I'm having some problems with one of my AMD-based computers and it may stem from the chipset on the motherboard. Usually, I go with AMD processors, but I think I'm looking to switch to an Intel-based board for compatability reasons. Anyone have a suggestion for a good stable dual-processor board with plenty of USB and Firewire ports? Also, where is the sweet spot these days for intel CPU's? Thanks.
Suggestions for a Motherboard
- Thread starter Barry_S
- Start date
Re: Suggestions for a Motherboard
i have had tremendous luck with ASUS motherboards.
my latest machine though i was forced to use a tyan because asus didn't have a dual xeon motherboard.
i would goto the asus.com website and carefully look at the motherboards and first see which motherboards support the cpu you want to use, then look at the options such as how many ports, how many drives it supports.
i usually look for the motherboard that has what i want and, in my mind, more importantly what it doesn't have.
i hate motherboards that have waaayy too much stuff on them.
also, i have NEVER used amd. i stick to intel always.
matthew
i have had tremendous luck with ASUS motherboards.
my latest machine though i was forced to use a tyan because asus didn't have a dual xeon motherboard.
i would goto the asus.com website and carefully look at the motherboards and first see which motherboards support the cpu you want to use, then look at the options such as how many ports, how many drives it supports.
i usually look for the motherboard that has what i want and, in my mind, more importantly what it doesn't have.
i hate motherboards that have waaayy too much stuff on them.
also, i have NEVER used amd. i stick to intel always.
matthew
BEENYWEENIES
Active member
Re: Suggestions for a Motherboard
I've been hearing of a lot of people moving away from AMD chips lately, but I don't really see why now that AMD is finally getting their act together and giving Intel a serious run for thier money. My latest AMD rig is suh-weet with no problems. If you go for the new AMD64 chips you're guaranteed plenty of forward-compatability (both on the hardware front AND the 64bit front), Nvidia/ASUS boards for these processors are great and the 64bit chips SCREAM. I mean this thing is fast. In benchmarks my machine is on par with Intel's highest rated chip, and mine cost about $500 less. Using Windows XP 64bit is interesting too, no real compatability problems, works great with Vegas, Premiere Pro, Maya, After Effects, etc... And I saw a decent though muted performance increase over win2000.
Just my geek-ramblings. Move along...
I've been hearing of a lot of people moving away from AMD chips lately, but I don't really see why now that AMD is finally getting their act together and giving Intel a serious run for thier money. My latest AMD rig is suh-weet with no problems. If you go for the new AMD64 chips you're guaranteed plenty of forward-compatability (both on the hardware front AND the 64bit front), Nvidia/ASUS boards for these processors are great and the 64bit chips SCREAM. I mean this thing is fast. In benchmarks my machine is on par with Intel's highest rated chip, and mine cost about $500 less. Using Windows XP 64bit is interesting too, no real compatability problems, works great with Vegas, Premiere Pro, Maya, After Effects, etc... And I saw a decent though muted performance increase over win2000.
Just my geek-ramblings. Move along...
Re: Suggestions for a Motherboard
I've been thrilled with the price/performance of my AMD boxes, but I've got some compatability problem between my new Matrox Parhelia video card and my Asus A7N8X Deluxe MB. Apparently, the VIA chipsets used on AMD compatible MB's do not play well with the Parhelia. So unless someone knows of a another multi-monitor (with a video monitor output) Open GL card in the same price range of the Parhelia, I think my only option is switching over to an Intel box.
I've been thrilled with the price/performance of my AMD boxes, but I've got some compatability problem between my new Matrox Parhelia video card and my Asus A7N8X Deluxe MB. Apparently, the VIA chipsets used on AMD compatible MB's do not play well with the Parhelia. So unless someone knows of a another multi-monitor (with a video monitor output) Open GL card in the same price range of the Parhelia, I think my only option is switching over to an Intel box.
G
Guest
Guest
Re: Suggestions for a Motherboard
I edit with Avid Express Pro and have the wants to build a dual Xeon system as well - in case I ever come into enough money to buy a Mojo - which requires the dual xeon & also a dual PCI bus (if you want to use the Mojo & external firewire drives). The Avid Express Pro Forum occasionally has a thread on the subject. Phil Lowe seems to be the guru for home built systems. Check this thread out:
http://www.avid.com/community/forums/forum38/html/005277-2.html
There are several others also by using the search facility.
