Best way to make a Raid 5 array

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lethal_dosage

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Aug 21, 2004
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So i've finally filled up all my hdd's ~1tb worth. So i need to upgrade my storage, but i want some security with the raid 5.

Planned on getting four seagates to put into the array:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148134

Now my main question, would it be best to get a separate raid controller for this like the Highpoint 2320, or 2300. Or would the onboard raid on the IP35Pro work out ok to save some cash.

Now if i was to use the onboard raid, could i later add a controller w/o having to erase all my data?
 
If I were you, I would stay the hell away from those adapters. They are software RAID, not hardware RAID (faster and normally has an XOR engine/processor and onboard/expandable DDR-class memory). Neither of these cards have that.

Honestly, look for a PCI-E 1x or 4x (or if you have the money 8x) adapter with hardware RAID-5 (takes load off of your CPU and is waaaay faster), XOR processor, and either built-in memory (128-256MB) or expandable DDR/DDR2 ECC memory.

Highpoint is a good brand and so is adaptec, but it may be costly.

If you use the RAID on you mobo (which is most likely software based), you cannot take that built RAID array and transfer it to another controller due to it being software based. Only hardware based RAID arrays can be transfered to other hardware RAID cards.

The only reason to go with software RAID is because it is a cheap controller card which can allow a RAID profile to be made. The software (CPU) has to pick up the slack though, and there is no onboard memory, so write/read time may be increased (bad).


I'm kind of in the same situation with my Highpoint RocketRAID 133 card and 4 WD400BB drives. Since the card is software based, my RAID will only work on that card and is non-transferable to another RAID card, be it software or hardware based.


EDIT:

Hardware RAID card

Software RAID card
 
Well it doesn't need to be perform super fast or anything, so I'm not too worried about it eating CPU cycles, its never even close to 100% anyways with the quad-core.

Looks like ill end up going with software based since i don't got that much cash to spend on a hardware one...


Edit:

One more thing, just want to make sure, since i'll probably just go with my motherboard raid, if i use 3 drives for now, would adding a fourth in later pose any problems?
 
Red Falcon said:
If I were you, I would stay the hell away from those adapters. They are software RAID, not hardware RAID (faster and normally has an XOR engine/processor and onboard/expandable DDR-class memory). Neither of these cards have that.
...
Highpoint is a good brand and so is adaptec, but it may be costly.
Click to expand...

Criticizing software raid and praising Highpoint in the next breath amuses me.
 
unhappy_mage said:
Criticizing software raid and praising Highpoint in the next breath amuses me.
Click to expand...

LOL

I didn't notice that. Good call. ;)

Let me rephrase that: The HighPoint cards are good, as in, they work properly. Their performance however sux the big one.
 
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