Can I install RAID 1 on only 2 of 4 drives?

[AKretired]

I'm thinking about getting a GA-Z170X-Gaming 7. The mobo has 2 each M.2, and SATA3 0/1/2/3/4/5 (SATA 6Gb/s Connectors, Controlled by Intel® Z170 Chipset) and SATA3 6/7 (SATA 6Gb/s Connectors, Controlled by ASMedia® ASM1061 Chip).

I'd like to use one 250GB SSD for OS on an M.2 and one 250GB SSD for applications on an M.2, and 2 each 1 TB 7200 rpm SATA drives for data storage. The mobo manual explains how to set up UEFI RAID for Win 10 and basically says to name a volume, select RAID level, and "select the hard drives to be included in the RAID array."

Is it that easy just to designate only the 7200 rpm drives as RAID 1 and not include the other SSD drives in RAID?

Next, in the RAID intro, it says for RAID 1 the minimum number of drives is 2, and the Array Capacity is the “size of the smallest drive.” Can I still have 2 each SSD at 250GB (the smaller size drives) not in RAID and 2 each 1 TB drives in RAID 1?

Will this setup prevent me from later doing a network backup when I network my other PC and notebook to this new PC?

Thanks

 

[basroil]

Depends on the controller you are using, but the intel RAID system will let you put two into a RAID configuration and the remaining 4 outside the RAID. Read Intel RST instructions in your manual

 

[Calvin7]

All you need to do is set the Intel SATA controller (SATA3 0/1/2/3/4/5) to RAID and use the Intel Rapid Storage Technology Driver when you install OS. There is an Intel Rapid Storage Technology Driver and accompanying Windows software program.

Some backups are incompatible with RAID.