RAID 5 controllers...

Lazybones · August 08, 2006, 04:35:40 PM

It appears the LSI Logic MegaRAID i4 is still the best bang for the buck in the IDE / SATA RAID market..

Anyone have any other suggestions? It looks like the LSI Logic MegaRAID i4 is going for between 180 and 200 on eBay, anyone know of Canadian retailer that stocks them?

Ustauk · August 08, 2006, 04:58:46 PM

Well, FrontierPC seems to stock some, but the price is insane compared to EBay.

Cova · August 08, 2006, 06:04:17 PM

Same card Melbosa and I are both using in our file servers - both of us bought off e-bay, I think I paid around $50, and Mel was closer to $100 - you never know with e-bay, if yer willing to wait for a bit for someone to post one cheap you can get a pretty good deal. Also, when searching for this card it is also known as a Dell CERC (note: there are other cards also called Dell CERC, Dell CERC SATA, etc. so read carefully)

I still have yet to find any other RAID cards that come near the price/performance/feature set of this card (mostly due to price now), IDE or SATA. It does however have a 2TB / LUN limitation (unless the card specifically says otherwize, assume it has that limit - 99% of raid cards do), and depending on how you configure it, the write performance can be pretty bad - only the text-based BIOS config tool will allow you to enable the write-cache on the card - both the "Web-BIOS" and the windows config tool will tell you that you need to have a battery backup module for the cache to enable write caching (and no, the card doesn't have a port to plug in said battery, nor is there a SKU anywhere for a battery for it.)

Lazybones · August 08, 2006, 07:12:09 PM

Well I have set up a Search to monitor for new posts.. But there is nothing posted under $180 right now, however given what is available retail even that isn't that bad of a price.

Mags · August 09, 2006, 09:33:26 AM

MaxPC has raved about NetCell's driverless raid controllers for awhile. Unfortunately, they just went under!! So, whether you would want to dig one up still or not would be a bit of a gamble.

Lazybones · August 09, 2006, 09:38:31 AM

Might be better to go with more common hardware like the MegaRaid in case I ever have a card failure and need to find a replacement.

Lazybones · September 26, 2006, 10:18:29 PM

Well my MegaRAID arrived today.. Now to watch for a drive sale and start saving up for the drives.

Adams · September 27, 2006, 11:09:27 AM

What you looking for in drives... I have 3 - 80 GB ... lemme get the model number... Seagate 80GB Barracuda ST380811AS
I believe...

I will have to check when i get home.

Lemme know if you are interested since its just a play machine, I have a 250GB hdd that I was thinking of putting in it anyways.

Lazybones · September 27, 2006, 11:13:21 AM

I am not looking at getting anything smaller than 320 drives, but thanks for the offer. My target is to be able to max out the controller at 2TB

Melbosa · September 27, 2006, 11:17:50 AM

Quote from: Adams on September 27, 2006, 11:09:27 AM
What you looking for in drives... I have 3 - 80 GB ... lemme get the model number... Seagate 80GB Barracuda ST380811AS
I believe... I will have to check when i get home.

OOOoooooooo! See now I would be interested in those 80GBs. I am always interested in parts for computers, and HDs are always a premium need for me. Never seem to have enough.

Adams · September 27, 2006, 01:16:51 PM

heh, 320 huh... i upgraded to 4 x 320GB hdd... so 960GB (0.96 TB)

So interested in purchasing from "Crazy Adams Wholesale Warehouse".
Note: All pieces of hardware are used and hopefully will continue to be used by people such as yourselves.

The current price for 3 x 80 GB hdd is around $190.
So I think a nice round 50.00 a drive or 150.00 for the set of 3.

Melbosa · September 27, 2006, 01:27:34 PM

Quote from: Adams on September 27, 2006, 01:16:51 PM
The current price for 3 x 80 GB hdd is around $190.
So I think a nice round 50.00 a drive or 150.00 for the set of 3.

OOOOooo see ouch! Your out of my price range. Hard to sell 80GB HDs to my client's at 0.63/G when I can get 160GBs new for around 0.50/GB or if I go into 200GB around 0.40/GB. Have to do better than that for me.

Adams · September 27, 2006, 01:36:42 PM

True... but brand new 80GB drives are around 60 dollars so... $60 / 80GB = 0.75/GB anyways.

Adam's wholesale clearance center can knock off a few dollars just for you no body else... $42.00 / 80GB = 0.525/GB
is that more reasonable?

Just so you know 320GB is 109.95 which comes out to 0.34/GB I cannot beat that.

Adam's wholesale clearance center will have other wonderful sales soon... as soon as my wife and I clean out the basement and she asked why the hell is there so many computer parts

Lazybones · September 27, 2006, 02:22:54 PM

I have been keeping an up to date spread sheet on the $/GB, nothing beats the 320's. However the 400 and 500s have been falling and are coming in closer and closer...

Melbosa · September 27, 2006, 02:48:59 PM

Quote from: Adams on September 27, 2006, 01:36:42 PM
True... but brand new 80GB drives are around 60 dollars so... $60 / 80GB = 0.75/GB anyways.

Adam's wholesale clearance center can knock off a few dollars just for you no body else... $42.00 / 80GB = 0.525/GB
is that more reasonable? Just so you know 320GB is 109.95 which comes out to 0.34/GB I cannot beat that.

Adam's wholesale clearance center will have other wonderful sales soon... as soon as my wife and I clean out the basement and she asked why the hell is there so many computer parts

All I can offer ya is an even $100 for the lot.

RAID 5 controllers...

Ustauk