Replacement SSDs (Zenbook UX301LA), Raid vs AHCI + fresh Windows install

[NewbieHG]

Hi,

As the name suggests I am new to computer electronics. I am currently in the process of replacing both my SSDs in my Zenbook as one failed in a Raid 0 configuration, yes I did lose all my data.
I wish I paid more attention when purchasing the Ultrabook however I feel I have a good basic understanding of the different storage configurations now (onwards and upwards right?).

As I now know the consequences of Raid 0, I figured I would only install the SSDs in either Raid 1 or AHCI.

My understanding is that Raid 1 will create a mirror of drive 1 onto drive 2. Whereas AHCI will treat them as two separate drives and I am free to do as I please.

Could anyone please provide some advice/perspective on this matter?

Secondly I know in general how to do a clean install of Windows 8 and have a bootable flash drive but I was wondering if anyone had any good guides/links to share for someone new to this like myself?

Thanks

 

[Ketchup]

First off, you need to look at how RAID is set up on this laptop. Is it two separate drives? Is it back-to-back M.2 drives? Are they "regular" SATA SSDs?

Secondly, you need to look at how the RAID is set up. Is it a gui-customizable option, or is it something set up in the firmware that is not configurable?

Once you get that sorted, the install is pretty straight-forward. You need to install the same version of Windows that the laptop came with. The key is embedded in the BIOS, so you should not have the need to enter this in manually.

Also, you can contact Asus about recovery media. They can supply you with the OS and all other software that came with the laptop. The price on this is usually pretty reasonable (~$30 as a guess, I haven't ordered any in a while).

 

[NewbieHG]

These are the current drives:
m.2 NGFF, 128GB each

I can switch from Raid to AHCI in the Aptio Setup Utility under Sata Configuration. I can access the Intel Matrix Storage manager to create Raid volumes by pressing CTRL+I when it displays that my Raid volume has failed and is non-bootable.

That's really interesting, which Asus line would I have to contact about Recovery Media (I'm based in the UK) and how is the media sent over to me?

Thanks

 

[Ketchup]

Very good news on the configuration. Honestly, I am a bit surprised that they even do RAID 0. If you get a decent SSD, I don't think you would notice a diff in day-to-day activities (vs no RAID). RAID 1 will cost you a little speed, but still miles ahead of a standard hard drive. Just remember that a real backup needs to be external to the laptop. RAID 1 is for decreased down time, which may or may not be applicable on a laptop.

See if this link will get you to the recovery media for your laptop:
https://serviceshop.asus.com/GB/EN/recovery.aspx

 

[NewbieHG]

Thanks for the info, how would you say running the drives in AHCI would compare?

P.s I just noticed in your sig you are running a Crucial SSD, reliable company?

 

[Ketchup]

Well, running in AHCI, you will see them as two separate drives. If you would rather have the drives as a whole, go with RAID. The only thing that AHCI would give you is the ability to have a drive with fewer writes (since any type of RAID will share the data across both), and that is about the only advantage I can think of.

The Crucials have been pretty good drives. I bought two at the same time last summer; one went in the laptop, one into the desktop. Had some issues with the one in the desktop. After replacing the SATA cable (it was 5 years old, at least) I have had minimal issues, so hopefully that's all it was. Never had a problem with the drive in the laptop.

Also: if it were mine, I would probably just replace whichever drive died and start a good backup routine. Unless you want more capacity.