PCI Bandwidth question: Known PCI-hog Soundblaster + IDE Raid on PCI?

[DeepSparklePupa]

I'm building a gaming rig with entirely new components with the exception of a SoundBlaster Live! 5.1 that I'm importing from my current gaming rig. Also, I'm going to use a Promise FastTRAK IDE-RAID PCI card and stripe two Western Digital 20gb jobbers. Last night I awoke in a sweat. Is that PCI-hogging soundcard going to ruin the performance of my RAID array?

-DSP

New machine:
Epox 8KHA+
Athlon 1600
MSI Geforce2 400MX (until the Gainward GF3 drops below $200)
SoundBlaster Live! 5.1
Two WD200BB striped on Promise FastTRACK 100TX2
3Com 905B 10/100 FastEthernet

 

[AndyHui]

It won't.

Really, the problem with the SBLive cards is more related to a dodgy ACPI header implementation rather than truly hogging the PCI bus.

 

[Insane3D]

No, you'll be fine. One of the things that contributed to the PCI bus getting loaded up on older boards was the Northbridge to Southbridge connection shared the PCI bus with all of the other PCI peripherals, so the bus could get easily saturated if doing several things at once that were using the PCI bus. The KT266A chipset, like on your Epox 8KHA+ is not subject to this since it has a dedicated high speed direct connection connecting the northbridge and southbridge, so the PCI bus is just utilized by your PCI peripherals and shouldn't get bogged down under heavy use. Also, Andy is correct, the SB Live! problem was more a ACPI issue, and it only affects boards wit hthe Via 686B southbridge which your Epox does not use.

 

[DeepSparklePupa]

Andy, Insane: Thanks!

Phew!

Hysterically, I'm building this rig because the $50 P/S in my current rig is beginning to go south (random reboots). I sure didn't want to spend $600 to fix and $50 problem and then find I'd screwed myself with components.

(FWIW, I'm using an Antec PP403X with the new rig)

Again, thanks!

-DSP

 

[bacillus]

<< Last night I awoke in a sweat. Is that PCI-hogging soundcard going to ruin the performance of my RAID array? >>


hope you have better dreams tonight!