Is RAID basically just two extra IDE slot thingies?

[gnuel3]

So you can have 4 extra drives?

 

[gaidin123]

No, RAID=Redundant Array of Inexpensive (or Independent depending on who's definition you pick) Disks.

Traditionally a RAID array is based up of 2 or more SCSI drives for various improvements in performance, but especially in fault tolerance for important data. RAID arrays can have many drives in them and come in many different forms.

For general consumers, many motherboard makers now include onboard IDE RAID...This is a much cheaper, usually software based form of RAID for cheaper IDE hard disks. Usually motherboard makers include 2 IDE channels but several (Epox 8k5a3+, Abit IT7 Max(?)) use the Highpoint HPT374 4 channel/8 drive array. So yes you can have 4 extra hard drives (not optical) on most motherboards that have the extra RAID channels but they are capable of doing more than your 2 normal IDE ports.

3ware is pretty much the leader in hardware based IDE RAID boards and have versions that support up to 12 IDE/serial ATA drives. Adaptec also makes a hardware IDE RAID board.

Gaidin

 

[DieHardware]

I thought you could run optical drives on the onboard Highpoint controllers.

 

[sumrtym]

Gigabyte's GigaRaid allows you to use the 2 RAID ports as standard IDE, and unlike most everybody else, allows you to put optical drives (not just HDDs) on them. Therefore, you can end up with 8 IDE devices in any configuration on one of their boards.

 

[gnuel3]

I just got an Iwill KK266 what has onboard RAID. Will I have to setup anything if I add like 2 more HDs to one of the RAID IDE channel slots?

 

[sumrtym]

No, treat them as normal. If you want RAID operation, you really would have to start from a fresh install for results. Since you're not wanting to do that, go ahead....should be no problem.