What is RAID 0?
RAID 0, also known as striping, is a type of RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) configuration that splits data evenly across two or more disks with no parity or redundancy (Definition of RAID 0). The benefit of RAID 0 is increased disk performance and storage capacity compared to a single disk, but the drawback is no fault tolerance. If one drive fails, all data across the RAID 0 array will be lost.
RAID 0 works by breaking up data into blocks called “stripes” that get distributed among the disks in the array. For example, in a 2-disk RAID 0 array, the first stripe goes to Disk 1, the second stripe to Disk 2, the third to Disk 1 again, and so on. This allows read and write operations to execute in parallel across multiple disks, improving overall speed.
The pros of RAID 0 are faster disk reads/writes due to striping and larger overall capacity by combining multiple disks. The cons are no redundancy or fault tolerance – if one disk fails, all data is lost. RAID 0 is commonly used for non-critical data where performance is most important.
How RAID 0 Affects Gaming
RAID 0 can provide some performance benefits for gaming in a few key areas:
Faster access times for loading games – By striping data across multiple disks, RAID 0 improves disk access speeds which can result in faster load times when booting up games or loading new levels [1]. This is most noticeable for games stored on traditional hard drives.
Improved frame rates when gaming – The faster data access of RAID 0 can lead to improved frame rates and smoother gaming performance in some games, particularly those that stream a lot of data like open world games [2]. The gains may be minimal though.
Ability to store more games with extra capacity – By combining multiple disks into a RAID 0 array, you can increase your total storage capacity allowing you to install more games on your system.
That said, with modern SSDs being very fast already, the improvements from RAID 0 may not be noticeable or worth the downsides for many gamers. The capacity gains can be achieved through other means as well.
Real-World Testing
Several benchmark tests have been conducted to compare the performance of RAID 0 versus a single disk for gaming.
One test by Hardware Canucks looked at a 2 drive Western Digital VelociRaptor RAID 0 array versus a single Western Digital VelociRaptor drive.
In the PCMark Vantage HDD test, the RAID 0 array scored 126,074 points while the single drive scored 61,075. This shows over double the performance in synthetic storage benchmarks.
For game load times, Hardware Canucks tested load times in The Witcher 2 across three scenes. The RAID 0 array loaded these scenes on average 45% faster than the single drive.
In terms of in-game frame rates, the difference was minor. Testing 6 games including Crysis and Metro 2033 showed at most a 2 FPS increase with the RAID 0 array over the single drive. This suggests the improved storage performance does not directly translate to higher FPS.
When to Use RAID 0
RAID 0 is primarily used in situations where increased performance is critical and redundancy is not. One of the main use cases for RAID 0 is in gaming rigs, where the goal is to maximize disk performance to reduce game loading times and improve overall responsiveness. Since losing saved games or other data is not catastrophic, the lack of redundancy in RAID 0 is an acceptable trade-off for gamers seeking ultimate speed.
RAID 0 is also sometimes used for video editing scratch disks, where temporary storage speed is important and redundancy is less critical. The key advantage of RAID 0 in these use cases is significantly improved read and write speeds compared to a single disk.
However, RAID 0 is generally not recommended for mission-critical data or storage. The inherent lack of redundancy means even a single disk failure will result in total data loss. For storage of important documents, photos, financial data, or anything else that cannot be easily replaced, the risks of RAID 0 typically outweigh the performance benefits. Safer RAID levels like 1, 5, 6, or 10 are better suited for critical data storage.
Alternatives to RAID 0
While RAID 0 can provide increased performance, it comes at the cost of no redundancy. If one drive fails, all data will be lost. There are a couple alternatives that provide faster speeds without sacrificing redundancy:
Using a single solid state drive (SSD) can provide faster speeds than RAID 0 mechanical hard drives. SSDs have much faster read/write times compared to traditional HDDs. So a single SSD may be a better option if top speed is the priority. According to https://softraid.com/raid_uses/, a single SSD is a good alternative to achieve faster speeds safely.
Another option is RAID 10, which stripes and mirrors data across multiple drives. This provides faster speeds from striping, but also redundancy from mirroring. According to https://keys.direct/blogs/blog/how-to-setup-raid-0-windows-10, RAID 10 provides a good balance of speed and protection compared to RAID 0. The downside is more disks are required.
Downsides of RAID 0
The main disadvantage of RAID 0 is the lack of fault tolerance. Since data is striped across multiple disks, the failure of just one disk will result in the total loss of data across the entire array [1]. With no parity or mirroring, RAID 0 cannot provide any redundancy. If any single disk fails, all data will be lost.
