Different Size HD in Raid??

336 Views 8 Replies 6 Participants Last post by xguntherc, Mar 16, 2009

xguntherc

Discussion Starter · Mar 16, 2009

I'm not sure if this is possible. so I thought I'd ask.

I currently have a Seagate 500GB 7200.11 32MB HDD. I've had it since before there little (Big) problem they had for a while. So far it's worked great for about a year.

Anyways, Newegg.com currently is having some pretty good deals on some Hard Drives. and I was going to get one.

My question is can I get a Seagate 7200.11 32GB Cache, just the same as mine, but get the 640GB HD. and partition it into 500, and 140. and use the 500GB with my current 500 and RAID 0 it. or NOOOO...

the 640GB is the same price as the 500 with newegg.com newegghdd discount code, so might as well get the bigger one. but if that wont work. I'll just get the 500GB HD.

let me know guys.

Thanks.

(oh and how fast will 500GB 32MB cache drives be in raid 0.. fast enough?)

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SonicJoe

· #2 · Mar 16, 2009

You could definitely use software RAID if you convert your disks to Dynamic Disks in Windows management, but you'll trade some CPU processing power for the faster hard drive access times.

If you want to do hardware RAID, I'm pretty sure its going to be an all or nothing type thing. But I'm not 100% on that.

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glussier

· #3 · Mar 16, 2009

You can do a raid setup with 2 different size hard-drives, however, the extra space on the larger hard-drive will be lost.

As said on the previous message, using windows dynamic drives you could do as you said in your message.

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Mr Bear

· #4 · Mar 16, 2009

In theory, you can partition hard drives and raid them, but it usually does not work that way. But, like said above. What will happen is that the size of the drive will be 2 x smallest drive size. SO, in your case 500gb is your small drive.. so 2 x 500 = 1TB, you sit around just under 1TB of space. IF the new drive is less than or equal to the price of a 500gb, then do it, you will not see the extra 140gb tho.

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Blameless

· #5 · Mar 16, 2009

If you setup a RAID0 with a 640 and 500GB drive, it will automatically not use the last 140GB of the first drive.

Still, this is not an ideal setup, as the drives may have different platter densities, or one may have partially stroked platters, giving them slightly different performance characteristics, even if they are the same line of drive.

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xguntherc

Discussion Starter · #6 · Mar 16, 2009

So it would be safer, and best to get a matching 500GB 7200.11 then?

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glussier

· #7 · Mar 16, 2009

It wouldn't be safer, but you would not get waisted hard-drive space and performance on the new drive.

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Diabolical999

· #8 · Mar 16, 2009

Worked fine with me. 320GB / 500GB, RAID0 128k, 148MB/s

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xguntherc

Discussion Starter · #9 · Mar 16, 2009

so I'd looose a little performance doing it that way then. I see. and the waisted HD space would not always be wasted. one day I'd pull her off and have a 640. lol

Yea, I'll take the 500GB I think. Thanks for info guys. Now I need to figure out where to put it.. Water pump is in HD bays.

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