Different HDD running raid 1

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NIAL8R

4 posts

Wannabe Geek

Topic # 150859 5-Aug-2014 19:21

Hey Geekzone members,
I have a Dell desktop running 2 Seagate Barracuda 750gb 7200.12 hdd and 1 has started failing. From what I've found on the net I am no longer able to find an exact replacement which wasn't a surprise.

My questions are:
Am I able to use two different manufactures?
Am I able to use two different capacity Hdd?
Should I replace both drives so they are the same size and manufactures?

Also: If I replace both drives that are bigger and have different rpm am I able to use the Intel program to load one then the other?

Is there anything else I should be aware of.

Thanks in advance

Col

wasabi2k

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Reply # 1102817 5-Aug-2014 19:25

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Depends entirely on your controller - what are you using? Most consumer ones are pretty tolerant of what drives you use, software RAID won't care.

If you use a larger capacity on the new drive any additional will be wasted - e.g. a 60 and a 100 will still only mirror the 60.

It is a good idea to stick to the same RPM.

If it's for home use it's probably not a big deal.

If it's in a heavy IO situation might pay to replace both drives.

Sideface

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Reply # 1102818 5-Aug-2014 19:30

Q1. Am I able to use two different manufactures?

A1. Yes, but bad idea - their specs may differ.

Q2. Am I able to use two different capacity Hdd?

A2. Yes, but bad idea - The larger HDD will effectively "shrink" to the size of the smaller HDD.

Q3. Should I replace both drives so they are the same size and manufactures?

A3. Yes - the best option. HDDs are getting cheaper all the time.

Sideface

Dynamic

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Reply # 1102853 5-Aug-2014 20:23

+1 for wasabi2k's thoughts

What are the reasons for the raid? Is it necessary any more?

Alternative might be an SSD for the OS as these in my experience are significantly more reliable when you use a reputable brand. 750gb for data. New backup drive or two.

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richms

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Reply # 1102875 5-Aug-2014 20:37

You have to be careful. I had to swap one drive in a raid and the new drive was fractionally smaller than the old ones - so now I make the partitions a few gig less than the full capacity just incase that happens again.

Richard rich.ms

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Reply # 1103840 7-Aug-2014 10:36

If you really must use RAID, Get a pair of HD's designed for raid, ie not a normal consumer grade HD

Perhaps that money could be better spent elsewhere, eg backup USB HD or NAS ?