When you get your OS on a SSD, I can't stress enough to have your OS imaged to a spare drive. Once a SSD loses data, it is a done deal. there is no rebuild recovery, nada, zip. you will painfully install each and every app, and all that go with them over. So image your OS drive.
I had bad luck (or just crap drives) with some Patriot Torqx SSD's and I learned quick to have a spare drive imaged and ready in case it fails during work where I need the system up.
RAID 0 for scratch using SSD is what I have now, and I don't think it makes any faster than single.
I would switch out those slow Drobo's with a Intel SS4200e server. I am getting roughly 70-80mb/s transfer time on large files. I have 4 1TB caviar blacks, in 3 of these, and they are sweet! the processor and ram can be upgraded and they power down when not in use, keep drives cool.
I would swap out any drive that is over 4... let alone 5 years old...Its not a matter of "IF they fail"...just when. Heat is the #1 killer or life reducer for drives.
