Do I Even Need a PCI Controller for RAID if using Windows 7?

[jollywolf]

I'm learning that Windows Disk Management can provide software raid support for my needs (RAID1 mirroring for 2-2tb drives and 2-3tb drives). If that's all I need for RAID control, is it even necessary to install an external RAID PCI bus controller that comes with a RAID enclosure... e.g. the HighPoint RocketRaid 622?

If I decide to build a RAID1 mirror through Windows7, and decide that the CPU usage is high and want to get an external RAID controller, will transferring the job over to the hardware card be easy?

 

[Hellhammer]

Most motherboards support RAID as well (it's sort of firmware RAID - something between hardware and software RAIDs) so check out if your motherboards supports as well.

 

[jollywolf]

Hellhammer,

Thanks for your quick reply. I will look into that.

Let me ask one more question to you. I definitely need an enclosure though (at least 4-bay). Just thinking about the motherboard or Windows RAID solutions, wouldn't that mean I would have to have the disks inside the desktop tower? So, if I'm using an enclosure, is it still possible to use the motherboard to run RAID?

 

[Smoblikat]

Hellhammer,

Thanks for your quick reply. I will look into that.

Let me ask one more question to you. I definitely need an enclosure though (at least 4-bay). Just thinking about the motherboard or Windows RAID solutions, wouldn't that mean I would have to have the disks inside the desktop tower? So, if I'm using an enclosure, is it still possible to use the motherboard to run RAID?

You would either have to run SATA cables from your motherboard to the drives in the other case, or build a small computer server to house teh RAID (like I have with my dual xeon machine)

 

[jollywolf]

You would either have to run SATA cables from your motherboard to the drives in the other case, or build a small computer server to house teh RAID (like I have with my dual xeon machine)

Thank you. That makes sense. Or, I could purchase a simple JBOD tower and run the SATA cables to that if I was choose to run firmware RAID.

I really appreciate your fast replies.

 

[Hellhammer]

Hellhammer,

Thanks for your quick reply. I will look into that.

Let me ask one more question to you. I definitely need an enclosure though (at least 4-bay). Just thinking about the motherboard or Windows RAID solutions, wouldn't that mean I would have to have the disks inside the desktop tower? So, if I'm using an enclosure, is it still possible to use the motherboard to run RAID?

As said above, the motherboard RAID requires the disks to be connected directly to the motherboard. However, pretty much all 4-bay enclosures I've seen support at least RAID 0/1 (usually software based). Quite a few support RAID 5/6/10 etc. as well, though that needs to be hardware based (i.e. more expensive).

 

[jollywolf]

As said above, the motherboard RAID requires the disks to be connected directly to the motherboard. However, pretty much all 4-bay enclosures I've seen support at least RAID 0/1 (usually software based). Quite a few support RAID 5/6/10 etc. as well, though that needs to be hardware based (i.e. more expensive).

Just to make sure correctly, that is if I was to buy an enclosure that would connect to my desktop via USB 2.0 or 3.0, correct? Because, my desktop does not have a preexisting eSATA connection, so I would need to install a PCI card to connect it that way.

And lastly, it appears that some of these "RAID" enclosures are just JBOD enclosures with eSATA outputs that come with a RAID controller card to install and connect to the PC.

For example:

This Rosewill RSV-5 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816132015) comes bundled with a PCIe card. Without it, it's just a JBOD enclosure.. Correct? Versus this Sans Digital TR4UTBPN (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816111149) which claims, "True hardware RAID design within the enclosure, no driver and no additional RAID controller needed."