I edit with Avid Express Pro and have the wants to build a dual Xeon system as well - in case I ever come into enough money to buy a Mojo - which requires the dual xeon & also a dual PCI bus (if you want to use the Mojo & external firewire drives). The Avid Express Pro Forum occasionally has a thread on the subject. Phil Lowe seems to be the guru for home built systems. Check this thread out:
http://www.avid.com/community/forums/forum38/html/005277-2.html
There are several others also by using the search facility.
Re: Suggestions for a Motherboard
You'd have to get a windows server edition to deal with more than 2 processors. big downside thought, most server o/s are stripped down (in terms of functions, drivers, and multimedia support) to maintain stability. Expect to pay about twice as much for a server o/s.
I have an Athlon 64 as well (2800+) and i have ran the Windows 64 o/s. I don't see any real performance difference since most NLEs aren't tweaked for 64 bit yet. Stability is so so, as would be for a beta o/s (not like i have the money to actually buy it).
intel's own xeon motherboards seem to be the most feature packed, loaded with sata, ultra320 scsi, usb 2.0, pci (express and 64), and support for a heck of alot of ram (24 GB over 6 slots)
You'd have to get a windows server edition to deal with more than 2 processors. big downside thought, most server o/s are stripped down (in terms of functions, drivers, and multimedia support) to maintain stability. Expect to pay about twice as much for a server o/s.
I have an Athlon 64 as well (2800+) and i have ran the Windows 64 o/s. I don't see any real performance difference since most NLEs aren't tweaked for 64 bit yet. Stability is so so, as would be for a beta o/s (not like i have the money to actually buy it).
intel's own xeon motherboards seem to be the most feature packed, loaded with sata, ultra320 scsi, usb 2.0, pci (express and 64), and support for a heck of alot of ram (24 GB over 6 slots)
Jourabchi
Well-known member
Re: Suggestions for a Motherboard
Im building a dualy for my buddy in LA,
these are the specs
1 Antec Black 3U Rackmount Chassis with 550 Watt EPS12V PSU, Model "3U25ATX550EPS" -RETAIL
Specifications:
Form Factor: 3U chassis support for max motherboard size - Extended ATX (up to 12" x 13")
Color: Black
Drive Bays: 4 x 5.25, 2 x 3.5"(External), 4 x 3.5" (Internal)
Expansion Slots: 7
Front Ports: 2 x USB
Cooling System: 1 x 80mm & 3 x 92mm ball bearing fans
Power Supply: Antec True550 550W EPS12V
Dimensions: 5.2" x 17" x 25" (HxWxD) more info-> N82E16811129151 $246.50 $246.50
1 Supermicro "X6DAE-G2" E7525 Chipset Server Motherboard For Dual Intel XEON CPU -RETAIL
Specifications:
Supported CPU: Dual Intel Xeon Processor
Chipset: Intel E7525 + ICH5R
FSB: 800MHz
RAM: 8x DIMM support Dual Channel registered ECC DDRII-400 Max 16 GB
Slots: 1(x16) & 1(x4)PCI-E, 1x 133MHz PCI-X, 2x 100MHz PCI-X, 1x PCI
Ports: 2x PS2, 2x COM, 1x LPT, 2x RJ45, 8x USB(Rear 4), Audio ports
IDE: 2x Ultra DMA100 up to 4 Devices
Onboard SATA/RAID: 2x SATA with RAID 0,1
Onboard Audio: AC'97 audio 6CH
Onboard LAN: Intel 82546GB Dual Port GbE
Form Factor: Extended ATX more info-> N82E16813182035 $472.00 $472.00
1 ATI RADEON X800 XT Video Card, 256MB GDDR3, 256-Bit, DVI/VIVO, PCI-Express, Model "102-A31904" -OEM
Specifications:
Chipset/Core Speed: ATI Radeon X800 XT/500MHz
Memory/Effective Speed: 256MB GDDR3/1000MHz
BUS: PCI Express x16
Ports: VGA Out(15 Pin D-Sub) + VIVO + DVI
Support 3D API: DirectX 9, OpenGL 1.5
Max Resolution@32bit Color: 2048X1536@85Hz
Cable/Accessories: DVI to VGA adaptor, VIVO Cable, Manual, Driver CD, Softwares
OEM Package (See pics for details)
Does Not Include Power Connecter more info-> N82E16814102394 $699.50 $699.50
1 Adaptec Serial ATA RAID Controller Card, Model "Adaptec Serial ATA RAID 2810SA" -RETAIL
Specifications:
Ports: 8-port SATA RAID controller
OS Support: WindowsXP Professional/XP Home Edition/2000 Server/2000 Advanced Server/2000 Professional, RedHat Linux 7.3/8.0, SuSE Linux 8.0, SuSE Linux 8.1
Features: Affordable 8-port RAID card brings advanced Serial ATA features and data protection to midrange servers and workgroups using low-cost SATA drives.
