RAID 0 ssd in MacBook Pro 2011

[jav6454]

I have built plenty of systems using two (and more) SSD's in a RAID0 config and I have never had a single issue. In fact, RAID0 with SSD's is enormously more stable than with HDD's. As long as you're buying your SSD from a reputable manufacturer like Samsung and not out of the back of some guy's van, you should be just fine.

Running two SSD's in RAID0 is still safer than keeping all of your data on a single hard drive.

Anyone can easily build an SSD RAID 0 array using Windows/Intel's solutions; it works pretty well. However, with Macs, there is always an issue with 3rd party SSD vendors.

This thread highlights the benefits and cons of SSDs using the 6Gb/s SATA connection. It is important to know those risks in a Mac based environment before jumping blindly.

 

[AxoNeuron]

Anyone can easily build an SSD RAID 0 array using Windows/Intel's solutions; it works pretty well. However, with Macs, there is always an issue with 3rd party SSD vendors.

This thread highlights the benefits and cons of SSDs using the 6Gb/s SATA connection. It is important to know those risks in a Mac based environment before jumping blindly.

Those issues were back in 2011 SSD's, it was caused by SSD controller firmware, and they aren't an issue anymore. SATA III SSD's bought today will work just fine on a mac. It had nothing to do with the actual SATA III cable of chipset on the mac.

 

[jav6454]

Those issues were back in 2011 SSD's, it was caused by SSD controller firmware, and they aren't an issue anymore. SATA III SSD's bought today will work just fine on a mac. It had nothing to do with the actual SATA III cable of chipset on the mac.

The issues are still there. Trying to state they are not is blatant disregard. Now, it is true, the OP does state that there are majority of cases which present no issues. But claiming that nothing can go wrong in a RAID 0 SSD array is plain ignorance.

 

[AxoNeuron]

The issues are still there. Trying to state they are not is blatant disregard. Now, it is true, the OP does state that there are majority of cases which present no issues. But claiming that nothing can go wrong in a RAID 0 SSD array is plain ignorance.

I'm not claiming nothing can go wrong in a RAID0 array...but since the failure rates of your average SSD is far far less than your average HDD, and since a RAID0 with two SSD's just adds the avg. failure rates together, having your data on a RAID0 dual SSD array is far safer than having it on a single hard drive.

RAID0 just isn't as dangerous these days like it used to be with hard drives. As long as you have a backup, which is incredibly easy with time machine, you'll be just fine.

 

[jav6454]

I'm not claiming nothing can go wrong in a RAID0 array...but since the failure rates of your average SSD is far far less than your average HDD, and since a RAID0 with two SSD's just adds the avg. failure rates together, having your data on a RAID0 dual SSD array is far safer than having it on a single hard drive.

RAID0 just isn't as dangerous these days like it used to be with hard drives. As long as you have a backup, which is incredibly easy with time machine, you'll be just fine.

With the problems many controllers have, I would be very cautious to have a RAID 0 array in any laptop, regardless if I have a Time Machine back-up.

A damaged array can easily mean hours of "repair" work and trying to re-configure the array plus the time it'll take to restore the system through Time Machine.

 

[AxoNeuron]

What problems are you talking about? The one problem you've mentioned was in SSD's from three yeas ago, but SSD controller technology has improved by leaps and bounds since then. The average failure rate of an average Samsung SSD is literally half a percent. The average failure rate of a hard drive is 5%. So, if you have two Samsung SSD's in a RAID0 array, you have a 1% chance of failure. You would have to have ten (!) SSD's in a RAID0 array to approach the failure rates seen in a single hard drive, and that's not to mention hard drives in RAID0.

This prejudice against RAID0 used to be very realistic because of how often hard drives failed. But your modern Samsung SSD is perfect for RAID0. I would not expect any issues unless you wrote several terabytes a day.

http://m.slashdot.org/story/191535

As long as you have a backup, you will be just fine. You're literally talking about a risk difference of half a percent.

 

[grahamperrin]

… more links relating to flash and solid state, from a private forum a few months ago, but Apple Hardware is not the ideal heading for such things …

… | OS X | Approaches to local and remote storage (primarily for OS X)

… | MacBook Pro | SSD Buying Guide | Solid state (not specific to Apple hardware)

 

[Ak907Freerider]

We'll checked the MacBook and sure enough it is a sata II. I guess this rules out doing a raid 0. I will just tear down my 2tb external and put that in and do a fusion drive.

 

[caseyfriday]

https://sites.google.com/site/themacbookproproject/

This might help. Was gonna do this on my 2011 17", until the GPU failed.

 

[jav6454]

We'll checked the MacBook and sure enough it is a sata II. I guess this rules out doing a raid 0. I will just tear down my 2tb external and put that in and do a fusion drive.

And with that the argument is settled.

 

[Ak907Freerider]

And with that the argument is settled.

Not a argument. Glad I asked, learned how to check sata cable. Oh well. Not a huge issue