CrazyPhil
asked on
Raid card, or what?
My new PC doesn't have onboard raid (ASUS A7N8X Deluxe), and I have 3 Ultra ATA drives and 1 Serial ATA drive, plus 2 CD-rom Drives, what should I do...?
A raid card looks good to get, but I need something that will run as fast as my drives would, if they were connected to the motherboard (One drive)...and they can get expensive.
What is the most affordable and efficient solution? For now a raid card, or a IDE TO SATA adapter is on mind.
If you say raid card, which one, and vise versa for the IDE to SATA adapter or anything else you suggest.
Thanks
A raid card looks good to get, but I need something that will run as fast as my drives would, if they were connected to the motherboard (One drive)...and they can get expensive.
What is the most affordable and efficient solution? For now a raid card, or a IDE TO SATA adapter is on mind.
If you say raid card, which one, and vise versa for the IDE to SATA adapter or anything else you suggest.
Thanks
i'm thinking something like a promise ide pci ata 133 adaptor card cost approx 35 US
ASKER
There are many Promise IDE PCI ata 133 cards, the TX2000 reaches a price of $90 USD, or $150 CAD.
I haven't priced them lately when I read the thread I simply looked over on a shelf and saw one I had bought a year or so back and if memory serves it was 35 dollars (could be wrong ) but it is a ultra 100 heres one for 69 you may look around and find it a little cheaper but in any case I would go with the better brand rather than some off brand card...as to what card to get? let your wallet be your guide I've had good luck with most all promise products that cheapest card will most likely do what you want but as with anything else the more expensive is generaly the best (truth known theres prob not much diff between them )
http://www.atoponline.com/product.asp?Type_ID=21&id=W02-05
James
http://www.atoponline.com/product.asp?Type_ID=21&id=W02-05
James
Check out Highpoint http://www.highpoint-tech.com/usaindex.htm
Their RocketRAID404 has WHQL drivers. I got a response from Promise that not only do they not have a WHQL drivers, but haven't even submitted any.
HDD opinion:
Speed is SUSTAINED TRANSFER RATE (STR).
ATAxxx Burst is marketing bullshit, ie. ATA33,66,100,133. oh wow for 2, 4, or 8mb of cached data spikes to ATAxxx for 1 second! I hate HDD marketing.
I don't care how fast the damn thing spins. Access time bah, 2ms diferences.
IBM was the only HDD manufacturer that published in tech specs STR
HOW FAST CAN IT KEEP MOVING THE DATA ON AND OFF THE BUS!
(SUSTAINED TRANSFER RATE) Just like any other data equipment, how fast can ya move the DATA! I wish we could tell the HDD manufactures to shove their Bullshit and just give us the STR and Meantime between failure (warrenty).
RAID Level opinion:
RAID 1+0 is ~5-10% faster, but 33% less space than RAID5.
I choose RAID5. RocketRAID 454 if you want 4 Master Channels (8 total posiable HDD)
My current problem is I got confey using Ghost, but it will only backup a RAID partition, it can only restore to a Basic/single drive.
However I did successfully restore an image in a round about way with a temp extra single drive. Made it bootable XP OS. Then with RAID5 boot partition newly formatted ntfs. Changed Security to everyone and all on drive. Then used Ghost explorer to copy DVD-R (didn't like RW) image (select all on root execpt System Volume Information, Recycler, hiberfil.sys, pagefile.sys, Virtpart.dat). Then in windows exploer folder view left pane my computer, right click paste on RAID5 volume/patition.
The System Volume Information is where I'm guessing. I copy it too and delete or tried to delete the current folder's contents (thus keeping the one off the image). XP may still block the delete. Any way I then remove my temp single drive. Boot on XP CD, (F6 RAID controller drivers), select install XP, choose exitsing and RECOVER/repair.
and it worked!
Their RocketRAID404 has WHQL drivers. I got a response from Promise that not only do they not have a WHQL drivers, but haven't even submitted any.
HDD opinion:
Speed is SUSTAINED TRANSFER RATE (STR).
ATAxxx Burst is marketing bullshit, ie. ATA33,66,100,133. oh wow for 2, 4, or 8mb of cached data spikes to ATAxxx for 1 second! I hate HDD marketing.
I don't care how fast the damn thing spins. Access time bah, 2ms diferences.
IBM was the only HDD manufacturer that published in tech specs STR
HOW FAST CAN IT KEEP MOVING THE DATA ON AND OFF THE BUS!
(SUSTAINED TRANSFER RATE) Just like any other data equipment, how fast can ya move the DATA! I wish we could tell the HDD manufactures to shove their Bullshit and just give us the STR and Meantime between failure (warrenty).
RAID Level opinion:
RAID 1+0 is ~5-10% faster, but 33% less space than RAID5.
I choose RAID5. RocketRAID 454 if you want 4 Master Channels (8 total posiable HDD)
My current problem is I got confey using Ghost, but it will only backup a RAID partition, it can only restore to a Basic/single drive.