Retail Box (See pics for details) more info-> N82E16816103165 $449.00 $449.00
2 Intel Xeon 3.6EA GHz 800MHz FSB, 1MB L2 Cache, Hyper Threading Technology (active heatsink) - Retail
Specifications:
Model: Intel Xeon w/ Hyper Threading & EM64
Core: Nocona
Operating Frequency: 3.6GHz
FSB: 800MHz
Cache: L1/ 12KB+16KB; L2/ 1MB
Voltage: 1.25-1.400V
Process: 90 nm
Socket: Socket 604
Multimedia Instruction: MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3
Warranty: 3-year MFG
Packaging: Retail box (with Heatsink and Fan) more info-> N82E16819117029 $865.00 $1,730.00
6 Crucial Intel Validated 240-Pin 512MB ECC REG DDR2 PC2-3200, Model CT18HTF6472Y40EB2 - OEM
Specifications:
Manufacturer: Crucial
Speed: DDR2-400(PC2-3200)
Type: 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM
Error Checking: ECC
Registered/Unbuffered: Registered
Cas Latency: 3
Support Voltage: 1.8V
Bandwidth: 3.2GB/s
Organization: 64M x 72-Bit
Warranty: Lifetime more info-> N82E16820145083 $173.76 $1,042.56
1 Western Digital Raptor 74GB 10,000RPM SATA Hard Drive, Model WD740GD, OEM Drive Only
Specifications:
Capacity: 74GB
Average Seek Time: 4.5 ms
Buffer: 8MB
Rotational Speed: 10000 RPM
Interface: Serial ATA
Features: High Performance SATA Interface
Packaging: OEM Drive Only
more info-> N82E16822144160 $177.00 $177.00
5 Maxtor 300GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive, Model 6B300S0, OEM Drive Only
Specifications:
Capacity: 300GB
Average Seek Time: 9.3 ms
Buffer: 16MB
Rotational Speed: 7200 RPM
Interface: Serial ATA 150
Features: SATA II, -NCQ [Native Command Queuing]
Manufacturer Warranty: 3 years
Packaging: OEM Drive Only more info-> N82E16822144359 $204.00 $1,020.00
1 Pioneer Black DVD+RW/-RW Drive, Model DVR-108, OEM
Specifications:
Write Speed: DVD+R DL 4X,16X DVD+R, 4X DVD+RW, 16X DVD-R,4X DVD-RW, 32X CD-R, 24X CD-RW
Read Speed: 40X CD-ROM, 16X DVD-ROM
Interface: ATAPI / E-IDE
Buffer: 2MB
OS Support: Windows XP/ 2000/ ME/ 98SE
Features: Quiet Drive technolgoy,Precision Recording Technology, Smart Laser Driver, Liquid Crystal Tilt/Thickness Compensator , Ultra Dynamic Resonance Absorber.
