What does RAID do for performance?

[devine952]

I am considering buying a new motherboard, and am wondering if it will do anything for me. Will my computer run better/faster?

 

[BadBrad]

The IDE RAID controllers found on the newer MBs can do RAID 0, RAID 1, and RAID 0+1 only.
Raid 0 is called striping. Uses two drives to act as a single drive. Simply described it puts half of the files or data on each of two drives. That way when the system calls for files they can be sent from those HDs almost simultaneously. This increases the rate of transfer thus reducing the time it takes to get the files. Increase in performance with no increase in reliability.
RAID 1 is called mirroring. Files or data are written simultaneously to two HDs . If you loose a HD you can operate on the remaining one until you get the replacement installed without loss of data. Increase in reliability with no increase in performance.
RAID 0+1 combines both RAID 0 and RAID 1. Unfortunately the cost goes through the roof as it takes four HDs to implement this function.

 

[Blain]

Can each of the four onboard IDE controllers be used for "Masters"?
Would having each drive (CD, CD-RW, HDD, maybe 2nd HHD) set as a master provide better transfer between the different drives?

 

[maxcom]

think i read somewhere the cpu took a 30% hit with raid...........a trade off of sorts...my next system will be RAID 0


fwiw

 

[Subversal]

I will only only run RAID 0 again when I go all SCSI. Not worth it with IDE.