WD20EARX Raid 1/NAS with Linux/Windows: OK IDEA?

Canadian here, with 1st post, wanting to avoid poor purchase decisions on a very limited budget…

I have Gateway SX2800 desktop computer with a 640gb HD, quickly running out of space. After a lot of research (and despite all encouragements to ‘spend more’ on a better model), I am considering a WD20EARX (2GB ‘green’) drive for about $130:

http://forum.ncix.com/forums/topic.php?id=2415345

At first, I was planning to buy a simple SATA enclosure for copying my old HD contents to the new drive, but when I thought about how slow USB 2.0 was, I planned for a combo eSATA/USB 3.0 Superspeed dock for about $60, that I could plug into my eSATA port (no USB 3.0 exists):

http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=83573P

Altogether this would have been about $200 (ouch!). But just before ‘pulling the trigger’ I started to investigate RAID, which led me to this discussion. Now instead of the Superspeed dock, I am considering a Mediasonic HUR1-SU3S2 RAID/NAS for about $90:

http://ncix.com/products/?sku=56265&vpn=HUR1-SU3S2&manufacture=Mediasonic

To help guard against HD failure of my photos/etc, I would activate ‘RAID 1’ (mirroring) on this device. Yes, there are LOTS of folks out there that discourage ‘green’ drives for RAID 1, and others that say it is perfectly fine. I have the additional issue that my primary OS is Linux (LMDE). I am assuming that my motherboard/BIOS is NOT an issue when it comes to my plans to do this (?).

From my gleanings, I have learned that even before hooking up the proposed new HDs to the RAID box, I should ‘fix’ the ‘8-second-idle’ problem (if it even still exists in the newest batch of these drives) via:

‘WDIDLE3.EXE’ with ‘/S300’ (under Windows, any version I like?)

*or*

‘hdparm’ with ‘-B 255’ or ‘-B 254’ (under Linux, which maybe will not work with these drives)

*or*

‘idle3’ tools (under Linux)

I am assuming that using utilities like ‘wdidle3’ do not invalidate the HD warranty (?).

From my reading, Linux ‘needs’ this idle timeout change more than Windows does, since the OS communicates with the HD every 30 seconds (?). The other issue that is these newer ‘green’ drives lack ‘TLER’, but (apparently) this is just fine for Linux — not so sure about Windows (?).

If I go ahead with this ‘RAID 1’ plan, it will cost way more than my original $200, so I wanted any of you folks to correct my misunderstandings before I commit :slight_smile:

Thanks!

P.S. I have only had a complete HD failure *once* in my 20-years-or-so computer history, so I would be completely shocked and annoyed to get one with a brand new drive — but in the case where it happens I assume that the manufacturer will take care of it?

Of course, if the hard drive fails they can replace it if it is inside the warranty period. :wink:

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