Packaging: OEM (see pictures for details) more info-> N82E16827129157 $72.99 $72.99
Subtotal » $5,909.55
Im building a dualy for my buddy in LA,
these are the specs
1 Antec Black 3U Rackmount Chassis with 550 Watt EPS12V PSU, Model "3U25ATX550EPS" -RETAIL
Specifications:
Form Factor: 3U chassis support for max motherboard size - Extended ATX (up to 12" x 13")
Color: Black
Drive Bays: 4 x 5.25, 2 x 3.5"(External), 4 x 3.5" (Internal)
Expansion Slots: 7
Front Ports: 2 x USB
Cooling System: 1 x 80mm & 3 x 92mm ball bearing fans
Power Supply: Antec True550 550W EPS12V
Dimensions: 5.2" x 17" x 25" (HxWxD) more info-> N82E16811129151 $246.50 $246.50
1 Supermicro "X6DAE-G2" E7525 Chipset Server Motherboard For Dual Intel XEON CPU -RETAIL
Specifications:
Supported CPU: Dual Intel Xeon Processor
Chipset: Intel E7525 + ICH5R
FSB: 800MHz
RAM: 8x DIMM support Dual Channel registered ECC DDRII-400 Max 16 GB
Slots: 1(x16) & 1(x4)PCI-E, 1x 133MHz PCI-X, 2x 100MHz PCI-X, 1x PCI
Ports: 2x PS2, 2x COM, 1x LPT, 2x RJ45, 8x USB(Rear 4), Audio ports
IDE: 2x Ultra DMA100 up to 4 Devices
Onboard SATA/RAID: 2x SATA with RAID 0,1
Onboard Audio: AC'97 audio 6CH
Onboard LAN: Intel 82546GB Dual Port GbE
Form Factor: Extended ATX more info-> N82E16813182035 $472.00 $472.00
1 ATI RADEON X800 XT Video Card, 256MB GDDR3, 256-Bit, DVI/VIVO, PCI-Express, Model "102-A31904" -OEM
Specifications:
Chipset/Core Speed: ATI Radeon X800 XT/500MHz
Memory/Effective Speed: 256MB GDDR3/1000MHz
BUS: PCI Express x16
Ports: VGA Out(15 Pin D-Sub) + VIVO + DVI
Support 3D API: DirectX 9, OpenGL 1.5
Max Resolution@32bit Color: 2048X1536@85Hz
Cable/Accessories: DVI to VGA adaptor, VIVO Cable, Manual, Driver CD, Softwares
OEM Package (See pics for details)
Does Not Include Power Connecter more info-> N82E16814102394 $699.50 $699.50
1 Adaptec Serial ATA RAID Controller Card, Model "Adaptec Serial ATA RAID 2810SA" -RETAIL
Specifications:
Ports: 8-port SATA RAID controller
OS Support: WindowsXP Professional/XP Home Edition/2000 Server/2000 Advanced Server/2000 Professional, RedHat Linux 7.3/8.0, SuSE Linux 8.0, SuSE Linux 8.1
Features: Affordable 8-port RAID card brings advanced Serial ATA features and data protection to midrange servers and workgroups using low-cost SATA drives.
Retail Box (See pics for details) more info-> N82E16816103165 $449.00 $449.00
2 Intel Xeon 3.6EA GHz 800MHz FSB, 1MB L2 Cache, Hyper Threading Technology (active heatsink) - Retail
Specifications:
Model: Intel Xeon w/ Hyper Threading & EM64
Core: Nocona
Operating Frequency: 3.6GHz
FSB: 800MHz
Cache: L1/ 12KB+16KB; L2/ 1MB
Voltage: 1.25-1.400V
Process: 90 nm
Socket: Socket 604
Multimedia Instruction: MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3
Warranty: 3-year MFG
Packaging: Retail box (with Heatsink and Fan) more info-> N82E16819117029 $865.00 $1,730.00
6 Crucial Intel Validated 240-Pin 512MB ECC REG DDR2 PC2-3200, Model CT18HTF6472Y40EB2 - OEM
Specifications:
Manufacturer: Crucial
Speed: DDR2-400(PC2-3200)
Type: 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM
Error Checking: ECC
Registered/Unbuffered: Registered
Cas Latency: 3
Support Voltage: 1.8V
Bandwidth: 3.2GB/s
Organization: 64M x 72-Bit
Warranty: Lifetime more info-> N82E16820145083 $173.76 $1,042.56
1 Western Digital Raptor 74GB 10,000RPM SATA Hard Drive, Model WD740GD, OEM Drive Only
Specifications:
Capacity: 74GB
Average Seek Time: 4.5 ms
Buffer: 8MB
Rotational Speed: 10000 RPM
Interface: Serial ATA
Features: High Performance SATA Interface
Packaging: OEM Drive Only
more info-> N82E16822144160 $177.00 $177.00
5 Maxtor 300GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive, Model 6B300S0, OEM Drive Only
Specifications:
Capacity: 300GB
Average Seek Time: 9.3 ms
Buffer: 16MB
Rotational Speed: 7200 RPM
Interface: Serial ATA 150
Features: SATA II, -NCQ [Native Command Queuing]
Manufacturer Warranty: 3 years
Packaging: OEM Drive Only more info-> N82E16822144359 $204.00 $1,020.00
1 Pioneer Black DVD+RW/-RW Drive, Model DVR-108, OEM
Specifications:
Write Speed: DVD+R DL 4X,16X DVD+R, 4X DVD+RW, 16X DVD-R,4X DVD-RW, 32X CD-R, 24X CD-RW
Read Speed: 40X CD-ROM, 16X DVD-ROM
Interface: ATAPI / E-IDE
Buffer: 2MB
OS Support: Windows XP/ 2000/ ME/ 98SE
Features: Quiet Drive technolgoy,Precision Recording Technology, Smart Laser Driver, Liquid Crystal Tilt/Thickness Compensator , Ultra Dynamic Resonance Absorber.
