What are RAID/(S)ATA drives and should I use them?

[True_Orb]

I know I have RAID drives on my board but at the moment they are totally useless. Should I make use of this on my current or future systems? What do they do?

 

[XT]

Heres a guild on raid. Raid basically allows your hard drives to run and perform much faster. However because of this you loose stabablity and that is why you should back up your files if using raid. It is not needed so i do not suggest using it
http://www.evozero.gamma.timdorr.com/computer-guides/c_raid.htm
http://www.pcmech.com/article.php?cat=&id=296
(scroll down till u hit the info)

 

[Ares]

I asked a similar question in another post. That pcmech place filled me in on the whole RAID thing (in plain english).

Isn't SATA basically a faster/newer technology in accessing data from a HD? It uses different cables (other than the standard IDE i'm used to) right?

I don't have a board that's got the whole SATA thing going for it yet... but i will soon. Do SATA drives use different kind of connections to the mainboard (thus the different kind of cables)? What if i had a board with SATA capability... does that mean i HAVE to buy a HD that's compatible with SATA?? Can i plug in an old Regular HD to it?

Just some questions of my own i thought i'd add to the mix. Maybe i need to go back and look over some more articles & postings. heh.

 

[XT]

Ares there is no need to read over old posts because i'll fill u in right now.
Serial ATA is an evolutionary replacement for the Parallel ATA physical storage interface. Serial ATA is scalable and will allow future enhancements to the computing platform.
Serial ATA is a drop-in solution in that it is compatible with today's software, which will run on the new architecture without modification. It will provide for systems which are easier to design, with cables that are simple to route and install, smaller cable connectors, improve silicon design, and lower voltages which alleviate current design requirements in Parallel ATA.
Serial ATA is a point-to-point connection and allows multiple ports to be aggregated into a single controller that is typically located either on the motherboard or as an add-in, RAID card. Through backplanes and external enclosures, Serial ATA will be deployed in high-capacity server and networked-storage environments.Serial ATA specifies a thin, point-to-point connection which allows for easy cable routing within a system. This avoids master/slave, "daisy-chaining", and termination issues. Also, better airflow can be realized compared to systems with wider ribbon cables.
Serial ATA supports legacy drivers for Parallel ATA. OEMs can deploy Serial ATA, today, using existing parallel ATA drivers.
Theres some easy to know info on sata hope this helps

 

[True_Orb]

Soooo, should I use SATA drives then? I see they are revolutionary and can hypothetically help a system, but I am not sure if I even have them on my board. If I do, are they of any use to me?

 

[XT]

Sata is on par with ata/133 prices so you should think about getting one. While most systmes cant take advantage of the 150mb/s they can still use the 8-11 seek times which sata produces and ata/66 ata/133 etc etc do not produce. (they are anywhere from 15-23 seek times (all seek times in miliseconds)
Sata is really just an other drive with no jumpers and connects to sata ports which have to be installed on a motherboard.

 

[Ares]

Thanks, XT. You rock!

You cleared it up for the most part. That whole daisy chain thing is gonna be a thing of the past.