Curse

Meric Hellhammer · Feb 01, 2006, 11:10 PM // 23:10

As the title says im gonna be building a new pc and there are just a couple questions i have.
1) What is RAID and do i need it on my new pc?
2) I know static equals death to pc parts so does this mean it would be a bad idea to build it in a room with carpet?

thanks for your help.

EternalTempest · Feb 01, 2006, 11:24 PM // 23:24

1. Raid is a method that you can hook up more then 1 hard drive for speed or protection for not losing the data if one of the hard drives go bad.

If it's Speed and Protection, just protection or just speed depends on how many hard drives and what Raid 1,2,3,etc

Unless you plan on getting more then one same speed / same size hard drivers you really don't need raid.

I myself have raid but don't use it. Not set up for making two hard drives in to one for speed.

2. Make sure you are practicing anti-static procedures when putting the pc together. Get an anti-static strap and take care. If your stuck building the pc w/o a strap (you should have one) you can keep touching the power supply outer casing to discharge yourself.

Note: DO NOT USE ANTI-STATIC PROCEDURES WHEN IF WORKING INSIDE a CRT MOINTER or INSIDE A SEALED POWER SUPPLY.

Res Surection · Feb 01, 2006, 11:30 PM // 23:30

dude dude, just buy a good one from pricewatch.com

Blade Rez · Feb 01, 2006, 11:33 PM // 23:33

You don't really need the band. Just have a grounded piece of metal you can touch to discharge the static.

RAID, is not really necessary. Mostly it provides a 1-2 second faster load times for maps. In FPS games like counter-strike and Battlefield 2 it may shorten the map load by 4-5 seconds. The transfer rates are noticebably faster, but boot times are not. That is RAID-0. 2 Harddrives working together.

RAID-1. Backing up data. Basically u hook 2 harddrives up together, and you get the usage of 1 harddrive. (The lowest amount of storage one) Then, anything you put on that hard drive is written to the other harddrive automatically. Basically, you constantly back your files up.

IMO no need. Just get a Sata 150 or Sata 3gb/s drive and your set

Necrotic · Feb 01, 2006, 11:48 PM // 23:48

RAID= Redundant Array of Independant Drives; best used when you have 4-5 or more drives.

As to building it....yes you want to be sure you are not carrying static....however one way to do it without a grounding strap is to install the power supply first, plug it into the wall then maintain contact with the case while you are installing parts. By doing this you are ensuring you are grounded through the case (assuming your household ground is good). Another thing to remember is DO NOT TOUCH THE CONTACTS.....some things are forgiving, like video cards and modems but NOT the CPU. Oh yeah....and wash your hands before starting work. That's right.....wash your hands....it will reduce or remove any grease or oil that may contaminate the contacts shoud you have to touch them.

edit: RAID 01= Back-up......yes.... it even backs up the virus infecting your system. It's more of a protection measure against harddrive failure but many people do use it as an automatic back-up.