AHCI vs RAID

Even with modern-day SSDs, many still rely on data transmission protocols from decades ago. AHCI and RAID offer alternative capabilities while serving different purposes, so it is crucial to understand them – especially if you have more than one storage drive on your PC. So, when should you use AHCI vs RAID?

AHCI and RAID are often compared as technologies related to storage, but they serve different functions. AHCI is a hardware architecture that enables systems to use SATA disks, whereas RAID is a structured way to store data on various disks and drives redundantly.

What is AHCI?

closeup of seagate hdd

Introduced by Intel to replace IDE/Parallel ATA, the Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI) takes input from software while interacting with SATA-supported devices. This protocol supports Native Command Queuing (NCQ) and hot-swapping, so HDDs benefit from faster file transfer speeds and access times. However, SSDs will not benefit from NCQ because they lack moving parts.

Additionally, AHCI processes a limited number of IQ requests because it can only hold 32 I/O requests in its queue. Meanwhile, NVMe supports a queue depth of up to 65,000 for compatible SSDs.

Windows Vista and later versions, macOS, Linux, and UNIX operating systems support AHCI. You can even buy budget laptops with SSDs that support AHCI.

What is RAID?

ssd and cable wires

First used in 1987, the Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) structures independent disks into one array. Even if an HDD or SSD fails, RAID protects your data, allows your system to continue operating, and even improves your storage speed.

In case of disk failure, RAID can easily restore synced data. However, it should not replace backups because it does not protect against data corruption. Additionally, many alternatives to RAID have grown popular, such as erasure coding. To use single-disk, advanced application storage features with RAID, AHCI must be enabled during installation.

There are many different RAID types, and each one includes various features. Nevertheless, all RAID types share similar benefits, such as:

  • High Security
  • Protection of Data
  • Faster Transmission rate

RAID 0

RAID 0, or disk striping, divides data into blocks and spreads them across storage devices in a redundant array. As a result, many disks can access files, so read-write speeds are improved. However, RAID 0 has no parity, redundancy, or fault tolerance, so you will lose your data in case of disk failure.

Common uses for RAID 0 include:

  1. Video editing & recording live streams
  2. Boost server performance
  3. Storing temporary data, or data recoverable from another storage device

Advantages of RAID 0

  • Fast performance in read and write operations
  • Full use of storage capacity, due to no parity controls
  • Easy to implement

Disadvantages of RAID 0

  • Not fault-tolerant
  • Drive failure results in complete data loss
  • Critical systems and files are vulnerable

RAID 1

RAID 1 uses disk mirroring, which writes data in two or more disks simultaneously. So, if a disk fails, you can still recover your data from a working disk.

You should use RAID 1 for applications that require high availability and fast performance. Read operations will be faster than write operations because any drive can be used, whereas write operations take longer because every operation must be performed twice.

Advantages of RAID 1

  • Useful for transactional applications, operating systems, and emails
  • High fault tolerance for systems with two drives
  • Fast read operations

Disadvantages of RAID 1

  • Storage capacity is cut by half due to data redundancy
  • May not support hot swap of a failed drive, so it can only be replaced after shutting down the computer
  • More expensive

RAID 5

Compared to other RAID types, RAID 5 is the most reliable and commonly used. RAID 5 uses a redundant array of independent disks and combines block-level striping with parity. So, if a drive fails, you can recover all lost data that RAID 5 has mirrored from another drive.

RAID 5 supports a minimum of 3 drives and a maximum of 16 drives. It also matches the performance of RAID 0 while providing more usable storage than RAID 1 and RAID 10.

Advantages of RAID 5

  • Read operations are fast, while write operations are only slightly slower due to parity calculations
  • Data can be recovered after drive failure

Disadvantages of RAID 5

  • Technology is complex, so data recovery may take longer
  • Throughput is affected by failed drives

RAID 6

RAID 6, also known as double parity RAID, divides data across different HDDs and SSDs using parity stripes. If two disks fail simultaneously, you can still recover any lost data.

You should use RAID 6 to allow I/O operations to run through many disks quickly. Additionally, RAID 6 uses less storage space, which is ideal for long data retention.

Advantages of RAID 6

  • Read operations are very fast
  • High data accessibility
  • Higher redundancy compared to RAID 5

Disadvantages of RAID 6

  • Double parity leads to slower write operations
  • Because of its complex structure, rebuilding the array takes long

RAID 10

RAID 10, also known as RAID 1 + 0, uses disk striping and mirroring to protect your data. You need at least 4 drives to use RAID 10, but data can be recovered easily if at least one drive is functional in each mirrored pair. However, there is no parity in the striped sets, so a failure in both disks in the same mirrored pair will lead to data loss.

Still, RAID 10 provides the high performance of RAID 0 and the redundancy of RAID 1. You should use RAID 10 for applications that require high disk performance, such as databases and web servers.

