RAID Controller cards, Adaptec 2400A or Promise SX6000?

[imzjustplayin]

I was looking a some PATA controller cards and I saw the Adaptec 2400A and the Promise SX6000. I can get the SX6000 for fairly cheap so I'm wondering what I should get. My mind isn't set on anything and I'm open to suggestions though I want to avoid new things and get them used or at a fairly discounted price.

Anyone know about the 2400a? Any successors? Possibly successors that were either the same thing but cheaper or were better AND cheaper? I was thinking about some 3Ware Escalade cards but again, expensive and unsure about performance.

These controller cards while I won't pay $500, I would like to see a range with the top end at $500 so I can see my options.

 

[unhappy_mage]

For sata disks: Low-end I'd suggest the Highpoint 2320 series. High-end Areca 1220.

For pata: there's nothing really outstanding. The 3ware cards are the fastest thing going, but that's not saying much. Some people have huge problems with Promise, sometimes they work.

 

[imzjustplayin]

I was looking at storage review and they compared the adaptec 2400a and the 3ware cards of the time and it seemed like the adaptec cards won. Only thing I can say though is that the adaptec cards don't have faster than 32bit 33mhz PCI while the 3ware have 64bit 66mhz capability. While the faster interface clearly didn't benefit the 3ware cards much, they WERE using maxtor drives with an average speed of 33MB/s while I've got 400GB drives that average 60MB/s, therefore any raid configuration with these newer drives and I'll saturate the PCI 32bit 33mhz bus.

Question is, are these 3ware cards really capable of anything special or not.

 

[WhiteZero]

Well since PCI tops out at 133 MB/s, then I'd almost suggest a pci-e raid card; that is if you ever want to make a raid capable of over 133. But I guess if your only looking at 60MB/s max, you can scoot by with a PCI one, but then theres no room to grow.

 

[Dan_D]

I was looking at storage review and they compared the adaptec 2400a and the 3ware cards of the time and it seemed like the adaptec cards won. Only thing I can say though is that the adaptec cards don't have faster than 32bit 33mhz PCI while the 3ware have 64bit 66mhz capability. While the faster interface clearly didn't benefit the 3ware cards much, they WERE using maxtor drives with an average speed of 33MB/s while I've got 400GB drives that average 60MB/s, therefore any raid configuration with these newer drives and I'll saturate the PCI 32bit 33mhz bus.

Question is, are these 3ware cards really capable of anything special or not.

Yes but you would need a board with PCI-X to realize the potential of the 3Ware card. The Adaptec card uses the normal PCI bus. Few Pentium4/Pentium-D/Core 2 Duo, or Athlon 64/X2/FX boards have PCI-X slots. (Not to be confused with PCIe).

 

[imzjustplayin]

Yeah thats the issue. Why do you guys on this forum keep recommending P4/Core2duo/Atholon 64/opteron based systems despite the OP requesting for a PIII based system? You don't need more than a PIII 1GHZ for a LOT of tasks especially for a fileserver..

 

[Dan_D]

Yeah thats the issue. Why do you guys on this forum keep recommending P4/Core2duo/Atholon 64/opteron based systems despite the OP requesting for a PIII based system? You don't need more than a PIII 1GHZ for a LOT of tasks especially for a fileserver..

Because most of us think of new hardware for builds, and not left overs or old stuff that's laying around.