Will I need RAID and how to configure it?

[UKspace]

I will soon be building the following system. This will be my FIRST system that I will have built my self.


Emerald Midi Tower Case ATX inc. PSU
Abit KT7 Pro Duron/Thunderbird + o/b raidcard ATA100 ATX
AMD Thunderbird 1.1GHz (200 MHz socket A)
Taisoal upto 1.2Ghz AMD Duron/Thunderbird Cooler
256MB PC133 RAM
256MB PC133 RAM
Creative 3D Blaster GeForce II MX 32MB DDR Retail
45 GB IDE IBM 7200rpm ATA100
45 GB IDE IBM 7200rpm ATA100
LS120MB 2X Floppy Drive
19" Iiyama A902MT 0.25mm Vision Master Pro 451
Microsoft Internet Keyboard
Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer USB
Hitachi 12x DVD Drive IDE OEM
CD Rewriter Plextor 12x10x32 IDE Retail "Burn Proof"
SoundBlaster Live 1024 OEM
Creative SUB Woofer & 4 Spkr. Set Surround Sound
Diamond 56K Modem

I will use the system for general office work, games, Video editing (eventaully), Photoshop work and if I add a TV card to watch TV.

I have a few Questions, that I thought I would ask your infinate knowledge. Oh great ones! (alright, enough of the flattery!)

Sorry if some of the questions seem a stupid!

I will be running windows 2000 dual booted with either Win98SE/WinME. Win 9x will be just used for games, and all my work will be done on Windows 2000, because it is just so stable and much quicker.


I was just wondering how to configure the following stuff for BEST performance and STABILITY.

2 HD,s,
LS-120 Floppy (only needed so I take advantage if the fast net access at Uni)--> Take downloads home
DVD-ROM drive
CDRW

How would I connect this to the Abit KT7 RAID Motherboard?

If I used the RAID feature with the IBM HD's would I get better performance? How would I configure it?

I also have an old(ish) 8Gb Fujitsu UDMA66 HD laying around. Could I add this for backup purposes? How?

Since I will use Win2K and Win 98/ME how should I allocate HD space? I was thinking 20GB to Win 98 for games and the rest to Win2k for serious work. Sound Ok?

Any tips on actually builiding this monster!??!

Know of any guides available on the net that tell you how to tweak the KT7-RAID for best performance? I do not intend to overclock.


How about cooling? I will use the following cooling, is it suitable?

TaiSol CGK742092 CPU Cooler


<< Taisol's latest and best performing Socket A cooler featuring a cold-forged aluminium heatsink measuring 80x60x58.3mm. Complete with low-noise dual ball-bearing high-output fan pushing 21.19CFM. This product is AMD approved for Socket A processors up to 1.2GHz. There is no approval for greater than 1.2GHz but we know this cooler is capable of much more. >>

From overclockers.co.uk

80mm Cooler Master Ball bearing fans (2 of these)

What about a HD cooler? should I invest in two of these?

Any other cooling things I need to consider?

The powersupply that the case comes with is a 230W one. Will this do, or would I be bettter paying a bit extra and getting an Enermax 330W PSU?



Sorry for all the questions, but I am worried that I will mess it up and end up will expensive junk!

Thankyou, I am eternally gratefull for any help I can get.

PS I am in the UK.

 

[UKspace]

Oh come on, please someone reply!

 

[Mday]

well, if you were to start out with this machine for video editting, i'd say yes.

RAID setup guides are everywhere.

check out your favorite computer hardware sites for information.

i distinctly remember tomshardware.com having an article

 

[chuckieland]

but fear for data lost
if one of the HD go bad... everything is gone

 

[chuckieland]

not just the HD
if the raid card went south
then prepare to partition and format and install windows again
of course all the information is gone

 

[Mday]

I was just wondering how to configure the following stuff for BEST performance and STABILITY.

2 HD,s,
LS-120 Floppy (only needed so I take advantage if the fast net access at Uni)--> Take downloads home
DVD-ROM drive
CDRW

How would I connect this to the Abit KT7 RAID Motherboard?

if you were to use RAID, the HDDs go on the RAID controller, different channels. that is, each drive goes on it's own plug. set both to master of course.