However I did successfully restore an image in a round about way with a temp extra single drive. Made it bootable XP OS. Then with RAID5 boot partition newly formatted ntfs. Changed Security to everyone and all on drive. Then used Ghost explorer to copy DVD-R (didn't like RW) image (select all on root execpt System Volume Information, Recycler, hiberfil.sys, pagefile.sys, Virtpart.dat). Then in windows exploer folder view left pane my computer, right click paste on RAID5 volume/patition.
The System Volume Information is where I'm guessing. I copy it too and delete or tried to delete the current folder's contents (thus keeping the one off the image). XP may still block the delete. Any way I then remove my temp single drive. Boot on XP CD, (F6 RAID controller drivers), select install XP, choose exitsing and RECOVER/repair.
and it worked!
Oh SATA, SCSI, IDE if I wasn't clear: $ per: Size, Sustained Transfer Rate, MTBF.
Who cares what the conduit is.
Who cares what the conduit is.
ASKER
Suburb-Man, I'm not actually looking to RAID my drive, just want to be able to add more ide drives to my computer, and not lose speed. I need more space as it is. So if a card is fast and doesn't have alot of raid abilities, I could care less, as long as its affordable, because if it isn't I might as well replace my ide with a SATA.
You don't have to use the RAID card functions, plug in the card attach the 80wire 40pin cable. Cards will default it is basic ATAxxx.
Their are non-RAID card too, just ATA IDE or SATA.
Most mainboards/motherboards allow 4 IDE devices.
2 Channels(40pin connectors), each having Master and Slave (2 connectors per cable)
Thus: Channel 1 +Master+Slave and Channel 2 +Master +Slave = 4 devices
I would check power supply is at least ~250watt for two HDD, FDD, CD. and a physical power connector is avail. to plug in to new drive.
Like I said SATA150 vs. IDE133, is just ATA Burst and only a burst diff. of 17.
SATA offers longers cables, but only large case servers care about that!
Keep your current good drive. (average life of a HDD is 3 years) and add a new one for space. Or save for two new ones and a RAID Card for mirroring
Their are non-RAID card too, just ATA IDE or SATA.
Most mainboards/motherboards allow 4 IDE devices.
2 Channels(40pin connectors), each having Master and Slave (2 connectors per cable)
Thus: Channel 1 +Master+Slave and Channel 2 +Master +Slave = 4 devices
I would check power supply is at least ~250watt for two HDD, FDD, CD. and a physical power connector is avail. to plug in to new drive.
Like I said SATA150 vs. IDE133, is just ATA Burst and only a burst diff. of 17.
SATA offers longers cables, but only large case servers care about that!
Keep your current good drive. (average life of a HDD is 3 years) and add a new one for space. Or save for two new ones and a RAID Card for mirroring
ASKER
I don't think you understand lol, I have 2 CDrom drives (takes one ide channel), 1 SATA drive (take one sata channel), 3 ide drives (takes one ide channel for 2 drives, 1 drive does not have anywhere to go). Leaving only a SATA channel open and a bunch of PCI slots. PS is 420 Watt (modified Alienware computer system).
You said they make pure ATA IDE expansion cards? Do you have an example?
You said they make pure ATA IDE expansion cards? Do you have an example?
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Just to clarify what I ment by pure ATA: non-RAID.
Another idea:
How old is your CD drive, buy a new USB one and use the channel for HDD.
If you decide to spend some $$ and want blazing performance ~500% faster than most ATA controllers is 3ware: http://www.3ware.com/products/parallel_ata.asp.
~$150-$800.
Another idea:
How old is your CD drive, buy a new USB one and use the channel for HDD.
If you decide to spend some $$ and want blazing performance ~500% faster than most ATA controllers is 3ware: http://www.3ware.com/products/parallel_ata.asp.
~$150-$800.
I need to recant my previous statement about RAID5 and RAID10.
I based it on an IBM analysis document comparing the two I found using Google.
IBM used top of the line controllers with built-in processors for the XOR parity writing.
I did not know that low-end IO controllers are very-bad at RAID5 writing (XOR) and use 50-80% CPU. 2-4Mb per second write as opposed to 30-60Mb with assisted controllers. 10 times faster.
Like the Highpoint 454 lead Rocket, Promise Inc. has some low-end hardware assisted RAID5.
I would use RAID10/01 on low-end, non assisted IO controllers.
-One last consideration, backup and restore. Have a plan RAID isn't full proof.
I'm using Norton's Ghost, it will backup but *not restore. However, *80% chance success using win98 boot, if RAID drive partitions are recognized by win98. Got this from B. Locklear with symantec ghost support.
I based it on an IBM analysis document comparing the two I found using Google.
IBM used top of the line controllers with built-in processors for the XOR parity writing.
I did not know that low-end IO controllers are very-bad at RAID5 writing (XOR) and use 50-80% CPU. 2-4Mb per second write as opposed to 30-60Mb with assisted controllers. 10 times faster.
Like the Highpoint 454 lead Rocket, Promise Inc. has some low-end hardware assisted RAID5.
I would use RAID10/01 on low-end, non assisted IO controllers.
-One last consideration, backup and restore. Have a plan RAID isn't full proof.
I'm using Norton's Ghost, it will backup but *not restore. However, *80% chance success using win98 boot, if RAID drive partitions are recognized by win98. Got this from B. Locklear with symantec ghost support.