Packaging: OEM (see pictures for details) more info-> N82E16827129157 $72.99 $72.99
Subtotal » $5,909.55
BEENYWEENIES
Active member
Re: Suggestions for a Motherboard
[quote author=Barry_S link=board=Links;num=1102537085;start=0#4 date=12/08/04 at 18:34:07]I've been thrilled with the price/performance of my AMD boxes, but I've got some compatability problem between my new Matrox Parhelia video card and my Asus A7N8X Deluxe MB. Apparently, the VIA chipsets used on AMD compatible MB's do not play well with the Parhelia. So unless someone knows of a another multi-monitor (with a video monitor output) Open GL card in the same price range of the Parhelia, I think my only option is switching over to an Intel box.[/quote]
Have you looked into the Nforce chipsets instead of VIA based boards? The first Nforce4 has been released and it sounds very, very sweet, this is where I'm headed with my own system:
http://www.hardcoreware.net/reviews/review-250-1.htm
[quote author=Barry_S link=board=Links;num=1102537085;start=0#4 date=12/08/04 at 18:34:07]I've been thrilled with the price/performance of my AMD boxes, but I've got some compatability problem between my new Matrox Parhelia video card and my Asus A7N8X Deluxe MB. Apparently, the VIA chipsets used on AMD compatible MB's do not play well with the Parhelia. So unless someone knows of a another multi-monitor (with a video monitor output) Open GL card in the same price range of the Parhelia, I think my only option is switching over to an Intel box.[/quote]
Have you looked into the Nforce chipsets instead of VIA based boards? The first Nforce4 has been released and it sounds very, very sweet, this is where I'm headed with my own system:
http://www.hardcoreware.net/reviews/review-250-1.htm
Re: Suggestions for a Motherboard
that dual xeon setup is pretty similar to mine.
how are you utilizing the 5 sata drives? is there a raid card you didn't mention?
i did the same thing with the 10k rpm boot drive.
if all those are in one case make sure you have a good exhaust system.
matthew
that dual xeon setup is pretty similar to mine.
how are you utilizing the 5 sata drives? is there a raid card you didn't mention?
i did the same thing with the 10k rpm boot drive.
if all those are in one case make sure you have a good exhaust system.
matthew
Re: Suggestions for a Motherboard
Ok, more stuff to make my head spin. That NForce 4 board looks interesting, but does it even have an AGP slot, or just PCI Express? Now I need to be thinking about SATA-2? I'm just trying to find a board that will be compatible with my Parhelia and maybe jump to dual-processor, but the more research I do, the more complicated the options become. Thanks for all the suggestions.
Ok, more stuff to make my head spin. That NForce 4 board looks interesting, but does it even have an AGP slot, or just PCI Express? Now I need to be thinking about SATA-2? I'm just trying to find a board that will be compatible with my Parhelia and maybe jump to dual-processor, but the more research I do, the more complicated the options become. Thanks for all the suggestions.
Jourabchi
Well-known member
Re: Suggestions for a Motherboard
[quote author=matthewd5 link=board=Links;num=1102537085;start=0#13 date=12/12/04 at 20:14:48]that dual xeon setup is pretty similar to mine.
how are you utilizing the 5 sata drives? is there a raid card you didn't mention?
i did the same thing with the 10k rpm boot drive.
if all those are in one case make sure you have a good exhaust system.
matthew[/quote]
no the card is in there -
1 Adaptec Serial ATA RAID Controller Card, Model "Adaptec Serial ATA RAID 2810SA" -RETAIL
Specifications:
Ports: 8-port SATA RAID controller
OS Support: WindowsXP Professional/XP Home Edition/2000 Server/2000 Advanced Server/2000 Professional, RedHat Linux 7.3/8.0, SuSE Linux 8.0, SuSE Linux 8.1
Features: Affordable 8-port RAID card brings advanced Serial ATA features and data protection to midrange servers and workgroups using low-cost SATA drives.
