Sprocket Resurfaces...

**clocker** · 12-15-2008, 02:02 PM

Previously I mentioned that I had "reconfigured" the hard drives.
Here's what I did...

I used to have 2 x 250GB in RAID 0, 1 x 500GB and 1 x 1TB as permanent storage (in the case) and then 2 x 250GB in external storage (USB only).
Since I've decided to get an external drive dock (which will attach to one of the two eSATA ports that Sprocket now sports), the external USB enclosure will become superfluous.

I moved those two 250GB drives into the case and now run a four drive RAID 0 array.
The array is partitioned into two volumes- 60GB for the OS (Vista Ultimate x64) and the rest as temporary storage/playspace.
Given the somewhat *ahem* transitory nature of RAID 0 (meaning don't trust it with anything you really care about), anything of real value/worth will be regularly moved onto an external drive.

Now, I'll admit this a horribly inefficient setup...the terabyte of 250GB drives is basically only being used to support a shortstroked 60GB partition, but the throughput of the array is pretty remarkable.

While the "burst speed" is impressive, it's usefulness pales in comparison to the "average read" of 320MB/s, a figure which makes a noticeable difference.
As an example, during a cold start I get just 1 1/2 "progress bars" before popping into the desktop.
This is with a full version (not stripped with vLite) of Vista, running both SP1 and SP2 (beta).

I also tentatively began to inch up the overclock.
I have decided not to be greedy (at least, not yet), so my limiting factor has been the stock voltage. I fudged just a bit and compensated for droop by upping it to 1.265v, which gives me 1.25v under load.
She's at 4.3GHz now (with no tweaking of BIOS settings) and seems completely stable (admittedly with no stress testing yet).
She will run SuperPi...

...and picked up more points at PCPitstop...

I'm really beginning to think that 4.5GHz is possible- maybe even higher.
Not bad for what is essentially a "budget build".

Today is supposed to warm up to the teens (currently -6°) so I might finish the work I started yesterday.
More pics will follow if I do.

**j2k4** · 12-15-2008, 10:56 PM

Hey, how's about a fresh thread on RAID?

Maybe give that lynx guy a reason to stop in?

I should think the HDDs extant due to be replaced with Christmas purchases might spur renewed interest...

One way or another, I guess I'm gonna give it a try; I even ordered a redundant (but precisely matching) 250G Seagate to mate with one of the two spares I kinda have.

It's fucked-up; I've got a half-height Seagate with an OEM Dell install of VHP (plus disks) that I am loathe to use, and two full-height Seagates, one of which resides in this machine.

Hopefully the one in the bottom of the file cab is a match.

**clocker** · 12-16-2008, 12:11 AM

You'll find it's really rather easy- and by "you", I mean "you, J2" personally- as Vista comes preloaded with the drivers necessary to recognize your Intel array.
No need to F6, floppy install anything beforehand.

**j2k4** · 12-16-2008, 01:54 AM

Originally Posted by clocker

You'll find it's really rather easy- and by "you", I mean "you, J2" personally- as Vista comes preloaded with the drivers necessary to recognize your Intel array.
No need to F6, floppy install anything beforehand.

Sounds good, but I am mildly nonplussed by the fact the specific drive I need is back-ordered from Newegg.

**clocker** · 12-16-2008, 01:57 AM

"Mildly nonplussed"?

Let me know when get "shit-flinging pissed".

**j2k4** · 12-16-2008, 02:29 AM

Originally Posted by clocker

"Mildly nonplussed"?

Let me know when get "shit-flinging pissed".

You mean like a monkey?

Missus J would insist I assert better control.

Anyhoo-

The final pile-O-parts:

Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz

COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UB Black /Blue

G.SKILL 8GB (4 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1000 (PC2 8000)

XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler

GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3R LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard

CORSAIR CMPSU-620HX 620W ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

Hanns·G HG-281DPB Black 28" 3ms Widescreen HDMI LCD Monitor

EVGA 512-P3-N860-TR GeForce 9600 GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card

LITE-ON DVDRW LH-20A1L SCSI

2 250G Seagate ST325082 0AS SCSI

2 500G Samsung HD501LJ SCSI

Creative Audigy SB

Vista Ultimate X64

The drives and the sound card are stuff off the shelf or out of this PC.

About a eight-tenths machine, I think.