Purchased two 256GB SSDs from MX100. Need guidance on setting up the operating system.
Purchased two 256GB SSDs from MX100. Need guidance on setting up the operating system.
Hey there, I just acquired two Crucial MX100 256GB SSDs. My idea is to set up a RAID 0 configuration. I'm unsure whether to perform a clean install of Windows or keep them as is for gaming purposes. If I delay the installation until after Windows 10 releases on July 29th, should I just do a fresh install now? I need advice on a clean install guide and instructions for mounting My Windows 8.1 copy on the new drives. Thanks! Also, note that my current OS runs on a Samsung 840 EVO 256GB SSD with games stored on two WD Blue 1TB drives.
Activate RAID settings in BIOS for the M.2 ports, set up a hardware RAID configuration, and perform a cloning of your C drive to the newly created RAID array.
Hey mxvz, As @ rtpb5642 explained, you need to enable the RAID mode on the motherboard through the BIOS (either on the SATA or on the M.2 slots, depending on which one are you using for the two new SSDs). Then you can either clone your OS or do a fresh install (which I would recommend). Do have in mind that RAID0 involves some risks of data corruption and drive dropouts and offers no redundancy whatsoever. Even though it provides great speed boost, the boot time might actually increase as the RAID needs to be initialized first and then start the boot sequence. The new Windows would be more like an update so it shouldn't matter much if you move your OS now or install it once the update comes. My suggestion would be to leave the OS with some demanding applications on your current SSD, use the new ones for everything that can benefit from fast access times and faster read/write speeds and the WD Blue drives for storage and everything else. Captain_WD.
Hey there! I understand your concerns about the Samsung 840 EVO drives and the performance drop you're seeing. It's good you're taking action. Regarding your raid setup, using 0 for the drive array is a valid choice if you want to simplify management. For your two WD Blues 1TB drives, a standard RAID 0 configuration would be appropriate for maximum speed, though keep in mind it offers no redundancy. Let me know if you need more details!
I can't really praise the SSD's performance or its issues. There seems to be enough conversation about it on the forum to get a clear understanding of any problems. I recommend regularly checking the S.M.A.R.T. status of the drive to confirm its health. WD Blue drives aren't meant for RAID setups because they lack features like TLER that ensure reliability in such environments. For this reason, I suggest considering WD Red: http://products.wdc.com/support/kb.ashx?id=lc3zoh. You can use the WD Blue drives as intended and handle the heavy workloads on the three SSDs. Captain_WD.