RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) is a data storage technology that combines multiple physical disk drives into one or more logical units. The main purposes of RAID are to increase storage performance, capacity, and reliability. For gaming PCs, performance is especially critical since games require fast access to large amounts of data and high frame rates for smooth gameplay.
When choosing a RAID setup for a gaming PC, performance should be the priority. The CPU, GPU, RAM and storage all impact gaming performance, but storage is often overlooked. Using RAID can significantly improve storage speeds to help avoid bottlenecks. There are several different RAID types and levels, each with their own pros and cons for performance and data protection.
RAID 0
RAID 0, also known as striping, combines two or more drives into one larger logical drive. Data is split and written across the drives simultaneously in blocks. This allows for very fast read and write speeds since the workload is distributed across multiple drives at once.
Some of the key benefits of RAID 0 for gaming include:
- Increased read and write performance – With data split across multiple drives, RAID 0 can deliver nearly double the speed of a single drive.
- Faster game and level load times – The improved throughput of RAID 0 can significantly reduce load screens and wait times.
- Better gameplay experience – Streaming textures and other data needed for complex games can benefit from the bandwidth of RAID 0.
However, RAID 0 provides no redundancy. If one drive fails, all data across the array will be lost. The risk of failure is multiplied by the number of drives. For this reason, RAID 0 is generally not recommended for critical or irrecoverable data storage. Regular backups are essential.[1]
RAID 1
RAID 1, also known as disk mirroring, is the most basic form of RAID that provides redundancy. It involves at least two drives that replicate (mirror) the same data between them (Liquidweb, 2023). This means that if one drive fails, the data remains intact and accessible on the mirrored drive. The RAID 1 array continues to function normally, although there is no more redundancy until the failed drive is replaced.
The main benefit of RAID 1 is complete data redundancy. If a drive fails, there is an identical copy of the data available. This protects against data loss and downtime in the event of a drive failure (Stellarinfo, 2023). Also, rebuilding the RAID after a failed drive only requires copying data from the surviving mirror drive. This is a quick and easy process.
The disadvantage of RAID 1 is slower write performance compared to a single drive, as data has to be written twice, once to each mirror drive. RAID 1 also has half the total storage capacity compared to the combined capacity of both drives, as the drives are identical copies. Adding more mirrored drives does not increase capacity (Prepressure, 2023).
RAID 5
RAID 5 utilizes block-level striping with distributed parity. This means the data is broken up into blocks and striped across multiple drives similar to RAID 0, but parity information is also distributed across the drives. The parity allows for fault tolerance in case one of the drives fails. According to research conducted by TechPowerUp Forums, RAID 5 offers similar read performance as RAID 0 which tends to scale with the number of disks. However, RAID 5 has worse write performance compared to RAID 0 due to the parity calculation during writes, known as the RAID 5 write penalty. As noted in a Reddit discussion on r/DataHoarder, RAID 5 is no longer recommended for some uses due to long reconstruction times if a drive fails. But for gaming and personal use, the redundancy provided by RAID 5 can be beneficial for protecting against data loss.1
RAID 10
RAID 10, also known as RAID 1+0, combines mirroring and striping to provide both high performance and fault tolerance. It works by creating a mirrored set of drives, and then striping data across the mirrored sets in chunks. For example, with 4 drives, data would be written to two mirrored pairs, and then striped across both pairs.1
The benefits of RAID 10 include:2
- Very fast read and write speeds due to striping
- Fault tolerance from mirroring – if one drive fails, the mirror still has a copy of the data
The drawbacks are that RAID 10 is expensive since it requires at least 4 drives, and storage capacity is cut in half due to mirroring. Still, for mission critical applications like gaming where performance and redundancy are important, RAID 10 is often considered one of the best options.
Hardware vs Software RAID
Hardware and software RAID implementations have some key differences. As TechTarget explains, “The key difference between software RAID and hardware RAID is that software in the OS manages the former, while controllers independent from the OS manage the latter.” (Source)
Hardware RAID has some advantages for gaming PCs. It offers better performance since the RAID calculations are offloaded to a dedicated controller instead of taxing the CPU. Hardware RAID controllers also have large caches to optimize disk writes. Additionally, if there is a drive failure, hardware RAID can continue operating uninterrupted. With software RAID, the PC may crash when a disk fails. Overall, most gamers prefer hardware RAID implementations for optimal performance and reliability.
