By Jerry Lorren 
The MPG B550 Gaming Plus is one of MSI’s most popular motherboards for gamers and PC enthusiasts, offering strong performance, durable components, and excellent storage options. One of its key features is support for RAID configurations, which allow users to combine multiple SSDs for better speed, reliability, or both.
When building a home PC using the MPG B550 Gaming Plus, setting up RAID 1 or RAID 2 can help improve system stability and protect important data. Choosing the right RAID configuration depends on your goals—whether you value speed, redundancy, or a balance between the two.
Understanding RAID and Its Importance
RAID, which stands for Redundant Array of Independent Disks, is a storage technology that allows multiple drives to work together as one logical unit. Depending on the configuration, RAID can increase performance, offer data protection, or both.
Home users often choose RAID setups when they want to safeguard important files like photos, videos, or work documents, or when they need faster data access for gaming, editing, or content creation.
The MPG B550 Gaming Plus motherboard provides support for several RAID types, including RAID 0, RAID 1, and RAID 10 for SATA drives and NVMe SSDs. Each mode serves a different purpose, so understanding how RAID 1 and RAID 2 work is essential before setting it up.
What is RAID 1?
RAID 1 is known as mirroring. It duplicates the same data on two SSDs so that if one drive fails, the other contains an exact copy. This setup provides excellent data protection, making it ideal for users who prioritize reliability over performance.
When configured on the MPG B550 Gaming Plus, RAID 1 ensures that your system continues running smoothly even if one SSD stops working. The trade-off is that storage capacity is effectively cut in half, since one drive is used entirely for redundancy.
For example, if you use two 1TB SSDs in RAID 1, you will have 1TB of usable storage, but every piece of data will be backed up instantly across both drives.
This makes RAID 1 perfect for home users who store critical files, work documents, or family media collections and want automatic protection without external backup drives.
What is RAID 2?
RAID 2 is a less common setup that uses error correction based on Hamming code. Unlike RAID 1, which mirrors data, RAID 2 divides information across multiple drives and adds extra drives for error correction.
While RAID 2 offers fault tolerance, it is rarely used in modern consumer systems because it requires several drives to work efficiently. The technology is mostly found in specialized servers or research systems rather than gaming or home computers.
For users with the MPG B550 Gaming Plus, RAID 2 is not a practical choice since the motherboard’s BIOS typically supports RAID 0, RAID 1, and RAID 10, but not RAID 2. Therefore, when discussing RAID options for this board, RAID 1 is usually the preferred setup for reliability, while RAID 0 is chosen for speed.
RAID Options on the MPG B550 Gaming Plus
The MPG B550 Gaming Plus offers flexible RAID support through its AMD B550 chipset. You can configure RAID using either SATA or M.2 NVMe SSDs, depending on your storage preferences.
The motherboard supports:
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RAID 0 (striping) for performance
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RAID 1 (mirroring) for redundancy
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RAID 10 (a mix of speed and safety)
RAID configuration can be set up through the BIOS using the built-in AMD RAID utility. The process involves selecting your drives, choosing the RAID type, and initializing the array.
For most home setups, RAID 1 is the most beneficial option, as it provides real-time protection against drive failure without requiring complex hardware.
Setting Up RAID 1 on MPG B550 Gaming Plus
To set up RAID 1 on the MPG B550 Gaming Plus motherboard, follow these general steps:
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Install two identical SSDs (either SATA or NVMe) into the motherboard.
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Enter the BIOS by pressing the Delete key during startup.
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Enable RAID mode under the storage configuration section.
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Use the AMD RAID utility to create a new array.
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Select RAID 1 and choose both SSDs as part of the array.
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Save and exit the BIOS, then install your operating system on the RAID array.
This configuration mirrors data across both SSDs, giving you peace of mind knowing your files are safe even if one drive fails.
Benefits of Using RAID 1 for Home Systems
RAID 1 offers several benefits for home users, especially when paired with fast SSDs:
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Data Protection: Instant mirroring ensures no loss if one SSD fails.
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System Stability: Your PC remains operational even after drive failure.
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Ease of Recovery: Replacing a failed drive and rebuilding the array is straightforward.
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Compatibility: Supported natively by the MPG B550 Gaming Plus BIOS.
Although RAID 1 doesn’t increase speed, modern SSDs are already extremely fast, so the performance loss is minimal compared to the security gained.
Limitations of RAID 2 and Why It’s Rare
While RAID 2 sounds appealing due to its advanced error correction, it is not suitable for typical home or gaming setups. It requires multiple drives and complex synchronization, which adds unnecessary cost and difficulty.
In contrast, RAID 1 and RAID 10 offer simpler and more efficient solutions for reliability and performance. The MPG B550 Gaming Plus is optimized for these configurations, making RAID 2 largely obsolete for modern users.
Using SSDs for RAID on the MPG B550 Gaming Plus
SSDs are the ideal drives for RAID configurations due to their speed, durability, and low power consumption. When combined in a RAID 1 array, they provide both rapid performance and data redundancy.
However, it’s important to use SSDs of the same model and capacity for the best results. Mixing different SSDs can lead to performance inconsistencies or compatibility issues.
The MPG B550 Gaming Plus supports both SATA and NVMe SSDs, so users can decide whether to prioritize affordability (SATA) or top-tier performance (NVMe).
Conclusion
The MPG B550 Gaming Plus motherboard gives users a reliable platform for building a powerful and secure home PC. While RAID 2 is not commonly supported or practical for modern systems, RAID 1 remains an excellent choice for users who value data protection and stability.
Setting up RAID 1 with two SSDs provides automatic redundancy, ensuring your files and system remain safe from drive failures. With SSD technology, the performance trade-off is minimal, making this setup ideal for gamers, content creators, and everyday users alike.
In short, for a home PC built on the MPG B550 Gaming Plus, RAID 1 with SSDs is the most effective and balanced solution—combining reliability, speed, and simplicity for a modern computing experience.