#BEST SIXTYFORCE CONTROLLER SETUP SOFTWARE#
There are software suites, such as unRAID or SnapRAID, which can be used for maintaining your RAID array. Software RAID ControllersĪs we’ve already mentioned, you don’t even have to get a hardware raid controller. If the card’s CPU is powerful enough, using an SSD for cache is usually better. This means that you don’t have to buy an expensive RAID controller card with bunch of cache memory.
Remember that SSDs can be used as a cache for HDD-based RAID configurations. But if you run a complex RAID array that demands zero data loss and needs a powerful CPU for running it, investing in a high-end RAID controller card is the right thing to do.
If you run a relatively simple home server or a NAS storage you can get a low-cost card without a battery and you’ll be fine. Expensive RAID cards come with powerful CPUs, support for hundreds of disks, large cache (512 MB or more), a battery that keeps the data safe in the case of a power outage, and more. Low-end RAID controller cards don’t cost much but they offer barebone list of features and aren’t suited for complex RAID configurations or those that demand high performance and high reliability. Again, online research is the best way to find which manufacturers offer the best software support. Some manufacturers will release new firmware and software updates to allow compatibility with new operating systems and motherboard models, others won’t. Some manufacturers have better customer support than others, which can mean everything in case something goes wrong. There’s also the quality of customer support. It’s best to do a bit of research on the internet in order to be sure that the card you want to buy is 100 percent compatible with your motherboard before making the purchase.
Most controller cards are officially compatible only with server-grade motherboards so using RAID on a regular motherboard will make your choices pretty limited.
#BEST SIXTYFORCE CONTROLLER SETUP WINDOWS#
Most of them have support for Windows and Linux. OS And Hardware Compatibility And Customer SupportĪ RAID controller card has to be compatible with your operating system and your motherboard. If you want the fastest speed go with x8 or x16 controller that supports PCIe 3.0 standard. For instance, a PCIe x2, x4, x8 and x16 controller cards with the maximum write speed depending on their interface. But NVMe SSDs can be used only with specific RAID controller models, those that come with M.2 slots on the card.Īside from that, you have PCIe raid controllers that support different PCIe speeds. You don’t have to worry in case you have lots of SATA SSDs, they work with any modern RAID controller since support depends on the type of port used. Every RAID controller has the upper limit of storage devices you can hook up to it so make sure to know how much storage you need before going out and buying a RAID controller card. This is important and you should calculate whether you’ll need more storage devices in the future and how many you’ll need. How Many Disks You Have In Your RAID Array And Do You Plan To Add More Later
It can be really useful in complex setups with lots of hard drives. It’s there to enable higher write speeds and it can also be used to increase read speeds. There’s also the onboard cache present on higher-end cards. In the case of RAID 50 and 60 setups with lots of disks, a powerful RAID controller card with a multicore processor is recommended. Even if you’re running a basic RAID 5 or 6 configurations you can go with an onboard RAID and some software in case you have a powerful CPU.īut if you’re using lots of disks in RAID 5 or 6 or RAID 50 or 60 you will need a RAID card. If you have RAID 0 or 1 with just two disks you probably won’t get any benefit from a physical raid controller card. What’s Your RAID Setupįirst of all, getting the right RAID controller depends on your RAID configuration. If you don’t have a complex RAID setup onboard RAID along with a software RAID controller might be just what you need. And the best controller for the write-heavy RAID setup doesn’t have to be the best one for a setup used for a media server, where the data is just read from the disks.įinally, the best RAID card for you could be a virtual one. The best raid controller for home server may not be the best for SSD disks because home servers usually store their data on inexpensive hard drives with eventually one smaller SSD used as cache memory or for fast access to frequently used data. But you should remember that the best raid controller card is one that’s perfect for your specific needs. Choosing the best RAID controller for your needs doesn’t have to be as complex as it seems after reading a bit about RAID controller cards.
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