Advantages of RAID 10

  • Offers performance of RAID 0 with the redundancy of RAID 1
  • Secure

Disadvantages of RAID 10

  • Expensive
  • Limited scalability

What is IDE?

hard disk drive closeup

Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) is an interface that connects disk storage with the bus of a motherboard. Western Digital and Compaq made IDE in 1986 to combine drive and storage controllers in a single device. Since the 1990s, however, IDE has been standardized to be synonymous with ATA/Parallel ATA.

AHCI vs RAID

seagate hard disk drive, sata hdd

AHCI and RAID are often compared as technologies related to storage, but they serve different functions and purposes. AHCI allows systems to use SATA disks, whereas RAID redundantly stores similar data across different drives.

AHCI is used primarily in SATA-compatible HDDs, and you can take advantage of its many features, such as hot swap and NCQ. Although you can use AHCI in SATA-compatible SSDs, the performance will not improve because it lacks moving parts. Some SSDs may even slow down or degrade faster with AHCI, so you should use NVMe drives if you want the latest tech.

On the other hand, RAID is used for data protection in HDDs and hybrid arrays – allowing you to recover your data even after multiple drives fail. However, this usually comes at the cost of slower write speeds and reduced storage capacity.

Should You Use AHCI, RAID, or IDE?

ssd and silver laptop

If you use a SATA-compatible HDD, you should use AHCI over IDE because its performance is faster. IDE is an outdated technology that should only be used in special circumstances. For example, an older boot drive in IDE mode may experience boot errors when switching to AHCI.

AHCI and RAID perform different functions, so it is difficult to compare AHCI vs RAID. You can even use RAID and AHCI simultaneously on Intel motherboards. However, if you use newer SSDs, it is best to avoid AHCI and pick NVMe. You can still use RAID in SSDs for critical files, but you will experience no performance benefits.

Frequently Asked Questions

black atomx ssd

Which RAID Mode Should I Use?

RAID 10, or RAID 1 + 0, is a combination of  RAID 1 and 0 and it uses mirroring of RAID 1 and striping of RAID 0 to give high performance and secure redundancy. Although it is expensive and requires double the disks compared to other RAID modes, it is the most secure version.

However, if you do not have more than 3 drivers, you should use RAID 5. It requires less drivers and offers more usable storage than RAID 10. It may be best to use other RAID modes in special cases, such as writing with temporary data.

Do You Need RAID with SSD?

SSDs do not typically use RAID because it does not boost performance. You can still use RAID with SSDs to protect data, however it may seriously affect storage speed performance. SSDs are unlikely to fail, so it is best to use RAID for critical purposes.

Which RAID Type is Fastest?

RAID 0 is the fastest of all RAID types because it has no fault tolerance. It uses striping to disperse system data, but there is no backup if the driver fails. It is easy to implement, but should not be used for critical systems.

Is AHCI Needed for SSD?

You do not need to use AHCI for SSDs because it can hinder storage speeds and even reduce its lifespan. NVMe SSDs are a faster option, but can be more expensive. Still, you can use SSD-compatible AHCI for improved data security and faster speeds compared to IDE.

Can NVMe Be Used in RAID?

You can use RAID in NVMe drives and can get better speed and more power efficiency. You can use RAID mode on NVMe in these two ways:

  • NVMe Software RAID. If you use a local storage device, you should use NVMe software RAID. RAID configurations can be handled by the processing power of the system, through software-based RAID.
  • NVMe Hardware RAID. You need a dedicated controller installed inside a server to use NVMe hardware RAID. All RAID array management is completed by hardware RAID cards. As a result, RAID can provide logical disks to a system with no overhead.

There are many advantages to using RAID in NVMe, such as:

  • Faster speeds because it is not based on ATA configurations
  • Faster results in 4-folder I/O operations
  • Disk storage devices can be on the same pool that connects with the CPU, making it more function-efficient
  • Consumes less power in standby mode. Power consumption is low, it even uses less than 2mW of power.
  • No compatibility issues with operating systems, as it works with Windows, macOS, Linux, and more. NVMe connects directly with CPU and works with any type of operating system.
  • Storage security is enterprise-grade.

Conclusion

black hard disk drive hdd

When choosing to use AHCI or RAID, you need to know your storage type and storage purposes. AHCI and RAID are used for different reasons, and they can even be used together. RAID provides mirroring, data protection and striping, whereas AHCI helps connect SATA-enabled devices.

If you have HDDs, you will have faster performance with AHCI compared to IDE, especially with NCQ and hot swap features. RAID 5 is also best to use with HDDs for better performance and data redundancy. Although RAID will not improve SSD performance, it can still be used for critical data purposes.

If you enjoyed this guide on AHCI vs RAID, you could learn how to fix your SSD not showing up.

Liam Weissman

A lover of MacBook Air and the Dell XPS line of laptops, Liam has been researching and writing as a guest blogger for numerous websites for over 10 years. Now, he blogs about tech trends, PCs, laptops, gadgets, and other emerging gadgets on FancyAppliance.com.

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