Drive Selection for Budget RAID5

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jordo_99

Weaksauce
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Sep 30, 2008
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I'm going to be building a server (windows server 2008) for storage (maybe for streaming movies/audio over hardwired connections). I'm thinking 4x2TB in a RAID5 configuration (or something similar with 1TB or 1.5TB drives).

After sifting through all the retarded reviewers on newegg I still can't quite figure out which 1TB, 1.5TB and 2TB drives work well with RAID. Some say they do and some say they don't.

The only two options I'm looking at right now are the HD3200 by Hitachi (2TB drive and supposedly works fine in RAID) and the Western Digital drives that need to manually have the TLDR modified to work in RAID.


Anybody out there have a good suggestion to make here or other info that might help?
 
not the consumer WD drives... since they crippled TLDR...

what controller... some drives do not play nice with certain controllers.
 
Not really sure what controller yet. I've actually never purchased one. I did all kinds of RAID stuff in school but never had to go out and buy a card so I have no clue what I'd get. I'd probably just get whatever is cheap and works well with the hard drives I chose.

As for the TLDR on the comsure WD drives...I know about it and I don't like it either, but I have read about changing the TLDR so that it is useable in RAID arrays...are you still suggesting that it's a bad idea to do this or no?
 
jordo_99 said:
As for the TLDR on the comsure WD drives...I know about it and I don't like it either, but I have read about changing the TLDR so that it is useable in RAID arrays...are you still suggesting that it's a bad idea to do this or no?
Click to expand...

No, you just can't do it anymore. WD disabled the ability to change the TLDR on their consumer drives. That's what Adidas4275 was referring to.

Will you be going with a software RAID controller or a true hardware RAID controller?
 
I will most likely be going the software route. I won't be able to find a 6-8 port card in the price range I want so I'll just spend the extra $200-300 on drives.
 
I'm interested to see where this thread goes. I'm desperate to replace a pair of Seagate 7200.11's. They've given me nothing but problems. I had planned on going WD but the bastards disabled TLER just before I was ready to buy.
 
Well the WD consumer drives are out because of the TLER issue.
And Dont get the Hitachi's. They are still deathstars. I bought 4 at frys, after one week 3 had died.

I would look at samsung or the Seagate 7200.12s but it is going to depend on your Raid card selection.
 
I've been super busy lately and hadn't had a chance to check this out.
I already got one of the Hitachi drives before reading your post.
I've always been a Seagate guy but I'm too keen on their consumer drives not being "RAID compatible". But at $135 shipped I really can't complain for 2TB.

I'll be getting a 2nd drive soon (assuming it works and I don't return/RMA it) to try out RAID 1 and JBOD.

If I don't stay with the Hitachi's then I'll likely be going with the Samsung 2TB or 1.5TB drives.
 
Sammy Spinpoint F3 series are beastly, I have 2 500GB in a ich10r raid0 that matches a ssd's read speed.
 
yeah I have a 750gb F3 and it's awesome. Once I get all the other hard drives out of my computer I'll probably use it for my OS instead of my 5 year old seagate. (I would do it now but I have a combined 150-200GB free of my already 5.25TB)
 
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