RAID0 SSD configs (and post RAID benchmarks)

[Pic0o]

Howdy and Yo. This thread is about my experience with RAID0 and my current plans to break my array and just run from a single drive. Reading around my hardware threads since I built my current rig, you'd see I started with 2x 90GB Corsair Force GT drives and also have a single Samsung 840 Pro SSD. My main reason for breaking the array combos up with:

a. One of the drives is giving a 'S.M.A.R.T. Event (0)' but it is still currently functional.

b. Cannot see my RAID array in Linux via the Intel SSD controller on my motherboard.

c. Updating Firmware and having TRIM support on RAID0 arrays doesn't really work well. This seems to be the case across the OEMs, not just with Corsair & SandForce chipsets.

 

Instead of trying to port my current OS install, I'm just backing up user data and reinstalling fresh. Biggest time sync will be re-downloading Steam and other games. :p

 

On the upside, I will be looking to pop the non-error 90GB SDD into my PS3. I hope to make GTA V real happy like. :D

(SSD installed in PS3) Only 1 second quicker initial game load up. XMB is much faster however.

 

PC wise I would say I hardly notice a difference back on one SSD, instead of RAID0. I noticed slightly more "hourglass" time on a reboot after logging in, but I was also installing a ton of Windows updates after the fresh OS install. Adding the previous SMART event and other trade offs from running an array over a 2nd drive, I say one is fine for my purposes and having better feature and fail-over support.

 

PC applications do load slower enough to see an hourglass. Firefox is my most visible (and only actual one I noticed) case of this. Besides that I say GIMP loads exactly as fast. YMMV, but this Samsung 840 Pro is otherwise mostly equal to the Corsair Force GT's in RAID0.

 

ATTO Benchmarks for each SSD in single drive mode. Additional info can be found in my SSD vs Benchmark thread from April.
I am lazy, so the C: photo is the Samsung, G: is the Corsair Force GT single drive.

Edited September 24, 2013 by Pic0o
Post-conclusion non-RAID0 OS install.

[Pic0o]

Heads update for anyone who has the SMART Error (0) come up. In my case both drives are fine via OEM tools and neither shows an error out of a RAID setup. In this case I'm betting the actual array was on it's way to potentially degrading, so I'm glad to have backed up my data and migrated before it became more an issue.

 

I stand by the above 3 points as cons for RAID0 use with SSDs. I have one of the Corsair drives in my PS3 now restoring from a backup and the other in my current rig. I'll use the Corsair Force GT as a games drive, as I was doing with this Samsung 840 Pro, before today's Windows install. I still have a Linux partition on here too, I just need to tweak the bootloader so I can boot both again. Windows updates running now and the PS3 getting ready for me to do some GTA V load tests.

 

Nap up on the now though, gotta work in the morning and I'd like some GTA time in tonight. Hoping the SSD cuts down the 1 minute 57 seconds I clocked from XMB to save game load I tested with the old HDD in the PS3.

 

XMB use does seem much faster however. So far I'll be keeping this SSD in my PS3.

Edited September 20, 2013 by Pic0o

[Pic0o]

Good thing I don't charge membership, because I can feel a little better about my derp moments.

 

I think almost any speed decrease I am seeing, is because I have my real-time anti-virus on. I turned it off on the last install, since malware installs with almost any "free" program now, so I turn it back on for running those. :p I stand by the OP list of single drives being a little more friendly than a RAID0 config, especially since my prior threads covered SATA6 and SATA3 performance for the array.