WD 120GB SATA RAID 0 question

[stncttr908]

I've ordered 2x Western Digital 120GB SATA drives and I had a question regarding setting them up in a RAID 0 configuration. I normally work with smaller files, but might occasionally do some video editing/sound editing. What would be the best cluster/stripe size for this type of configuration? The setup would be used with Windows XP. Thanks.

Also, I currently have a WD800JB (IDE, 80GB, 8MB cache). Is it recommended that I use this one as the boot drive, and why?

 

[tallman45]

Determining the stripe size that works best for you may mean some compromise in performance. A Raid 0 that is tuned for larger file transfers may likely result in poorer performance when loading smaller files such as OS/Apps.

If your video/sound use is that seldom then build your array for smaller file performance (Ie: smallest stripe size) so that os/spp and daily use benefits

 

[robcy]

Use the WD 80gb for your OS, and place all of your video/sound files on the Raid 0 drives. I use a stripe size fo 16kb for my games, but you will probably benefit more from a stripe size of 64kb which is a middle ground for small and large files. You will be able to notice the diffrence in speed.

I used to get a lot of IO.sys and config failures when my OS was on a raid, so I purchased a another HD for my OS. Problem solved.