Question for using multiple Sata drives

[t31os]

I'm thinking of buying 1 raptor 16mb cache drive to run windows on, can't quite budget for 2, so 1 will be fine, but with the cheaper drives i think i can manage adding 2 smaller sata drives to go along with the raptor.

So i'm thinking of setting the PC like so....

C - Raptor - Windows XP install
D - 2 x Sata drives in Raid 0 - Games/Apps
E - Current Sata drive - Data Storage, patches, music, backups etc....

I can afford to at least get 1 of those 74gb raptors with the 16mb cache plus 2 £40 or so smaller regular 8mb cache ones to raid. On this matter, i'm assuming the Raid config just raid which ever drives i choose right, the OS drive doesnt have to be in raid does it?..

You think that will work pretty well?.... PSU will manage it fine, i'm just after opinions and alternatives if you see a better way to do it. thanx

 

[t31os]

Decided on buying 1 x 74gb Raptor 16mb Cache, and Caviar 16mb cache.

Will do....

Raptor - OS
Caviar - Games & Aps
Hitachi - Storage

I figure the OS drive should be the quickest and kept free of as much data as most, defragged often.

Game and Aps drive is devoted to just that.... also defragged often.

Then the storage drive is where random files, downloads, pics, music etc is chucked around, gets more fragmented, but doesnt really effect the other two.

 

[t31os]

So you'd recommend filling up more of the raptor with the games?......

Are you serious, drives slow down the more they have on them, regardless of the partitions, surely filling the raptor up more is going to have a negative effect more then a positive one.

 

[t31os]

I took a PC course on fault finding and PC support, so i'm not stupid....... was a while ago, but.....

From my understanding as a disk fills, it takes longer to read the information at the end of the disk, like a CD the data is read from one side to the other, from the center outwards, and as the outer disk is read it takes longer.

From what i know..... i would assume the data toward the edge takes longer to read, naturally........ so are you in fact telling me that this is not the case?.....

I don't mind being wrong........ damn being wrong has taught me some of the most precious and worth while things i've ever known, so feel free to give me a lesson in the workings of a HDD.

And please don't insult me by telling me to research before i make comments, i did start this thread in the hope someone would offer helpful information. Again i don't mind being wrong, but total rudeness helps no one and makes you look bad more then anything, so please, if you want to contribute to the thread then do so in a polite manner.

 

[t31os]

What do you mean data stored on the drive on the drive already, wether its there to begin with or not, its still stored on the outer part of the disk, i would have thought the read time would be increased.

I had a friend benchmark his regualr Raptors in Raid0 against my Hitachi Sata II last night, and it whooped mine, though his is on a fresh install and i have lots of stuff on here (am defragged though).

This brings me to the disk discussion with where data is on the disk........ surely this is why a fresh install is always fast, like i said, less data on the disk, which is all read from the fastest part of the disk.

As i said before though, i don't mind being wrong...... i'd rather be wrong, more to learn that way...

 

[t31os]

My point was that i thought having individual drives for each thing would speed it up because its read from the fastest area of the disk, and as you said as more data is written it becomes slower, but not at a considerable amount.

Personally i've used Raid0 once before when i had 2 x Maxtor IDE drives, and the performance gain was there but not really substantial, but still increased enough to be visible.

My needs are simply performance for games mixed in with the need to use aps, such as Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Nero, Goldwave, Terragen, and whatever else i decide to dip my hands into and i'd like the system to be able to do both without one dragging down the other too much.

I don't simply just play games, or just use aps, i have various needs and i'm not willing to go all out expensives for one over the other.

Hope that makes sense..... and thanx for all comments so far, always an eye opener.