How to Set Up RAID 0 on Windows 11 – A Step-by-Step Guide

By / October 10, 2025

Ever wished your PC could read and write files twice as fast? Or maybe you’re building a gaming rig or workstation and want top-tier performance from your storage drives. That’s where RAID 0 comes in.

RAID 0 (pronounced “raid zero”) is one of the simplest and fastest RAID configurations available — and yes, you can set it up easily on Windows 11.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about RAID 0 — what it is, how it works, what you’ll need, and exactly how to set it up using Windows 11’s built-in tools or your motherboard’s BIOS/UEFI.

Table of Contents

🧭 Quick Summary

Category Details
RAID Type RAID 0 (Striped Volume)
Goal Boost read/write performance
Drives Required Minimum of 2
Backup Needed Yes — no data redundancy
Setup Options Disk Management (Software RAID) or BIOS (Hardware RAID)
Best For Gamers, video editors, power users

Key Takeaway: RAID 0 gives you speed, not safety. Always keep a backup.

🧩 What Is RAID 0?

RAID stands for Redundant Array of Independent Disks. It’s a technology that combines multiple drives into one logical unit for performance, redundancy, or both.

RAID 0, also known as striping, splits data evenly across two or more drives. For example, if you save a 1 GB file, half might go to Drive A and half to Drive B, allowing both drives to read/write simultaneously — effectively doubling speed.

⚡ RAID 0 Key Characteristics

Feature Description
Performance High – data is split (striped) for faster access
Redundancy None – if one drive fails, all data is lost
Minimum Drives 2
Storage Efficiency 100% (all drive space is usable)
Best Use Cases Gaming, video editing, temporary data, cache drives

🧠 How RAID 0 Works (Simple Explanation)

Imagine two lanes of traffic instead of one. When cars (data) travel down both lanes simultaneously, they reach their destination faster. That’s RAID 0 in a nutshell.

Each drive stores alternating blocks of data. When you open a file, both drives work together to deliver parts of it at the same time — resulting in faster transfer speeds and snappier performance.

However, there’s a catch: if one drive fails, all your data is gone because parts of every file are on both drives.

⚠️ Before You Start: Requirements & Precautions

Before setting up RAID 0 on Windows 11, make sure you have everything in order.

✅ Requirements

  • At least two drives (HDDs or SSDs) of the same size and speed.

  • Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education Edition (RAID setup is limited in Home edition).

  • Administrator privileges.

  • Optional: A motherboard that supports hardware RAID.

⚠️ Important Warnings

  • All data on the drives will be erased. Back up any important files first.

  • RAID 0 offers no data protection. If one drive fails, all data is lost.

  • Use identical drives for best performance and reliability.

  • Consider using a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) during setup to prevent data corruption.

🧰 RAID 0 Setup Options in Windows 11

There are two main ways to set up RAID 0:

  1. Software RAID (Striped Volume) – done through Windows’ built-in Disk Management.

  2. Hardware RAID (BIOS/UEFI) – configured using your motherboard’s RAID controller.

Let’s go through both methods step-by-step.

🪟 Method 1: Set Up RAID 0 Using Disk Management (Software RAID)

This is the easiest way to create a RAID 0 striped volume directly from within Windows 11.

Step 1: Open Disk Management

  1. Press Windows + X and select Disk Management.
    (Or type “disk management” in the Start menu search bar.)

Step 2: Initialize the Drives

If the drives are new, you’ll see a prompt to initialize them.

  1. Select both drives.

  2. Choose GPT (GUID Partition Table) for modern systems.

  3. Click OK.

💡 If the drives already contain data, right-click and select Delete Volume to clear them.

Step 3: Create a Striped Volume

  1. In Disk Management, right-click one of the unallocated drives.

  2. Select New Striped Volume.

  3. The New Striped Volume Wizard will open.

Click Next.

Step 4: Add Drives to the Array

  1. From the left list, select the additional drives you want to include.

  2. Click Add to move them to the “Selected” list.

  3. Click Next.

🔢 All drives in the RAID 0 array will act as one large combined drive.
Example: Two 500 GB drives = one 1 TB striped volume.

Step 5: Assign a Drive Letter

  1. Choose a letter (e.g., D:) to identify your new RAID volume.

  2. Click Next.

Step 6: Format the Volume

  1. Choose NTFS or exFAT as the file system.

  2. Set Allocation Unit Size to Default.

  3. Enter a Volume Label (e.g., “RAID0Array”).

  4. Check Perform a quick format.

  5. Click Next → Finish.

Step 7: Confirm and Wait

A warning will appear: “All data on these disks will be lost.”
Click Yes to continue.

Windows will now create your RAID 0 volume. This may take several minutes depending on drive size.

Once done, your new striped drive will appear in File Explorer — ready to use!

🎉 Congratulations!

You’ve successfully created a RAID 0 striped volume on Windows 11 using Disk Management.

⚙️ Method 2: Set Up RAID 0 via BIOS/UEFI (Hardware RAID)

If your motherboard supports RAID, setting it up at the BIOS/UEFI level offers better performance and stability than software RAID.

Step 1: Enter BIOS/UEFI

  1. Restart your PC.

  2. Press the appropriate key (usually Del, F2, or F10) during boot to enter BIOS.

Step 2: Enable RAID Mode

  1. Navigate to the Storage Configuration or SATA Mode section.

  2. Change from AHCI to RAID.

  3. Save and exit (usually F10).

Step 3: Enter the RAID Configuration Utility

Your system will reboot and show a prompt like:
“Press Ctrl + I to enter RAID Configuration Utility.”

