Should I install a RAID for my PC?

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Ruubix

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Nov 11, 2013
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I am a US user upgrading my current 8320fx build.

PURPOSE:
Upgrade my gaming HTPC for Fallout 4 and beginner-to-medium video editing for a youtube channel.

BACKGROUND:

My current build: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/HsXb3C

I do a lot of creative work already, but I'm new to the DIY video scene. The idea of starting this adventure out on a RAID-like platform really appeals to me for stability and potential speed (probably not much of the second, but whatever).

RAID 10 would obviously be the most awesome choice. Not sure whether RAID 5 knocks performance down too much.

No overclocking yet, but I just got the 1000w power supply so I could get my 8320fx to 4.6-5ghz (I know after 4.6 I'll likely need to bump up to something better, but one thing at a time right?)

THINGS I WANT TO DO WITH THIS UPGRADE: (just upgrade list) http://pcpartpicker.com/p/HCbhf7

Important to note, 850 evo is $149 at my Microcenter. Can't edit it through the site for whatever reason.

1. GAMING: 45FPS+. I don't need 60 fps all the time, especially with all the other stuff I need to be putting my money into right now.
2. VIDEO EDITING. Vlogging and youtube streaming 1080p.
3. SPEED UP OS, APPS, AND GAME LOADS.

MY NEW STORAGE PLAN:
A. programs/os, (256-512mb ssd)

B. games, (1tb ssd; then upgrade to ssd Raid 0, likely—which I have right now, but not installed)

C. media work, (1tb hdd, since I'm trying not to become permanently broke right now)

D. and then the rest of my files. (4x1tb hdd's in RAID 10)


BUDGET
Maybe $300-$500. I'm not sure if I would be willing to go higher, I need this to be as afforable as possible so I can get mic, stand/boom etc. Please advise!

OTHER THOUGHTS:
Should I get an amp/dac? Other thoughts on sound equipment?

Thank you!

-RuubixO
 
Solution
USAFRet
Any RAID array needs to be supported by an actual back up scenario.

And if you don't need the actual 24/7 100% uptime, you probably don't need the RAID array.
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Raid-0 has been over hyped as a performance enhancer.
Sequential benchmarks do look wonderful, but the real world does not seem to deliver the indicated performance benefits for most
desktop users. The reason is, that sequential benchmarks are coded for maximum overlapped I/O rates.
It depends on reading a stripe of data simultaneously from each raid-0 member, and that is rarely what we do.
The OS does mostly small random reads and writes, so raid-0 is of little use there.
There are some apps that will benefit. They are characterized by reading large files in a sequential overlapped manner.

Here is a study using ssd devices in raid-0.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/ssd-raid-benchmark,3485.html
Spoiler... no benefit at all.

The value of raid-1 and it's variants like raid-5 is that you can recover from a drive failure quickly. It is for servers that can not tolerate any interruption.
Modern hard drives have a advertised mean time to failure on the order of 500,000+ hours. That is something like 50 years. SSD's are similar.
With raid-1 you are protecting yourself from specifically a hard drive failure. Not from other failures such as viruses, operator error,
malware, raid controller failure fire, theft, etc.
For that, you need external backup. If you have external backup, and can tolerate some recovery time, you do not need raid-1

 
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I've done all the homework on different raids. I want a Raid 5 or 10 for regular hard drives to store all my files and media footage.
I have a 1tb ssd just for my gaming drive.
I want to get an additional 256mb-512mb ssd for my C drive, OS, etc.

Right now, I can't come anywhere near the budget to do a raid 5 or raid 10 for ssd.

At most, its probably raid 0 for the games drive (all ssd), a separate, smaller ssd for OS plus programs, and a RAID 10 with 4x1tb HDD setup for the file/finished media drive.

I need to figure out what would be affordable and not slow me down as I know the RAID 5 gives me the most available space, but slows down write times (can't remember if that's for READ as well). RAID 10 is the best of everything, but expensive to maintain.

I need to figure out a manageable budget for this. Any help in that direction would be really really helpful because I'm looking at $500+ at this point.
 
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That depends on a lot of things. What drives, what they are used for...stuff like that.

But what, specifically, are you trying to 'prevent' with a RAID array?
 
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I want to make sure nothing happens to video files that I edit. Also, I want to speed up recovery time if any one drive fails so I don't have to start from scratch, like I would be right now.
 
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I updated the list above, just for reference. 1 ssd for programs, 1+ ssd's for games, and then some kind of RAID setup of cheap 1tb wd blue drives (4x1tb hdd's) for media and other file storage. What do you think?
 
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How you do this is dictated by what recovery time for a particular file you can tolerate.

With any RAID situation, that is all contained in one box.
A file deletion is a file deletion. May be on multiple drives...but that file is still gone.

What you seem to be looking for is an actual backup. Which is not a RAID.
Any of the RAID arrays will help if a drive dies. But in the case of an accidental file deletion, virus, or other corruption...that just happens at the same time on multiple drives.

There are multiple file copy or drive imaging tools that will do an incremental backup, on a schedule you set, off to another drive.
RAID is great for a physical drive fail. Not so great for actual file recovery.
 
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The drive failing is what I'm worried about. How/where would I go to do the multiple file copy or drive imaging? Are you saying that it's better just to have raw space and schedule file copies both on and off the pc?
 
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SSD #1 for OS and applications. OK.
SSD #2 for games. OK
4 x 1TB HDD RAID setup for other stuff. IMHO, not needed.

That data on the HDD's can be protected much easier and better than with a RAID array.
 
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Yes.
There are multiple tools that will do a full disk image, or specific file copy, on a schedule, to a different drive or PC.
 
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I would strongly advise against using a motherboard bios based raid controller as it is a much greater risk to failure than any drives failing.

And to repeat what has been said, so that it is completely clear to you: RAID is not a form of backup and is not meant to protect your data. It is rarely useful for home users and modern large drives will less expensively fill your needs.
 
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Would this setup allow me to recover lost data on any given drive fairly quickly? Say, within 3-5 hours? I use my computer a lot and don't have another machine really as backup. It's losing any given drive I'm more concerned about, because I do have Google Drive and an external for the other stuff.

Thanks to RealBeast, too.
 
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For a simple file backup, it is available instantly, in whatever state it was when it was copied. Say 6 hours ago?
For a full disk image, it is usable in 30 minutes or so, in whatever state that drive was in when that image was created. Again, how often is that scheduled to run.

The difference between those and a RAID....with the RAID, that file, once (accidentally) deleted, is gonegonegone. It just happens to be gone on two or more drives.
With an incremental disk image or file copy...File X is still over there on the backup drive.
 
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I understand that RAID won't protect any file changes I make. What I'm trying to figure out is would an external source for files be a better recovery plan than RAID at this point--would that be the faster, better option (I think that's what you're saying).
 
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