I'm currently using an LSI MegaRAID 150-6 and it has served me well but has a max volume size of 2TB, is PCI-X (and I'm using a mobo without one of those), and has limited cache. So I'm looking to upgrade. Requirements are PCI Express, on the fly capacity expansion, and SATA-II with at least 6 ports. Right now I am leaning towards the Areca 1220 which uses the Intel IOP333 engine:
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?item=N82E16816131004 I agree about the 3 platter thing which is one of the reasons why I was looking at the WD Black (along with the cache) but also share your suspicions about its polish. I'm going with 3 1 TB drives in a RAID 5 array to start, and will be adding additional drives over the rest of the year as capacity is needed. I do have one WD GP drive that I will be using to hold my data while I build the new array and it will probably serve as a hot spare afterwards. Also just saw this benchmark comparison between them on Storage Review: http://www.storagereview.com/php/benchmark/suite_v4.php?typeID=10&testbedID=4&osID=6&raidconfigID=1&numDrives=1&devID_0=361&devID_1=348&devID_2=352&devID_3=354&devCnt=4 Don't like the power usage of the Hitachi (esp since it doesn't seem to have any performance advantage). Leaning towards the Samsung Spinpoint. --- Brian On Sun, Jul 6, 2008 at 12:05 PM, Greg Sevart <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Avoid the WD GP (and RE2-GP) series of drives. They're decent in terms of > STR, excellent in power/heat/noise, but they're 5400rpm drives. Ignore the > marketing nonsense saying that they're "5400-7200rpm" drives. WD has been > intentionally vague. Contrary to popular opinion, they do NOT change RPM > dynamically; WD specifies the RPM for the entire series of drive, leaving > the possibility of a 7200rpm variant in the future. There are none now. > > It looks like the WD Black WD1001FALS is becoming available now, but if > you're looking for something that's been out for a while and proven--this > isn't it. It's WD's first 3-platter 333GB 7200rpm design, their first 32MB > buffer design, etc...it's likely a very solid drive, but it isn't "proven." > > Samsung's drives are held in pretty high regard right now. What controller > card are you using? Supposedly the Samsung F1 has some issues with Intel's > ICHxR in RAID modes. It does have 334/GB platter technology, meaning that > it's a current-generation drive and has only 3 platters. This is a good > thing. > > Hitachi's 1TB drive is actually one of the oldest 1TB designs. It's a > 5-platter design, using 200GB/platter tech. I'd avoid it. It's basically > 1.5-2 generations old, and 5 platter designs are very uncommon in the > industry due to the complexity of such an arrangement. Remember the 75GXP? > > Seagate's 1TB drive is also one of the older designs. It uses 250GB/platter > tech, hence has 4 platters. Probably okay, but it's a generation old > technology. > > > Ultimately, not a lot of choices IMO if you're wanting the latest generation > technology. I think I'd go in this order: > > WD Black 1TB WD1001FALS > Samsung F1 > Seagate 7200.11 > Hitachi 7K1000 > WD GP-RE2 > WD-GP > > Greg > >> -----Original Message----- >> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:hardware- >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Brian Weeden >> Sent: Sunday, July 06, 2008 6:54 AM >> To: hwg >> Subject: [H] 1 TB drives? >> >> Looking to replace the 250 GB drives in my RAID 5 HTPC array with 1 TB >> ones. The Seagates in there now have been champs and really hoping I >> can get the same performance out of the new drives. I was going to go >> with the WD GreenPower line as they seem to be out the longest and >> hopefully have had all the kinks worked out. But going through the >> reviews on Newegg, I saw the WD RE2 which is supposed to be an >> enterprise-class drive (and is $240 as opposed to $180) and also the >> WD Caviar Black which had twice the cache of the other 2 at 32MB for a >> price between them. >> >> Seagate, HItachi, and Samung also now have 1 TB drives out with the >> Samsung Spinpoint supposedly being reviewed the best and the Hitachi >> being really new with not a lot of reports yet. >> >> Anyone on the list have thoughts/opinions/experiences? I know at this >> point it seems like the "quality" of a manufacturer can shift every >> few years and collectively from what I've read anecdotally there are >> higher than normal reports of DOAs and early deaths with all of these >> 1 TB drives than what we have seen in the past. >> >> ---- >> Brian > > >
