3TB boot partition possible?

[LovingSticky]

I am about to reinstall Windows 7 x64 on my workstation with 4x1TB (=3TB usable) RAID-5 disk array.

I am thinking about making this whole array a single huge partition (have multiple partitions right now).

Can Asus P5Q Premium and Windows 7 boot from that? GPT will be required, as MBR has 2TB limit...

[bacon12]

Dunno but interesting question.

[LovingSticky]

I've been doing some searching & reading, and although Vista x64 SP1 and later does support booting from GPT partitions, current BIOSes do not. They are compatible only with MBRs, but for >2TB partitions we need GPT, and to boot from GPT we need EFI (it would be theoretically possible to support GPT in BIOS as well, but nobody does that). So far only one obscure mobo from MSI got EFI update. Asus and others have nothing.

Guess I will buy 60GB SSD for OS (OCZ Summit), boot from that (MBR), and have RAID-5 as a single partition, using GPT. Both Vista and Win 7 can handle that.

[bacon12]

I just this last week set up a home server with 3tb and just made a small 40gb boot partition. I always do that so if something ever happens to the os I can just format that partition.

[LovingSticky]

Well, I have different opinion on that.

With multiple partitions you always have to decide which program goes where, and what is too big/small to fit. Some system SW installs under /Windows directory. And crash of OS partition means you will have to reinstall anyway, as most apps have registry settings and do not run without it.

Of course, SSD does not solve this "multiple partitions thing", but it is tempting

[nekrosoft13]

same here bacon, one huge partition is just silly

i make bi-weekly backups of my boot partion 60gb, so if OS gets screwed up I just restore 60gb partition and back ot business.

[LovingSticky]

Originally Posted by nekrosoft13

so if OS gets screwed up

Never happened to me since Windows NT 3.51 (1996). And I see no reason why OS should "get screwed" for IT knowledgable user, if it's not Windows 95/98 (or some untested Linux distro)...

But I understand your concern. I have heard there were people regularly reinstalling Windows. I prefer to install it and use it till new OS comes out

//

And about backups - you have to make (preferably daily) backups of your data, which are usually much more valuable. I see no reason for OS to be excluded from this backup, as it is like 2% of total backup volume.

[lduguay]

LovingSticky () after reviewing your sig's you are obviously not a noob, i'd stick with a smaller OS partition, and leave the rest for data, games, movies, or god knows what else. So if you do reinstall, i would probably go Raid 10 myself ( 2 TB usable for your setup) for much improved write IOPs.

[LovingSticky]

Originally Posted by lduguay

Raid 10 myself ( 2 TB usable for your setup) for much improved write IOPs.

That is no problem for Adaptec 5805

http://www.adaptec.com/en-US/product...mance/SAS-5805

It has fast 1.2GHz dual-core CPU and 512MB DDR2 cache on board - so RAID-5 performance should be identical to RAID-10 (in fact, it should be better, as data is spanned on 4 HDDs, not 2x2 mirrored ones).

As for 2 partitions: I am using that right now, but would prefer single partition for its benefits. Guess I will leave the system as it is right now and wait for proper EFI support from Asus.

[bacon12]

Originally Posted by LovingSticky

Well, I have different opinion on that.

With multiple partitions you always have to decide which program goes where, and what is too big/small to fit. Some system SW installs under /Windows directory. And crash of OS partition means you will have to reinstall anyway, as most apps have registry settings and do not run without it.

Of course, SSD does not solve this "multiple partitions thing", but it is tempting

You have a great point there, I am about to install RTM to replace vista on my gaming rig. I have been putting this off until I absolutely had to because I have so many apps and games installed, and even thou they are on a separate partition they will still have to be reinstalled. Punkbuster isn't behaving anymore and crashing cod4 and 5 two or three times an hour and I can't get it fixed so its time.

This is part of the reason I love steam so much, I can just copy over my steam install and run the installer, point it to the steam folder, and be ready to go in a few minutes. Other than restoring the game saves for non steam games when I go to launch it will handle the reg entries on first run.

I still think I am gonna do three separate raid 0's, one for the os, one for games, and one for apps and encoding/video editing space.

[lduguay]

Originally Posted by LovingSticky

That is no problem for Adaptec 5805

http://www.adaptec.com/en-US/product...mance/SAS-5805

It has fast 1.2GHz dual-core CPU and 512MB DDR2 cache on board - so RAID-5 performance is almost identical to RAID-10.

As for 2 partitions: I am using that right now, but would prefer single partition for its benefits. Guess I will leave the system as it is right now and wait for proper EFI support from Asus.

Read performance on RAID 5 is good, but write performance (even on top of the line hardware RAID controller) is lagging.

So after reading your previous post on your daily backups, i would even go RAID 0 on all 4 spindles.

[LovingSticky]

"RAID-0" scares me! Even loosing one day work is too scary.

Anyway, back on topic, is there any other socket 775 mobo (except MSI P45) with EFI support?