Raid cards

[7X7-800]

I am presently running 2 74GB raptors using the motherboard software on an Abit AV8. I also own a 3Ware 8006-2LP pci raid card.

My question is whether or not I would gain anything by using the hardware solution over the software solution?

I have been reading NickNs comments regarding FSX and Raid and gather that a PCI raid card isn't the best solution but given the equipment I have, I would appreciate any elaboration on the matter.

Thanks

[NickN]

The card (or RAID 0 ) is a better solution if the following is true:

note this is for FSX performance or other applications that demand large file chunks be called in random access

1. You can set a 256K or higher STRIPE when the array is set up

2. The slot being used is PCI-X or PCI 64, or, PCIe

A standard PCI slot is bandwidth limited as compared to a PCIx or PCI64 which is what that card was designed to be used with. It is backwards compatible to PCI as the 3Ware motherboard list shows http://www.3ware.com/products/pdf/Mothe ... 007_04.pdf

[NickN]

also, your not going to get 1.5GB of bandwidth (card rating) out of a PCIx or 64 slot unless the OS is 64bit and the motherboard drivers are accessing the port with 64bit drivers. 32Bit OS and drivers will still allow a much better bandwidth with a PCIx slot, significanlty higher than a standard PCI slot


All of the slots on that board are standard PCI. None support PCIx or 64

[7X7-800]

Ok. That clears it up. Thanks so much for your time. Nice to have a source of reliable info.

[7X7-800]

If I might be allowed to beat this horse a bit more, would I be better off un-Raiding the Raptors on this board and maybe putting the OS on one and FSX on the other by itself?

[NickN]

If I might be allowed to beat this horse a bit more, would I be better off un-Raiding the Raptors on this board and maybe putting the OS on one and FSX on the other by itself?

yes

[7X7-800]

Thanks!

[NickN]

clue: Format the FSX RAPTOR drive using 3rd party disk software to 64K clusters

You can NOT do that with the Windows install drive but you can with any other partition or drive Windows reads. The 64K cluster format is much more efficient for FSX because of the average file size and will increase the file read efficiency and not allow the drive to fragment any where near as bad as it would being formatted to the default 4k clusters

Windows must live on a 4k cluster format or it will refuse to boot.


Note you will lose some disk space on a partition by formatting to 64K, several gigs, and its based on the % of the drive free space when the partition is formatted. For a 150GB drive you can expect to lose at least 6-10gig