In addition, rebuilding a failed RAID 0 array can be very difficult. Since there is no redundant data, the only way to recover from a disk failure is to replace the failed drive and attempt to recover data using disk recovery tools. However, this process is not guaranteed to recover all lost data. The failure of a RAID 0 array often results in permanent data loss [2].
For these reasons, RAID 0 is considered risky for mission critical or highly valuable data. The performance gains come at the cost of complete data loss if any part of the array fails. RAID 0 is best suited for non-essential data where the improved speed is worth the lack of fault tolerance [3].
Choosing RAID 0 Disks
When building a RAID 0 array, it is important to use identical disks for optimal performance. This means matching the disk interface (SATA, SAS, NVMe), rotational speed for HDDs (7200 RPM, 5400 RPM, etc.), and capacity. Mixing disk types can lead to slower performance as the RAID controller has to compensate for differences between the drives.
For most gaming uses, SATA solid state drives (SSDs) offer a good balance of performance and cost for RAID 0. SSDs provide much faster read/write speeds and access times compared to traditional hard disk drives (HDDs), which improves loading times in games. However, HDDs have a lower cost per gigabyte of storage. For large capacity RAID 0 arrays focused on storage space over performance, HDDs may be preferred to keep costs down. Enterprise-class HDDs like WD Re/Seagate IronWolf are recommended over consumer drives for reliability in RAID configurations.
When choosing SSDs for RAID 0, key specifications to look for include sequential read/write speeds, random read/write IOPS, and endurance ratings. Models with higher performance in these areas will provide better gaming performance under RAID 0. Comparing benchmarks of potential SSDs for RAID 0 can help determine the best options.
Sources:
https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads/best-hard-drives-for-raid-0-1-and-10.2162915/
https://linustechtips.com/topic/844060-best-hdd-for-raid-0/
RAID 0 Configurations
When setting up a RAID 0 array, one of the most important considerations is how many disks to use. The most common options are 2 disks or 4 disks, but some advanced users may go with 6 disks or more.
Using 2 disks in RAID 0 is the easiest setup and can provide a noticeable performance boost for many applications like gaming and content creation. However, a 2 disk array has no redundancy – if one disk fails, all data will be lost. A 4 disk RAID 0 array can potentially double the performance of a 2 disk array, but there is still no redundancy.
When choosing the number of disks, you need to balance performance gains with cost and the increased risk of failure. Adding more disks increases the chance that one will fail. Some tests show that a 4 disk RAID 0 can nearly double gaming benchmark scores compared to a single disk, while 2 disks provide a smaller boost.
The stripe size, which controls how data is split across the disks, also impacts performance. For gaming and typical consumer use, a smaller stripe size of 16KB or 32KB is recommended. But for larger sequential transfers, a bigger 128KB stripe size may be faster. The optimal stripe size can depend on your specific workload.
Software vs Hardware RAID 0
RAID 0 can be implemented in software or hardware. Software RAID 0 uses the operating system and drivers to handle striping and splitting data across disks. Hardware RAID 0 uses a dedicated controller card with proprietary firmware to manage the RAID array.
Software RAID 0 has the advantage of being less expensive since it doesn’t require any additional hardware. It’s also easier to recover data if a drive fails compared to hardware RAID 0. However, software RAID 0 can utilize more CPU resources and may have slower performance compared to hardware implementations. Software RAID 0 is dependent on the operating system, so stability and reliability may vary.1
Hardware RAID 0 offers potentially faster speeds and lower CPU utilization. But hardware RAID 0 configurations are proprietary and disk recovery can be challenging if the controller fails. Hardware RAID 0 also depends on availability of drivers for the specific controller. Overall, hardware RAID 0 provides higher performance but software RAID 0 offers more flexibility and lower costs.2
Conclusion
In summary, RAID 0 can provide faster read and write speeds by striping data across multiple disks. This can lead to better gaming performance through reduced loading times. However, RAID 0 also comes with significant risks, as a single disk failure will result in total data loss.
For gaming purposes, the minor speed benefits of RAID 0 may not justify the increased risk and complexity. While loading times can be improved, the gains during actual gameplay are usually minimal. Many gamers are better off choosing a single high-performance SSD over a RAID 0 array.
That said, RAID 0 can make sense for gamers who want optimal loading speeds and are willing to undertake careful backups and disk replacements to mitigate data loss risks. For hardcore gaming enthusiasts trying to extract every ounce of performance, RAID 0 arrays of multiple SSDs can be an option.
In conclusion, while RAID 0 does technically increase disk performance, it may not be worth the tradeoffs for most gamers. But for those wanting peak speeds regardless of risks, RAID 0 can provide a modest gaming performance boost.