Optiplex 3050 with Raid Array

Question

Hi, I bought an Optiplex 3050 at Microcenter as a cheap Raid 1 computer, went home and there isn't an option to create a raid array. The PDF file for the Optiplex 3050 mentions raid.

this article:

http://www.dell.com/support/article/ag/en/agdhs1/sln301858/raid-controller-hotkeys-are-inaccessible-in-optiplex-3040-3046-5040-3050-5050-7050-in-uefi-bios-mode?lang=en

Leads to this article:

http://www.dell.com/support/article/us/en/19/sln295158/how-to-access-the-raid-controller-setup-in-uefi-configured-systems?lang=en

And the Device Configuration screen doesn't allow me to create a raid array, for fun I threw on Windows 10 and Intel Rapid Storage and I can't create a Raid array in this as well.

I do have the SATA mode in Raid mode.. just in case anyone asks.. and with Legacy ROM booting MBR I never see an option for the Control-I key for the Intel RST Rom Bios as well. This is misleading to me if the computer cannot create a Raid Array, as the manuals pretty much lead one to think the 3050 can.

Please advice, I thought I would ask here before returning the PC. Thanks.

A link to the 3050 manual in pdf.

http://topics-cdn.dell.com/pdf/optiplex-3050-desktop_owners-manual2_en-us.pdf

Tesla1856 · Answer

Thinking 'outside the box' for a moment ... what about a nice SSD instead (and use the old spinning HDD for daily backups). https://dell.com/community/Alienware-Desktops/Aurora-R4-Intel-RST-not-working-Windows-10/m-p/6097324/highlight/true#M4008 As for RAID-1 ... well, I think scheduled Imaged Backups (Full combined with either Differential or Incremental) is a better backup solution. Not only is it immune to something like a virus or ransomware encryption ... it's safer.

jshafer817 · Answer

I actually bought 2 solid state drives and was hoping to use in a raid array with this computer. I have backups covered, raid is not a backup.

Would be nice if Dell would just come out and say which models can be used to create an array and which cannot????? Looks like this computer will be going back to the store..... Thanks Dell.

jshafer817 · Answer

Seems the 5050 cannot do this as well. https://community.spiceworks.com/topic/2144234-intel-rapid-storage-raid-on-dell-optiplex?page=1#entry-7808447

Tesla1856 · Answer

@jshafer817 wrote: Seems the 5050 cannot do this as well.   Possibly so. But with a PCIe/NVMe-SSD installed (giving 1600 r/w and extreme IOPS) ... why bother?

Tesla1856 · Answer

@jshafer817 wrote:

1. I actually bought 2 solid state drives .

2. I have backups covered, raid is not a backup.

1. Good. Just use them normally.

2. Right, so why setup a RAID-1 (real-time mirror) ?

Optiplex Desktops

Optiplex 3050 with Raid Array

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