RAID 0 on sager np9280

[fallenxlionheart]

After i had considered it a little more i wish now that i had purchased RAID 0 with my lappy....But i figure i can just install a second hard drive and configure it in RAID 0 later..But i want my raid array to be what i boot my operating system off of...Is it possible to make a raid 0 array using a disk that already has an os on it? if its not what can you suggest me 2 do? I really really want my os to be installed on my raid 0 array? also maybe someone can point me out to a guide to installing Raid 0 in laptops

[BKR2879]

Creating a RAID 0 array will destroy any data on the existing drive.

I strongly recommend that whatever you add for a second drive is the same brand/make/model/size/rpm as the drive thats in there now to minimize possible issues.

If there isn't much on the drive now, just use a backup utility to burn it to a DVD and then restore it once the RAID is set up.

I like Acronis myself.

http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/

[fallenxlionheart]

thanks for the quick reply... i can install raid as soon as i get the laptop if need be? Only question i have is will the os install i get from xotic pc re-install back on the machine with no issues after i format the current existing drive? i had a problem with one of the dell machines and installed windows xp proffesional again and it said it wasnt a valid copy.

[BKR2879]

As long as you have the second drive there, you can set it up.

You'll have to go into the BIOS settings of the laptop to configure it possibly, and/or there will be a key to press during bootup to get into the RAID configuration screen.

You'll also likely need the proper drivers handy so the installer will see the new RAID.

Might want to fire off an email to Xotic to get the specifics for your particular model.

[fallenxlionheart]

thanks again...and just wondering would i really notice a significant difference in peformance if i install raid 0... is it worth it?

[ShagZ]

thanks again...and just wondering would i really notice a significant difference in peformance if i install raid 0... is it worth it?

Intel SSD or OCZ Vertex

Both drives are powered by diesel and lust for speed.

[fallenxlionheart]

im taking that as a yes... and ill consider the ssd....

[BKR2879]

RAID 0 can give a speed boost, but keep something in mind......

You're spreading data over 2 drives, if 1 of them dies, you lose everything, even if the other drive is perfectly fine.

SSD's are the fastest thing going in some cases, but have their own problems, price being one of them, and small size compared to your average HD that ships with a notebook.

If you're even thinking about going the SSD route, I'd recommend reading this (lengthy) article.

http://www.anandtech.com/storage/showdoc.aspx?i=3531&p=1

[fallenxlionheart]

price isnt an issue and size dosent matter to much considering i was only planning on using the SSD as where my windows install would be...in the article though it mentioned that it would sometimes freeze or stall? whats up with that?

[BKR2879]

SSD technology is still in it's infancy. There are a lot of technical hurdles they still haven't overcome in the development.

Intel has the best overall SSD's, but the price is pretty steep. (average of around $3 per GB compared to as little as $0.15 per GB for a HD, that makes it 20x more expensive for the SSD).

There is also the fact that over time, SSD's degrade, eventually just dying out completely. Current memory can only handle so many write cycles before failing. You don't want to ever defrag an SSD and you'd want to move your swap file and any temp stuff to the normal HD in the machine to extend the life of the SSD. The less you write to it the longer it will last and the less the speed will degrade over time.

If price is no concern, go for it. Just be ready in case you hit some of the usual problems that can crop up with any brand new technology.

I may snag an Intel drive when Windows 7 ships for my main PC at home to play with. By then they may have solved some of the issues that currently cause people grief.

[fallenxlionheart]

well...im really intrested in testing emulators for pcsx2 ( no piracy of course) and was wondering if id get a speed gain out of using SSD...maybe it would be smarter to use that as a secondary hard drive and install my operating system on Raid 0 with simalar hard drives.. since the np9280 has room 4 3 HDD's

[BKR2879]

An SSD should be faster, but there are possible hardware issues that can cause it to be worse than a typical HD. The more times you write data to it, the quicker it wil fail in general.

You won't know until you spend the money though, so make sure it's what you want to try.

[fallenxlionheart]

thanks again for all your information and ill take what you said into consideration... i think a SSD is not quite what i need for right now... at least not until they improve a little.. Thank you so much for your help :yes: i tried to give u rep but it seems i already have recently lol

[BKR2879]

If you want good HD speed, you could also snag one of the newer Seagate 7200rpm 500GB drives.

Plenty of space and plenty of speed as well. They run around $125 or so online. I may get one myself for my 8662 when it gets here.

Ah, so you're the one who rep'd me? Why thank you! I try my best to offer sound advice from either hands on experience or from talking to 2 friends who are still full time PC techs and get to play with all the new toys.

[fallenxlionheart]

im trying to become a pc tech as well haha im actually pretty young but im going through courses and training to get A+ Certified.. im not bad if i do say so myself haha:smile2: and for all that help you totally deserve the rep

[BKR2879]

6 years as a PC/Network Tech, then a few years off, now working as a FIOS Engineer for Verizon.

I like the work now more than before, but I dont get to play with all the new hardware for free like I used to. Instead I get to check the work of other Verizon engineers who can't seem to tell which side of the street the poles are on for running FIOS cable. :rolleyes:

I remember buying the very first 1Ghz Socket-A Athlon processor that came into our shop. Ah, the good old days. :D

[fallenxlionheart]

1 Ghz? haha how quickly hardware has changed in such a little time