Areca ARC-1210/1220 SATA RAID controller

[SnoMunke]

Does anyone have any experience with the Areca ARC-1210/1220 SATA RAID controller?

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

I know of one person on the forums with one, and I've seen his benchmarks. They are damned sexy. I'd have one, but I only have PCI-X @ 133MHz bus; no PCIe cards for me.

 

[SnoMunke]

Is it necessary for a 4-port RAID card to run on a PCI-E x8? Is bandwidth really an issue?

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

I don't know about being necessary, but why would you limit it? Are you going to try to run it on 1X PCIe?

 

[RaiderJ]

Originally posted by: tasburrfoot78362
I don't know about being necessary, but why would you limit it? Are you going to try to run it on 1X PCIe?

Can it run on a 1x slot? I don't have any 8x slots.

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

Originally posted by: RaiderJ

Originally posted by: tasburrfoot78362
I don't know about being necessary, but why would you limit it? Are you going to try to run it on 1X PCIe?

Can it run on a 1x slot? I don't have any 8x slots.

From what I understand, it requires 8X. And I don't know that much about PCIe, honestly. But I'll see if I can find out.

 

[SnoMunke]

I have read some x8 cards can run in a x4 slot, albeit in x4 mode...

Promise Tech has a new 8-port RAID card that is PCI-E x4 for a bit less than the Areca ARC-1210.


PCI-E Standard

Encoded Data Rate / Unencoded Data Rate
x1 5 Gbps / 4 Gbps (500 MB/sec)
x4 20 Gbps / 16 Gbps (2 GB/sec)
x8 40 Gbps / 32 Gbps (4 GB/sec)
x16 80 Gbps / 64 Gbps (8 GB/sec)

If you have a 8-port RAID card and each HDD can reach theoretical 300 MB/sec burst (SATA 3.0), then I am thinking a x4 card will barely limit the performance (8x300MB/sec=2.4GB/sec). And since we know that no drive today can burst at 300MB/sec, then a x4 card has PLENTY of bandwidth.

Is my thinking on track?

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

Yes, theoritically anyway. But there very well might be actual requirements for the card to operate. If it requires x8, it might not function on a x4, even though it will only be barely approaching that level.

 

[Adul]

Originally posted by: SnoMunke
I have read some x8 cards can run in a x4 slot, albeit in x4 mode...

Promise Tech has a new 8-port RAID card that is PCI-E x4 for a bit less than the Areca ARC-1210.


PCI-E Standard

Encoded Data Rate / Unencoded Data Rate
x1 5 Gbps / 4 Gbps (500 MB/sec)
x4 20 Gbps / 16 Gbps (2 GB/sec)
x8 40 Gbps / 32 Gbps (4 GB/sec)
x16 80 Gbps / 64 Gbps (8 GB/sec)

If you have a 8-port RAID card and each HDD can reach theoretical 300 MB/sec burst (SATA 3.0), then I am thinking a x4 card will barely limit the performance (8x300MB/sec=2.4GB/sec). And since we know that no drive today can burst at 300MB/sec, then a x4 card has PLENTY of bandwidth.

Is my thinking on track?

except for the 8 part.


SATA is one drive per port .

yeah i know there is ways to get 2 per port, but I would not go that route.

so 4x300 = 1200

 

[RaiderJ]

Are there any x1 SATA RAID cards out there? I would like the idea of running a 4-drive RAID 5 setup externally on my SN25P!

 

[Adul]

Originally posted by: RaiderJ
Are there any x1 SATA RAID cards out there? I would like the idea of running a 4-drive RAID 5 setup externally on my SN25P!

i havent found any

 

[SnoMunke]

I have a x1 RAID card I picked up here in Japan...just 2 ports...but can use port-multiplier and also is RAID 0,1 5 capable. Got it for about $60. By the way, I have access to US Mail here in Japan...

 

[SnoMunke]

Originally posted by: Adul

Originally posted by: SnoMunke
I have read some x8 cards can run in a x4 slot, albeit in x4 mode...

Promise Tech has a new 8-port RAID card that is PCI-E x4 for a bit less than the Areca ARC-1210.


PCI-E Standard

Encoded Data Rate / Unencoded Data Rate
x1 5 Gbps / 4 Gbps (500 MB/sec)
x4 20 Gbps / 16 Gbps (2 GB/sec)
x8 40 Gbps / 32 Gbps (4 GB/sec)
x16 80 Gbps / 64 Gbps (8 GB/sec)

If you have a 8-port RAID card and each HDD can reach theoretical 300 MB/sec burst (SATA 3.0), then I am thinking a x4 card will barely limit the performance (8x300MB/sec=2.4GB/sec). And since we know that no drive today can burst at 300MB/sec, then a x4 card has PLENTY of bandwidth.

Is my thinking on track?

except for the 8 part.


SATA is one drive per port .

yeah i know there is ways to get 2 per port, but I would not go that route.

so 4x300 = 1200

HUH? I said Promise 8-port card...one drive per port....8 drives...