How to set up Vraptors + SDD on 3ware 9690?

[raptorx]

Hope everyone had a good Christmas, I know I did.  So now I have a 3ware 9690SA-4I RAID controller and a 32 Gb Patriot SDD.  I plan to put everything on the controller.  I want to install my OS on the SDD (single drive) and then create a RAID0 with my 2 Vraptors.
As this is my first raid experience I have questions:

How do I set up my hardware so I can install XP?  Do I need to copy any drivers to a floppy before the OS install?  I think I can create the array once my OS is installed but I don't know how to get to that point.

All I know how to do is install on a single drive on the motherboard ports.

Thanks for the help,

-Jim

[NickN]

Well, for one thing the card is a bit overboard unless you plan on using more than 24 SAS drives or need SAS support.

But it will work

Be aware you MUST have the battery backup for the card installed and working to be safe as a 'BOOT' drive card. Without it any power failure can result in complete loss of the drive/data

There are some motherboards that require the card be in PCIe slot 1 and the video card in PCIE x16 slot 2

That can be problematical if the 2nd slot on your board is only 8x max. Some boards are 2 x 16x and others are 1 16x and one 8x

I do not use my card to boot and instead only use it for the storage performance of the titles I need it for which resolves the boot card issues and allows me to place the card where ever I wish. The OS stays on a fast SATA off the motherboard ports in which I make sure I disable ALL higher SATA functions in the BIOS such as NCQ, etc before installing Windows. Some motherboards call the higher functions SATA Configuration: ADVANCED. You set it to Configure SATA as and leave the advanced features disabled.

NCQ and advanced SATA features are wonderful for network servers but terrible for 'game' and 'raw speed' storage performance that FSX likes

With Windows XP one must install Windows with the advanced SATA features disabled in the BIOS. If you try to switch them off after Windows is installed the drive will not boot. I do not know how Vista handles such things.



That SSD drive is a joke. Although SSD is up and coming the first drive to overcome the primary issues with SSD was the new Intel SSD drives. Being the OS drive its fine but don

[raptorx]

Yeah, I thought about other options.  Like ditching the Patriot SDD and setting up the Vraptors on the card with one as an OS drive and the other as the FSX drive, just like I have now except the Vraps will be on the card instead of on the MB ports.

You mentioned not putting your OS on the card but you also said it's off the MB ports, I didn't understand that part?

Another option I have is to return the card too and get the i940, P6T Deluxe (or R2E).  With that last option I can sell my current MB, cpu, RAM to help offset the cost.

[NickN]

OFF the motherboard port means I am running the OS drive on some of my systems from motherboard SATAII

the OS SATA drive connection is "coming off" the motherboard port

although I do understand the confusion

[raptorx]

Nevermind, I took all that stuff back (card, SDD).

I took my credit + some cash and got the i965 dammit!!!!  What I should have done from the beginning.  I know I could have gotton the i940 but I wanted my first extreme series chip and the unlocked multiplier.

Thanks anyway-I learned a thing or two about my Vraptors...like how awesome they are just as single drives!