RAID5 - 500x4 or 750x3?

[Val]

Objective is to get max peformance for a desktop system, while still be reasonably reassured against random drive failture.

Im thinking that surely 4x500GB (preferably Western Digital Raid Edition?) will peform better the 3x750GB drives in every area except from marginal inferiority in seek times?

 

[unhappy_mage]

Raid 5 probably isn't the way to get "max performance". Try raid 0+1, or a single Raptor with a raid array to back it up onto.