Retail Box (See pics for details) more info-> N82E16816103165 $449.00 $449.00
[quote author=matthewd5 link=board=Links;num=1102537085;start=0#13 date=12/12/04 at 20:14:48]that dual xeon setup is pretty similar to mine.
how are you utilizing the 5 sata drives? is there a raid card you didn't mention?
i did the same thing with the 10k rpm boot drive.
if all those are in one case make sure you have a good exhaust system.
matthew[/quote]
no the card is in there -
1 Adaptec Serial ATA RAID Controller Card, Model "Adaptec Serial ATA RAID 2810SA" -RETAIL
Specifications:
Ports: 8-port SATA RAID controller
OS Support: WindowsXP Professional/XP Home Edition/2000 Server/2000 Advanced Server/2000 Professional, RedHat Linux 7.3/8.0, SuSE Linux 8.0, SuSE Linux 8.1
Features: Affordable 8-port RAID card brings advanced Serial ATA features and data protection to midrange servers and workgroups using low-cost SATA drives.
Retail Box (See pics for details) more info-> N82E16816103165 $449.00 $449.00
Ruff_Futtidge
Active member
Re: Suggestions for a Motherboard
Hi Barry - f.w.it's w. - I went to see a canopus HD demo last week here in uk ( got to wave a FX1 about too !! ) - and the (uk) canopus guy had built the demo's PC based on dual xeon 3.6's on a SuperMicro Mboard - he said it was the business , and I saw nothing to the contrary !
I too am about to change from AMD back to intel due to suspected compatibility hiccups and will be looking for a stable MB.
On the wall next to me I've assembled a 'wish list' for my next mobo- it reads ;
SATA , PCI express 16x (for an ATI graphics card* ), Firewire 800 x2 (for LaCie d2 extreems) , firewire 400 x1 or more (for dvx) , 800MHz or 1.066GHz FSB , 2Gb ram .
- - - - - we can but dream !!
* ATI PCIex graphics as I edit on pinnacle edition - and ATI, Pinnacle, and Intel, all got in bed together for PCIexpress - should really fly by version 6.99 !!!!!
Please let us know how you get on ! - thanks - Ruff.
Hi Barry - f.w.it's w. - I went to see a canopus HD demo last week here in uk ( got to wave a FX1 about too !! ) - and the (uk) canopus guy had built the demo's PC based on dual xeon 3.6's on a SuperMicro Mboard - he said it was the business , and I saw nothing to the contrary !
I too am about to change from AMD back to intel due to suspected compatibility hiccups and will be looking for a stable MB.
On the wall next to me I've assembled a 'wish list' for my next mobo- it reads ;
SATA , PCI express 16x (for an ATI graphics card* ), Firewire 800 x2 (for LaCie d2 extreems) , firewire 400 x1 or more (for dvx) , 800MHz or 1.066GHz FSB , 2Gb ram .
- - - - - we can but dream !!
* ATI PCIex graphics as I edit on pinnacle edition - and ATI, Pinnacle, and Intel, all got in bed together for PCIexpress - should really fly by version 6.99 !!!!!
Please let us know how you get on ! - thanks - Ruff.
Re: Suggestions for a Motherboard
beware of the adaptec 8 port sata card, i started out with that one and when you get more than 5 drives (at least in my experience) it gets dangerously unreliable!
they sent me a new card and the same thing happened...basically all of a sudden you get a vague error about a drive read error and then you lose EVERYTHING.
this was with it setup as a raid 5
i had the 4 port version of the same card previously and it worked like a charm
that is why i had to suck it up and go with the 3ware card which costs quite a bit more.
the biggest difference is the adaptec card (and most sata controller cards) use the cpu and do almost all if not all the raid functions through software and use the computers cpu.
cards like the 3ware card do virtually everything with onboard processors. hence the huge price difference.
i just felt the need to share my awful experience because i lost a lot of work twice!
matthew
beware of the adaptec 8 port sata card, i started out with that one and when you get more than 5 drives (at least in my experience) it gets dangerously unreliable!
they sent me a new card and the same thing happened...basically all of a sudden you get a vague error about a drive read error and then you lose EVERYTHING.
this was with it setup as a raid 5
i had the 4 port version of the same card previously and it worked like a charm
that is why i had to suck it up and go with the 3ware card which costs quite a bit more.
the biggest difference is the adaptec card (and most sata controller cards) use the cpu and do almost all if not all the raid functions through software and use the computers cpu.
cards like the 3ware card do virtually everything with onboard processors. hence the huge price difference.
i just felt the need to share my awful experience because i lost a lot of work twice!
matthew