Exploring PC Building Wisdom: Unraveling the Wonders of RAID Storage

When it comes to data storage on your computer, the average user often focuses on the choice between HDD and SSD, the capacity in TB, and preferred brands. However, those aiming to build a high-performance PC that ensures data safety need to pay attention to another crucial factor: RAID storage. So, what is RAID, why does it enhance speed and data security, and should you consider using it? Let's find out.

Decoding RAID:

RAID, short for 'redundant array of independent disks,' is a storage technique where multiple physical hard drives are interconnected to form one or more logical drives. Its aim is to accelerate data storage on a computer, enhance data safety, or achieve both simultaneously.

Diverse RAID Configurations: Unveiling RAID Levels like RAID 0, RAID 1, and More

It's worth noting that higher RAID levels aren't necessarily superior to lower ones; they simply differ. Each RAID level prioritizes speed, safety, and capacity differently. Mytour will delve into each RAID level in the upcoming section of this article.

Essentials for RAID Setup

To run RAID, you need at least two hard drives and a RAID controller card, RAID-supportive motherboard, or RAID software. Each solution has its pros and cons, but bear in mind that if your motherboard or RAID card fails, you'll have to find an identical replacement to recover your data. Therefore, Mytour recommends opting for RAID software to ensure data safety.

Hard drives can be of any standard and vary in capacity, but ideally, they should match to maintain uniformity. Similar to RAM, when hard drives operate in RAID mode, the overall system performance will be limited by the capacity of the lowest drive. For instance, if you pair a 1TB RAID with a 2TB drive (regardless of RAID 0 or 1), you effectively waste 1TB of the second drive, as the controller treats them as a pair of 1TB drives only (except in JBOD, which Mytour will explain later in the article).

Understanding RAID 0

RAID 0 is often employed in high-performance computing setups, such as rendering. Its operation is straightforward: multiple physical drives (2 or more) are interconnected to form a logical drive, and each file is divided into segments (known as striping), with each segment stored on a separate physical drive. This enhances data read-write speed significantly compared to using a single physical drive.

This level boasts the highest storage capacity and fastest speed among RAID options – the RAID 0 drive's capacity equals the sum of the individual drives. However, its drawback lies in its vulnerability to data loss; any corrupted data fragment renders the entire file unreadable. If a drive in the RAID 0 system fails, the entire stored data in the system is considered lost.

RAID 1

RAID 1 is utilized in systems prioritizing data safety. In this storage approach, data is stored multiple times (known as mirroring) across different drives. If a file becomes corrupted, one (or more) other copies of it exist on other drives in the system, accessible and easily recoverable. This somewhat accelerates data access, for instance, when needing two different files on a RAID 1 system with 2 drives, each drive can access one file.

RAID 1's downside is its limited capacity. For instance, using two 1TB drives to create a RAID 1 system results in Windows recognizing and allowing you to use only 1TB, with the other 1TB serving as a backup. In essence, RAID 1 has the capacity of a single drive.

RAID 0+1 (or RAID 10)

The name alone gives you a hint about the strengths and weaknesses of this option. Indeed, it combines all the advantages of RAID 0 and RAID 1 – high data read and write speeds while avoiding data loss due to drive failure. You need an even number of drives, starting from 4, to implement this option.

The distinction between RAID 0+1 and RAID 10 lies in the data writing order. If data is striped first and then mirrored, it's RAID 0+1 (or RAID 01). If mirrored first and then striped, it's RAID 10. For example, in the image below, on the left are 2 sets of 4 drives in RAID 0 connected to RAID 1, while on the right, we have 4 sets of 2 drives running RAID 1 connected to RAID 0.

However, both options inherit the drawback of RAID 1 – their capacity is only half the total drive capacity, and they come with the new challenge of increased costs. When using these RAID drive options, computer users need to purchase a minimum of 4 hard drives – 2 for striping and 2 for mirroring. For instance, if you buy 4 1TB drives, Windows will recognize it as a 2TB drive.

RAID 5

RAID 5 is an option that requires a minimum of 3 hard drives, using a relatively complex storage method. For example, if you have a file A divided into 3 parts, A1 is written on drive 1, A2 on drive 2, A3 on drive 3, and the backup A1+A2+A3 is written on drive 4. Then B1 is written on drive 1, B2 on drive 2, the backup B1+B2+B3 on drive 3, and B3 on drive 4, and so on.

Utilizing this data distribution method, RAID 5 provides capacity equal to the sum of all drives minus one, offering both safety and high speed. Similar to RAID 1, RAID 5's drawback lies in the high cost, as users need to invest in a minimum of 3 drives.

JBOD

Apart from the RAID options mentioned above, Mytour also needs to highlight a storage approach with a somewhat amusing name – JBOD, or just a bunch of disks. Unlike the RAID options above, JBOD doesn't require users to use identical hard drives, allowing them to install drives of varying capacities onto the motherboard. Windows will automatically recognize them as a single drive with capacity equal to the sum of the individual drives.

However, unlike RAID, JBOD doesn't provide any data safety benefits. Its speed also varies depending on each drive's individual speed – it can be fast when accessing data on one drive but significantly slower when the data is on another drive. You can think of JBOD like bookshelves in your home, each shelf holding a different amount of books with different distances to where you lie down to read, but all of them are your books.

Conclusion

In addition to the common options mentioned above, we can also find RAID 4, RAID 6, RAID 50, RAID 50E, RAID 60, and more in the market. These are less commonly used solutions and are not crucial for the average user. We hope that the information shared by Mytour in this article has been helpful, and we look forward to seeing you in the future articles!