SSD RAID
With the advent of affordable, high-capacity solid state drives (SSDs), using RAID with SSDs has become increasingly popular for gaming PCs. SSDs provide much faster read and write speeds compared to traditional hard disk drives. Combining multiple SSDs in a RAID array can further optimize performance.
The most common RAID setups with SSDs for gaming are RAID 0, RAID 1, and RAID 10. RAID 0 stripes data across multiple drives with no parity or mirroring. This provides the fastest performance but also doubles the risk of drive failure. According to a Reddit user, RAID 0 is pointless for gaming workloads as the speed boost is negligible and not worth the greater risk of data loss[1].
RAID 1 mirrors data between two drives to provide redundancy. Read performance is improved but write speeds remain the same. RAID 10 combines striping and mirroring for both speed and redundancy. However, minimum 4 drives are required making it more expensive. Overall, SSD RAID can provide faster game loading times but the costs may outweigh benefits for many gamers.
Recommended RAID for Gaming
When choosing a RAID configuration for gaming, there are a few key factors to consider:
RAID 0 offers the fastest performance but has no redundancy. Data is striped across multiple disks for increased speed but if one disk fails, all data is lost [1]. RAID 0 is best for maximizing disk performance.
RAID 1 provides good read performance and full redundancy through disk mirroring, but write performance suffers compared to RAID 0. RAID 1 protects against disk failure but usable capacity is halved [2].
RAID 5 provides redundant data striping by distributing parity information across disks. Performance is better than RAID 1 but not as fast as RAID 0. RAID 5 protects against single disk failure while retaining more usable capacity than RAID 1 [3].
For most gaming uses where performance is key but redundancy still desired, RAID 0+1 (RAID 10) offers the best of both worlds. By combining striping and mirroring, RAID 10 provides fast reads/writes while protecting against disk failure. The tradeoff is usable capacity is halved like RAID 1 [1].
In summary, RAID 0 is optimal for pure speed but no redundancy. RAID 10 balances performance and redundancy for most gaming setups. RAID 5 offers a middle ground, while RAID 1 favors redundancy over performance.
RAID Configuration Tips
When configuring RAID for a gaming PC, there are some key tips to keep in mind for optimal performance:
Select quality drives – Investing in high performance, reliable drives like SSDs or enterprise-grade HDDs will provide faster speeds and better reliability compared to budget drives. Match drives in terms of size, speed, and type. Source
Use a dedicated hardware RAID controller card – Hardware RAID cards offload processing from the CPU, allowing for faster performance compared to software RAID using your motherboard chipset. Popular options include LSI and HighPoint RAID cards. Source
Configure RAID in the computer BIOS – Enable RAID mode for your selected storage drives in the BIOS. The process will vary based on your motherboard manufacturer.
Initialize and format the RAID array – Using the RAID card’s configuration utility, select your preferred RAID level and initialize the array. Then format the array using a filesystem like NTFS or exFAT.
Install games on the RAID array – Save game installations to the formatted RAID drive to benefit from the performance and storage gains.
Back up important data – As RAID 0 provides no redundancy, it’s crucial to regularly back up save games, screenshots, and other important data.
Monitor drive health – Keep an eye on HDD health statistics like reallocated sectors or SSD wear level. Replace failing drives promptly.
Conclusion
In summary, when configuring RAID for a gaming PC, there are a few key factors to consider. RAID 0 offers the fastest read/write speeds but with no redundancy. RAID 1 provides redundancy through mirroring but cuts your total capacity in half. RAID 5 provides a good balance of speed, capacity and redundancy for most gaming setups. RAID 10 combines mirroring and striping for the best performance but is costly. Overall, for hardcore gaming, RAID 0 is the fastest option, while RAID 5 or 10 offer a good blend of speed and data protection.
The recommended RAID type for a high performance gaming PC is RAID 0 or RAID 10. RAID 0 offers incredible read/write speeds by striping data across multiple drives, ideal for gaming and loading large textures or levels quickly. RAID 10 also provides amazing speeds through a combination of RAID 0 striping and RAID 1 mirroring. While RAID 10 is more costly, it adds fault tolerance. For most gamers, RAID 0 offers the best bang for the buck in terms of speed. However, RAID 5 or 10 may be preferable for valuable game data or footage.