RAID 0: How Many Drives Are Needed?

Among the many RAID levels available today, RAID 0 stands out as the fastest in terms of read and write performance. By striping data across multiple drives, RAID 0 delivers exceptional throughput and efficient use of storage capacity, making it a popular choice for users who prioritize speed above all else.

However, RAID 0 lacks the very feature that most people associate with RAID storage—redundancy and fault tolerance. Unlike RAID levels that mirror or use parity to protect against drive failures, RAID 0 offers no safety net. If a single disk in the array fails, all data is lost. This makes RAID 0 best suited for non‑critical workloads where performance outweighs reliability.

What is RAID 0?

RAID 0 (zero) is a RAID level that combines at least two hard disks (HDDs or SSD) to form one logical storage volume that stores new data using a “striping” technique. So, RAID 0 supports data striping across multiple used in the array configuration. This RAID level can be created as a Software RAID or Hardware RAID.

Basically, RAID is an acronym for “Redundant Array of Independent Disks.” Hardware RAID and Software RAID refer to the configuration method embraced while creating the RAID level; a Hardware RAID is configured using external hardware called the “RAID controller,” while a software RAID is configured without hardware – it is based on the host system’s hardware.

“Disk Striping” in RAID 0 refers to data being striped in bits as it's written into the RAID, then distributed evenly across all disks in the RAID array. The most lauded advantage of RAID 0 is the speed, which it is able to achieve as a result of not supporting parity information, and also, the data striping technique.

Minimum Drive Requirements for RAID 0

To set up a RAID 0 array, firstly, you need a minimum of two hard drives. Preferably, it is better to use the hard drives of the same specs: interface, storage capacity, type (SDD or HDD), and brand.

For any RAID setup, you need a minimum of two disks, because a RAID means combining the storage capacity of two or more disks and making the disk appear as though they are a single – big – storage. Even so, unlike most other RAID levels, the number of disks you can use in setting up RAID 0 can be even or odd number.

Tip: how to set up RAID

Optimal Drive Configuration for RAID 0

Actually, a RAID can be made from multiple disks, but the minimum you could use for RAID 0 is two disks. The disks could be SSDs or HDDs, whichever you prefer to use, but then, we all know SSDs are generally a better option for storage. Using 4 drives for RAID 0 and using 2 drives for the same will give you a slightly different performance – just a bigger storage space if you’re using four drives.

But when you set up a 3-drive RAID 0, the speed is quite reasonable. Hence, many would suggest that the optimal drive configuration for RAID 0 is a three-drive setup, while a couple of others argue that the more drive you’ve got in a RAID 0, the faster performance speeds you stand to enjoy. Our pick? RAID 0 is basically “fast” regardless of the disk count.

How Drive Count Affects RAID 0

The argument is never-ending – whether it is best to use 2 drives or 4 drives, or even more, for RAID 0 configuration. Based on performance test results by LarryJordan, here are the variable speeds of different RAID 0 setups:

A 2-drive RAID 0 delivers 1,200 MB/s speed
A 3-drive RAID 0 delivers 1,800 MB/s speed
A 4-drive RAID 0 is roughly 2,200 MB/s speed

Note: the disks used in the RAIDs were SATA drives, and write speeds are always slower, regardless of disk count.

Risks and Considerations of Using RAID 0

The first thing to consider when setting up RAID 0 is the fact that if one of the drives fails, all your data in the RAID will be lost. So to say, RAID 0 is a disaster waiting to happen, just a trigger and you will be at the mercy of your backups or a data recovery solution. The lack of redundancy and fault tolerance on RAID 0 are the core reasons many ditch it for RAID 10, preferably, and other RAID levels that offer those data protection features.

Thus, having a multi-disk RAID 0 might not be the best option, because in the case of data recovery, it would take a longer time to recover data from the RAID drives. Nevertheless, if you must use RAID 0, ensure to set up regular backup to capture a copy of every new data written to the drive and save it to external storage. So, in the case of drive failure, you can easily get back most of your important files from the backups.

Tip: RAID 5 vs RAID 0

Need to Verify Your RAID Setup?

Use our RAID Calculator to quickly understand your array configuration and find the best recovery approach. It’s simple, accurate, and can save you valuable time before starting data recovery.

Open RAID Calculator

RAID Repair Software

Need to recover data from RAID drive? Of course, there are a couple of software programs that allow you to recover lost data from RAID 0 arrays, regardless of the drive count, and whether it is a software or hardware RAID 0. These software solutions are there to help when you don’t have a backup to recover from – there are both free and professional RAID recovery solutions.

DiskInternals RAID Recovery

Built-in recovery wizard
Supports multiple file system formats
Supports software and hardware RAID
Native support for all Windows OS versions and Server editions

This RAID repair utility is a professional solution for RAID users; it supports all known RAID formats and types. Using this software program, you can easily recover from your RAID 0 array – interestingly, this tool runs on all Windows OS versions. Also, the program integrates a Wizard that guides the user through the recovery process, and you can preview the recovered files.

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