If I used the RAID feature with the IBM HD's would I get better performance? How would I configure it?

setting it to RAID 0, striping would increase performance, read your manual for details. each RAID implementation is slightly different.

I also have an old(ish) 8Gb Fujitsu UDMA66 HD laying around. Could I add this for backup purposes? How?

i'd put this on the RAID array too. have it be the slave.

RAID uses arrays that is, it defines a logical drive by an array. so, those 2 IBM drives would be one array. and you can set up the fujitsu as another array. use this as regular backup like any drive, use ghost or what not.

Since I will use Win2K and Win 98/ME how should I allocate HD space? I was thinking 20GB to Win 98 for games and the rest to Win2k for serious work. Sound Ok?

when using 2 operating systems liek win98 AND w2k, i always suggest having 2 different drives, so i'd tell you not to RAID.

Any tips on actually builiding this monster!??!

yeah, do one thing at a time, i mean, i don't know what to tell you bud.

Know of any guides available on the net that tell you how to tweak the KT7-RAID for best performance? I do not intend to overclock.

just read some BIOS optimization guides, um, i don't know of any URLs offhand. i think gamecenter recently did a writeup, but there are others.


How about cooling? I will use the following cooling, is it suitable?

TaiSol CGK742092 CPU Cooler


<< Taisol's latest and best performing Socket A cooler featuring a cold-forged aluminium heatsink measuring 80x60x58.3mm. Complete with low-noise dual ball-bearing high-output fan pushing 21.19CFM. This product is AMD approved for Socket A processors up to 1.2GHz. There is no approval for greater than 1.2GHz but we know this cooler is capable of much more. >>

um, dunno. tomshardware.com recently reviewd a lot of hs\fan combos.

From overclockers.co.uk

80mm Cooler Master Ball bearing fans (2 of these)

they are just fans. nothing really fancy, you need fans.

What about a HD cooler? should I invest in two of these?

essentially, yeah. HDDs do get warm.

Any other cooling things I need to consider?

depends on how hardcore you want to be.

The powersupply that the case comes with is a 230W one. Will this do, or would I be bettter paying a bit extra and getting an Enermax 330W PSU?

with all those drives, you NEED a larger capacity power supply. i am telling you to get better than 300W.



Sorry for all the questions, but I am worried that I will mess it up and end up will expensive junk!

Thankyou, I am eternally gratefull for any help I can get.

PS I am in the UK.

no problem, i did not fully answer any of your questions

 

[UKspace]

THANKS Mdayyou are the greatest!

I think that I will keep it simple and not really bother with RAID. I read on another thread that it doesn't really make much of a noticable difference to performance, usless copying huge files.

I have read that even if I install the 2 IBM's HD's into the 2 Raid slots, I don't have to set them up as Raid? Is that true?

A few people have told me to dump the GeForce 2 MX and get an ATI Radeon instead. I don't really want to spend too much, so how much slower is the 32Mb DDR Radeon, then the 64Mb one? The all-in-wonder looks good!


I am getting worried about installing the Taisol Cooler, read that they are difficult to install, and since this is my first attempt I don't want to mess it up.

Am I just being paranoid?

Anyone know of any coolers that are easy to install?

Thanks

 

[UKspace]

I know I said I would drop RAID, but just out of curiosity, Are the chances of 2 HDD's in RAID failing more than just having a single hard drive in a normal configuration? I mean does RAID put more wear and tear on the drives?

Also has anybody, been using the ABIT KT7-RAID MoBo for a while now, and not had any major problems. Someone remarked that it wouldn't last more then a few months. This can't be true! Can it? I have heard people raving about the MSI KT7 Pro 2A (or some model like that), but I have read about 15 reviews and all say the ABIT is better. Another problem is that i cannot find the MSI MoBo for sale anywhere in the UK.

Thanks,

PS I would be greatful, if you guys could sort out my previous questions too! (If they are stupid or tedious just hummor me!)

 

[UKspace]

Anybody out their!??!

 

[UKspace]

Any opinions?