Press the keys shown on screen.

Step 4: Create a New RAID Volume

  1. Select Create RAID Volume.

  2. Enter a name (e.g., “RAID0Array”).

  3. Choose RAID Level 0 (Stripe).

  4. Select the drives you want to include.

  5. Specify Stripe Size (typically 128 KB or 64 KB for SSDs).

  6. Confirm and create the array.

Step 5: Install or Boot Into Windows 11

If you’re setting up RAID before installing Windows 11:

  1. Create a Windows 11 bootable USB drive.

  2. During setup, load RAID drivers from your motherboard’s support page if prompted.

  3. Select the RAID volume as the installation drive.

If you already have Windows installed, it should detect your RAID volume after booting.

⚙️ Hardware vs. Software RAID 0: Which Is Better?

Feature Hardware RAID Software RAID
Performance Faster (dedicated controller) Slightly slower
CPU Usage Low Moderate
Setup Complexity Higher Easy
Boot Drive Support Yes No (usually data-only)
Flexibility Limited by BIOS options Configurable in Windows

Verdict: For professionals or gamers, hardware RAID is the better long-term choice.
For casual users, software RAID is quick and sufficient.

📊 How to Verify RAID 0 Is Working

After setup, you can check that RAID 0 is functioning properly.

1. Check in File Explorer

Open File Explorer → You’ll see a single large drive (e.g., 1 TB instead of 2 × 500 GB).

2. Check in Disk Management

Right-click Start → Disk Management → The striped volume will appear with “Dynamic Disk – Striped” label.

3. Test Performance

Use tools like:

  • CrystalDiskMark

  • AS SSD Benchmark

  • ATTO Disk Benchmark

You should see double (or more) read/write speeds compared to a single drive.

🔄 How to Remove or Break a RAID 0 Array

Need to undo your RAID setup? Here’s how.

For Software RAID:

  1. Open Disk Management.

  2. Right-click the striped volume → Delete Volume.

  3. Confirm deletion (this erases all data).

  4. Right-click each disk → Convert to Basic Disk.

For Hardware RAID:

  1. Enter BIOS/UEFI RAID utility.

  2. Select the array → Delete Volume.

  3. Confirm changes and reboot.

Afterward, you can format each drive separately.

💡 RAID 0 Performance Tips

  • Use identical SSDs for best speed consistency.

  • Keep at least 10% free space to maintain performance.

  • Disable Windows Disk Defragmentation for SSDs.

  • Store critical data elsewhere — RAID 0 offers no redundancy.

  • For gaming or editing, store OS and applications on RAID, but back up project files externally.

🧠 Common RAID 0 Questions and Misconceptions

1. Does RAID 0 double my storage?

Yes — two 500 GB drives = one 1 TB array.
But remember, there’s no redundancy; if one fails, you lose everything.

2. Is RAID 0 faster than a single SSD?

It can be, especially for large sequential reads/writes. However, modern NVMe SSDs are already extremely fast, so gains may be modest.

3. Can I use RAID 0 for my system drive?

Yes, with hardware RAID, you can install Windows 11 directly on the array.

4. Is RAID 0 safe for important data?

No. RAID 0 prioritizes speed over safety. Always keep backups on a separate drive or cloud storage.

5. Can I mix drive sizes in RAID 0?

Technically yes, but you’ll only get capacity equal to the smallest drive × number of drives.

🧾 Example RAID 0 Performance Comparison

Setup Sequential Read Sequential Write
Single SATA SSD ~550 MB/s ~500 MB/s
2× SATA SSDs (RAID 0) ~1,100 MB/s ~950 MB/s
NVMe SSD (single) ~3,000 MB/s ~2,800 MB/s
2× NVMe (RAID 0) ~6,000 MB/s ~5,500 MB/s

(Values approximate; actual results vary by hardware.)

🔧 Troubleshooting RAID 0 Issues

Issue Possible Cause Solution
Array not detected BIOS RAID mode disabled Re-enable RAID in BIOS
Windows fails to boot Missing RAID driver Reinstall RAID driver from vendor
Slow performance Drives mismatched or nearly full Use identical drives and free up space
Can’t delete volume Dynamic disk error Convert to basic disk after removing array

🏁 Conclusion

Setting up RAID 0 on Windows 11 is one of the easiest ways to boost your system’s performance, especially for large file transfers, gaming, or video editing.

You can configure it quickly through Disk Management (software RAID) or BIOS/UEFI (hardware RAID) — both offer great speed improvements.

However, remember that RAID 0 does not protect your data. Always back up critical files to a different drive or cloud storage to prevent permanent loss.

In short:

RAID 0 = Speed.
Backup = Safety.
Combine both for the best of both worlds!

❓ FAQs About Setting Up RAID 0 in Windows 11

1. Can I set up RAID 0 on Windows 11 Home?

No, Windows 11 Home doesn’t support software RAID through Disk Management. You can still use hardware RAID if your motherboard supports it.

2. Will RAID 0 improve gaming performance?

Yes, loading times can improve slightly — but gains depend on the game and drive type.

3. How do I back up a RAID 0 array?

Use an external drive or cloud backup service. RAID 0 has no fault tolerance.

4. Can I add another drive to an existing RAID 0 array?

No. You must delete the current array and recreate it with all desired drives.

5. What’s the ideal stripe size for RAID 0?

For general use, 128 KB is ideal; for small files, 64 KB may perform better.

Final Tip:
If you value both speed and safety, consider RAID 10 — it combines the performance of RAID 0 with the redundancy of RAID 1.

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