RAID 5+0, also called RAID 50, stripes data across multiple RAID 5 groups. Each group uses distributed parity to recover from one failed drive; the top-level RAID 0 stripe spreads work across groups but adds no protection of its own. RAID 50 can improve aggregate performance over a single RAID 5 group, but the failures it can survive depend on which group loses a drive.
What is RAID 5+0?
RAID 5+0 is a nested RAID layout: a controller creates two or more RAID 5 groups, then stripes data across those groups using RAID 0. Intel describes Level 50 as parity combined with disk striping across multiple drive groups, and recommends implementing it across two RAID 5 arrays; Seagate likewise defines RAID 50 as striping across multiple RAID 5 groups. Intel’s supported RAID levels and Seagate’s RAID Manager guide describe the layout.
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Within each RAID 5 group, data and rotating parity are distributed across the drives. That group can reconstruct data after one drive fails. RAID 0 at the outer level distributes I/O among the groups; it does not add a second layer of redundancy. Seagate’s RAID concepts guide explains the underlying RAID terminology.
How many drives do I need for RAID 50?
Seagate’s RAID Manager documentation specifies a six-drive minimum. A common minimum arrangement is two RAID 5 groups of three drives each, but supported group sizes and total drive counts depend on the controller or storage appliance. Intel’s guidance also describes using two RAID 5 arrays. Check the exact platform manual before choosing a drive count.
#1 Best Overall
- High Speed Data Transmission: The D2-320 hard drive enclosure (a DAS, NOT a NAS) adopts USB 3.2 Gen2 protocol for high-speed data transmission up to 10Gbps. With 2 hard drives in RAID 0, the read/write speed can reach up to 521MB/s (SATA III HDD 8TB x 2). With 2 SSD's in RAID 0, the read speed can reach 1075MB/s (SATA III 1TB SSD x 2)
- Multiple RAID Configurations: The D2-320 is a hardware RAID enclosure and it supports RAID 0, RAID 1, JBOD and SINGLE which can better satisfy various demands of users. In RAID 1, data will be in a mirror backup. When there is a damaged hard drive, you can directly replace the hard drive, and the data will be recovered automatically. This provides an absolute security for the data
- Super-Large Storage Capacity: The D2-320 USB storage enclosure can support up to two 3.5" and 2.5" SATA HDD, as well as 2.5" SATA SSD, with a maximum capacity of 22TB per drive, providing users with up to 44TB (22TB x 2) of storage space
- Intelligent Temperature Control: The D2-320 HDD enclosure has an intelligent temperature-controlled and low-noise fan that automatically adjusts its speed based on the temperature of the hard disk. This feature ensures that the hard disk operates at its best temperature and provides better heat dissipation
- Tool-Free Hard Drive Installation: The D2-320 external hard drive enclosure features a tool-free hard drive tray design that allows for easy installation and removal of hard drives without the need for any tools. Furthermore, the D2-320 incorporates a brand new Push-lock unique design from TerraMaster, which automatically locks the hard drive tray when you insert the hard drive, preventing the hard drive from falling out or disconnecting
There is no universal usable-capacity figure for RAID 50. It depends on the number and sizes of the drives and on how the controller forms the groups. Each RAID 5 group uses some capacity for parity; mismatched drive sizes can affect usable space according to platform rules. Calculate capacity using the target controller’s documentation rather than applying a single figure to every implementation.
How many drives can fail in RAID 50?
The practical rule is one failed drive per RAID 5 group. A RAID 50 array can therefore survive failures in separate groups, but it does not guarantee survival of an arbitrary number of failed drives. Intel conditions data integrity on failed disks being in different RAID 5 arrays.
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- Host Interface: PCIe 3.1 x8
- Internal Ports: 16 internal ports via 4 x4 Mini-SAS HD (SFF-8643) connectors
- Drive Support: Connect up to 255 SAS/SATA devices or 24 NVMe devices
- Cache Memory: 4GB DDR4 SDRAM
- RAID Levels: 0, 1, 10, 5, 50, 6, and 60
A second drive failure in the same group before the first failed drive has finished rebuilding can cause data loss, HPE warns in its RAID 50 controller guide. Monitor rebuilds and identify the failed drive carefully: a rebuild restores redundancy and can affect performance, while larger arrays may take longer to rebuild, according to Seagate’s RAID level documentation.
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RAID is intended to maintain availability through certain drive failures; it is not an independent backup. It does not replace separate protection against deletion, malware, site loss, or other data-loss events.
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- Increased performance, scalability and data protection, with reduced initial setup time
- Bus Type: PCIe 3.0 x8
- Interface: SATA 6Gb/s / SAS 6Gb/s
Is RAID 50 faster than RAID 5?
It can deliver higher aggregate performance than a single RAID 5 group because the outer stripe distributes work across groups. HPE describes RAID 50 as having higher performance than RAID 5, especially for writes. That is directional vendor guidance, not a guaranteed speedup: results depend on workload, drives, controller, caching, queue depth, and layout. The cited vendor material does not provide a universal benchmark.
RAID 5, RAID 50 and RAID 6 compared
| Layout | Structure and protection | Practical consideration |
|---|---|---|
| RAID 5 | One RAID 5 group; tolerates one failed drive in that group. | Simpler layout than RAID 50. Seagate describes RAID 5 parity and concepts in its RAID concepts guide. |
| RAID 50 (RAID 5+0) | RAID 0 striping across RAID 5 groups; tolerates one failed drive per group, subject to the failure pattern. | Can provide higher aggregate performance than one RAID 5 group, but a second failure in a group during rebuild is critical. |
| RAID 6 | Uses additional parity; consider it when surviving two drive failures within a protection group is a priority. | Verify platform support and workload performance. Intel notes additional parity overhead; exact results vary by implementation. See Intel’s RAID-level guidance. |
What to check before configuring RAID 50
- Confirm that the controller or storage system supports RAID 50 and the intended number and size of RAID 5 groups. Intel lists RAID-level support by controller family, while Seagate’s six-drive minimum applies to its RAID Manager documentation.
- Check the platform’s rules for drive compatibility, capacity, and group formation; these determine the usable capacity and supported layouts.
- Match the choice to the workload and write behavior you need. Vendor guidance is not a substitute for system-specific performance testing.
- Plan to monitor rebuilds and keep independent backups. RAID parity addresses a limited set of drive failures, not every cause of data loss.
Controller capabilities and compatibility details are product-specific. Consult the current manual for the exact server, NAS, or storage system before building the array.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- SFF-8643 is the host, connected to the motherboard or RAID Controller with Mini SAS ports; 4x7Pin SATA is the target, connected to the hard drives with SATA port
- The new SFF-8643 connector uses less PCB real estate and allows higher port density for internal hosts and devices. Provides point data transfer speeds up to 6 Gbit/s
- Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) is a high-speed data storage interface designed for high-throughput and fast data access
- Using a dual-channel aluminum foil cable. Enable faster, more efficient data transfer, and a slim, flexible, tensile-resistant cable that can be flexibly placed in any corner
- Before you buy this cable, please make sure the MiniSAS (SFF-8643) is on your motherboard or RAID Controller. If the MiniSAS (SFF-8643) is on your backplane, this cable will not work with them
Rank #4
- Interface: SATA 6Gb/s/ SAS 12Gb/s
- Data Transfer Rate: 1200 MBps
- RAID Level: RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 6, RAID 10, RAID 50, JBOD, RAID 60
- Bus Type: PCIe 3.1 x8
- Add more protection and peace of mind with Cache Vault flash cache protection
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