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Which would you pick? Adaptec 2940UW or Diamond Fireport 40 SCSI adapter...

J

Jugernot

Diamond Member
A friend has both and said he'd sell me either for $30.... which would you pick? I'm leaning toward the 2940UW as it set the standard a few years ago.

Jugs
 
I don't know anything about the Diamond, so I won't knock it, but Adaptec is the poop when it comes to SCSI. I've got lot's of experience with Adaptec cards, I've never had a problem, I recommend them and faced with the same choice, I would choose the Adaptec in a beartbeat.

My three cents...🙂

 
Adaptec gear is ridiculously overpriced (not this time though 🙂). That Diamond card uses an LSI chip (formerly Symbios formerly NCR), who were and still are the #1 driving force behind SCSI. It's just that you don't find their own adapters on the shelves so much.

The 2940UW has had quite a few BIOS and driver issues, alleviated by some of them not being flash upgradable. If you're buying old stock there, you should pick the Diamond. Unlike Adaptec, LSI's SCSI devices are all fully software compatible, from the original NCR53C810 from 1992 or so up to the current LSI53C1010 dual channel U160 thing. You won't find a more mature BIOS and driver set anywhere else.

regards, Peter
 
So does that mean I will be able to flash the Fireport 40 with a LSI BIOS or.... did all support at all die with Diamond MM?
 
That I never tried. You can use LSI's reference drivers for all operating systems though. Chances are even that Diamond didn't bother write their own BIOS and used LSI's straight away. Of all the LSI OEMs I ever saw, Tekram were the only ones to write their own BIOS - and even they stopped doing that on their U3W series.

SCSI BIOS updates on OEM adapters may be restricted by the size of flash chip (or lack of a flashable chip altogether). Older cards have 32-KByte ROMs that fit SCSI BIOS up to 4.12.00, while the newer ones have 64-KByte chips for up to the current 4.19.00. If you don't want to boot off backup tape, you won't miss the .07 difference 🙂

regards, Peter
 

Wow, a blast from the past!

It seems like forever ago and my memory may be failing me but...

I've worked with both and for $30 I would go with the Adaptec, unless....

If I remember correctly the Adaptec has a 68 pin external connector and the Diamond a 50 pin external connector????

Most low end (and some not so low end) scanners/zip/jaz/tape drives and what not would use the 50 pin connector so the diamond might save you the cost of an adapter or something.

 
The FirePort 40 is a fine card. IIRC, it actually outperforms 2940UW by a very slim margin. I'd get him to sell it a few bucks cheaper and take it. 🙂
 
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