running 2 ssd's in raid

Associate
Joined
6 Oct 2007
Posts
24
Can I ask... Can you run 2 ssd's in raid as a c: drive just for windows reason being I have just had to reinstall Windows after my ssd refused to boot or repair it's self so all my games have to be reinstalled even though they are kept on a different drive. Thanks.
 
Associate
Joined
22 Jan 2012
Posts
410
Yes you can, I'm assuming you want to run RAID 1 for redundancy?

With regards to reinstalling games, are you using Steam or Origin? or any other DRM system for that matter? these usually have a way to allow you to point them to game installations.
I have 5 SSD's 1 has windows installed and all of my games are spread over the other 4, when i reinstall windows from time to time i just point Steam and Origin to the game folders.
 
Soldato
Joined
5 Dec 2010
Posts
3,163
Location
Solihull
If they're steam games, the games will still be there and installed on the secondary drive.

Add the folder again in steam download settings after reinstalling windows on the boot drive.
 
Associate
OP
Joined
6 Oct 2007
Posts
24
cheer's guys
Yep they are mostly from steam.. so i just point steam to where the games are installed & it shouldn't have to reinstall the full game just the windows files ?
 
Associate
OP
Joined
6 Oct 2007
Posts
24
would you advise using a second ssd in raid as there are a few programmes that i will need to re-install one of which is my old accounts software.
Am I right in thinking if i did this just for the c: drive & windows, if one went down the other would still have the files to run all the programmes.
with a 250gb ssd being so cheap now I'm thinking of it won't cost much to stop this ever happening again.
 
Soldato
Joined
14 Apr 2009
Posts
4,814
Location
Cheshire
Basically yes. Raid 1 (mirroring) give you redundancy.

Would I do it on a home pc? Probably not personally. As the cost to reinstall is something I'm happy to accept.

You would likely need to create the raid array first using some disk or bios option, prior to installing windows.

What spec is you're kit?
 
Associate
OP
Joined
6 Oct 2007
Posts
24
Basically yes. Raid 1 (mirroring) give you redundancy.

Would I do it on a home pc? Probably not personally. As the cost to reinstall is something I'm happy to accept.

You would likely need to create the raid array first using some disk or bios option, prior to installing windows.

What spec is you're kit?
specs:
asrock z77 extreme4 motherboard,
3570k cpu
2x4gb hyperX fury 1866 ram
gtx1060 6gb
250gb ssd boot drive
& 2 or 3 other hd's for games etc.
 
Associate
OP
Joined
6 Oct 2007
Posts
24
specs:
asrock z77 extreme4 motherboard,
3570k cpu
2x4gb hyperX fury 1866 ram
gtx1060 6gb
250gb ssd boot drive
& 2 or 3 other hd's for games etc.
also the price for ssd's seem to be dropping thru the floor at the moment enough so i can take my 250gb drive from my laptop & replace it with something bigger & use that in my desktop.
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
10,383
Location
Behind you... Naked!
I did my first SSD RAID on my Saphire PureBlack Mobo with the I7-970 in it.

I went a bit OTT and I also put 2x3TB WD BLACK HDs for D: and then I used a pair of RX380 Cards in to crossfire them, and coupled with 6 sticks of 8GB RAM so it was actually a fairly decent PC. I have since given it to a mate and its still running the same setup as it had when I knocked it up!

Admittedly, the SSD Drives were not the fastest, but it still made enough of a difference as they were only 40GB Inlte jobs and so as striped, it helped both speed and size.

Since then, I have done a fair few knock-ups and I have had varying levels of success.

Motherboards dont have proper RAID as such ( None of mine do at least ) but I have a couple of RAID Cards that do, and they are vastly superior to do it with, so if you are going to do SSD RAID to boot and your Mobo isnt the best, then consider going with a RAID card.

That said, I have recently been introduced to M2 Cards, and my main machine has an M2 slot and its seriously quick... Leaves even my fastest SSD RAID setup standing.

But hey, SSDs have dropped in price so much, that it is now simply not possible to be so cheap that you dont have even one to boot with. with 120GB Drives are under £30, Even people who have never heard of money, can afford one.

Hell, I just bought 4 the other day purely to play with them and with next day delivery the whole thing was under a ton.
 
Back
Top Bottom