's old enough now that I want to replace everything.
The 1212 looks like it might be exactly what I want. Faster processor with only 4 drives. The only thing it's missing that the higher end cards have is a memory slot for cache. My current RAID controller has one, but the most you can put in is 256MB, so if this one has 256MB built in, it can't be worse.
Thanks for the suggestion. It doesn't look like newegg carries it, but I think it might be exactly what I'm looking for.
The 1212 looks like it might be exactly what I want. Faster processor with only 4 drives. The only thing it's missing that the higher end cards have is a memory slot for cache. My current RAID controller has one, but the most you can put in is 256MB, so if this one has 256MB built in, it can't be worse.
Thanks for the suggestion. It doesn't look like newegg carries it, but I think it might be exactly what I'm looking for.
I am curious to know...does anyone know of any specific issues with 4K block size in 32 bit windows xp? Are there issues with the OS? I've heard certain programs have a 512 byte block size hard coded and would have issues with this. Does anyone know of any programs like this? I am wondering if I might never even use any of those programs. I certainly won't be using it as the OS drive. Mainly storing videos and pictures so there won't even be that many applications accessing it.
Well I've been using an Areca 1210 with four 1.5TB drives in RAID 5 in 32 bit windows xp for a few days now. The only issues I've had were with some really old hard drive benchmarking software. Either the block size or the total size is probably too big for them. Everything that I'll actually be using seems to be working fine so far.
Even though the Areca 1210 is one of the low end cards, it seems to perform very well. I would give some benchmarks, but I don't know of any that will really test the array, and not just its cache. Areca's support is also surprisingly good.
Even though the Areca 1210 is one of the low end cards, it seems to perform very well. I would give some benchmarks, but I don't know of any that will really test the array, and not just its cache. Areca's support is also surprisingly good.
