WD Raptor RAID0 - Should I use Onboard SATA or PCI Controller SATA?

[BS911]

I've got a ASUS P4C800-Deluxe which has onboard SATA-Raid but I also have a SATA PCI Controller card that came with my Raptor drive.

I'm wondering which would give me better performance; I thought I recalled reading somewhere that onboard SATA was slower but I can't find anything now!

Thanks!

-BS911

 

[Codename49]

Most likely on board will be faster then an average sata card, since it won't be bottlenecked by slow PCI speed.

 

[skypilot]

Originally posted by: Codename49
Most likely on board will be faster then an average sata card, since it won't be bottlenecked by slow PCI speed.

Actually I'm pretty sure it still goes through the PCI bus with most chipsets/mobos. It's just not physically attached to it in the normal expansion card fashion.

 

[Megatomic]

Originally posted by: skypilot
Actually I'm pretty sure it still goes through the PCI bus with most chipsets/mobos. It's just not physically attached to it in the normal expansion card fashion.

AFAIK this is true with one new exception: the newest Via SB chipset, the VT8237, has built-in SATA which rides on the superwhamodyne 1GB/sec V-Link bus. The new Via P4 motherboards with the PT800 chipset features this and I've no idea how it performs yet.

 

[JavaMomma]

P4C800 is a i875 MB. Most i875s have Intels ICH5R South Bridge. However, the P4C800 uses a promise controller instead which is unfortunatly PCI bound. So unless you have P4C800-E it probably does not matter which you use the onboard or the card, they will likely give you similar performance.

Many Intel i865, Intel i875, Via KT600, and like Megatomic said the PT800 now have native SATA support. Which means they are not PCI bound.

 

[ForsakenMaster]

save the money and use the onboard controller

 

[Budman]

Originally posted by: ForsakenMaster
save the money and use the onboard controller

I guess you didnt read. The card was FREE.

I also have a SATA PCI Controller card that came with my Raptor drive.

BS911 you might as well use the onboard SATA controller,it's one less pci card to install.

 

[BS911]

I went with the onboard. Thanks for the suggestions guys!