Motherboard decision - need help!

[SOS]

Hi,

I'm trying to decide between the ABit KT7 and the ABit KT7-RAID. Which one?

The only reason I'm even considering the RAID is because the mobo supports DMA100 (not because of the RAID). I've read that the DMA100 is not going to make any difference anyway. Is this fact?

I'm going to get an IBM 75GXP HD, by the way.

Thanks

SOS

 

[zzzz]

get the KT7 and then get the promise ATA-100 card. modify that card to be a raid card. you will find the instructions if you search the web..

 

[SOS]

I wasn't even aware that you could get a card. What do these card plug into?

Thanks

SOS

 

[NOS]

If your gonna raid it get the raid! If not get the other!

 

[Supergax]

If he doens't want raid then there is no reason to modify the card. I guess look at it price wise, which way is cheaper? Even though ata/100 may not make a big difference, the price between an ata/66 and an ata/100 controller card is becoming trivial, around a $10 difference, which would make me go with ata/100.

 

[zzzz]

Those cards plug into PCI bus. If you are not going raid, buy the promise card separately. If you decide to raid later on, you can modify it easily. highpoint HPT370 raid, which is onboard the KT7 is cheap but not of the greatest quality.

 

[SOS]

Yeah, well I live in New Zealand, so the prices are just over double US. $430 for the KT7-RAID, $375 for the KT7. A lot of difference.

The KT7 only supports ATA-66. So basically an ATA-100 controller card just does the same as if the motherboard supported it?

Thanks

SOS

 

[SOS]

Cool, sounds good.

One other question (which I'm pretty sure I know the answer to, just paranoid) - Apart from the RAID the KT7 and KT7-RAID are exactly the same? perfrom the same?

Thanks

SOS

 

[Supergax]

Actually, to defend the highpoint controller, I think it works fine, some say it is better than the promise, some say worse. I was using it as a standard ata/100 controller, had not complaints after soyo let me get ahold of a bios update. Last night I took both of my 13.6 gig hard drives and striped them with raid 0, now my system is quite smoking. I have no complaints about the highpoint controller, I would recommend it. I had a hell of a problem trying to install a promise ata/66 controller once that i ended up returning it, the highpoint is smooth sailing.