I am in the market for a new laptop. I'm looking at the Dell M6800 and HP ZBook 17. Both of these laptops can be configured with a RAID 0/1/5 option. Is this hardware RAID or software RAID?
I have a desktop computer with a RAID controller in it. On bootup, I can choose to boot into the RAID controller to configure the array. In addition, after logging into Windows, I can open a web browser and log in to the RAID controller's web interface to see status and configuration. For RAID-1, it lets me rebuild a mirror, verify the mirror's integrity, and scan for media errors.
I am wondering if those laptops offer the same functionality that my desktop RAID controller offers. Can I boot into the laptop's RAID controller (if it is hardware RAID)? Can I use a web browser or other software to see status/configuration, and access features like rebuilding, verifying, and scanning?
The M6800 manual and ZBook manual contain very little about RAID and do not answer my questions.
Best Answer
The spec sheet for the M6800 does not show any onboard hardware RAID. However it mention that the use chipset is a mobile Intel QM87 Express which has the following block diagram:
Notice the block labels "Intel rapid storage technology with RAID". That one indicates Fake-RAID. (Fake RAID is software RAID but with some assistance int he BIOS. As a result it seems as if you have hardware RAID.).
The same is true for the HP Zbook 17. Spec sheet here.
No, it will not. Because most of the functionality is software based you will need to boot into an OS with the right drivers before you can manipulate the RAID. (Which is a problem if it is really broken and if you want to repair it).
On the bright side, software RAID can be fast, software RAID with the right drivers and tool installed can be quite useful and it does not need to power an additional RAID controller, which is good for battery life.
(As a reference, the not too fancy RAID card in my desktop draws almost 20 Watt. Trivial for a desktop, not quite insignificant for a laptop.)