MegaRAID Slow Performance

[Aleksandar Milivojevic]

Chris Stark wrote:
> I actually tried to find a new 3ware card out there, but the only ones I
> could  find were either SATA or 64-bit PCI (my server mobo only has 32-bit
> PCI slots). I suppose I should have looked harder. I'll probably just end
> up getting an external firewire RAID 5 when I can afford it.

Many 64-bit cards will also work in 32-bit slot.  The only card that I 
saw so far that is PCI-X only (64bit, 3.3V) was Intel's quad-gigabit 
ethernet card.  All other 64bit cards I had in my hands worked just fine 
in old 32bit 5V slots.  Check specs for the card.  Basically, you want 
to know if card is both 32 and 64 bit compatible, if it is 5V, 3.3V or 
both, and what version of PCI it supports (for example, I doubt PCI-X 
only card will work with your mobo).  It also helps if you can get photo 
of the card on the web, and visually compare notches on the connector 
with your PCI slot.  64-bit cards that work in standard 5V 32-bit slots 
must have two notches at the far end of connector (the end towards the 
motherboard) one to align with receptive point in the slot, and other to 
align with slot's end, take a look how your PCI slot looks like, use 
some logic, and that's it).  Most of them are also compatible with 3.3V 
slots and will have additional notch at the opposite end of connector 
(compared with standard "old" PCI cards) for that.  The notches will 
prevent you from inserting wrong type of card into the PCI slot (for 
example 3.3V-only card into 5V-only slot or vice versa).

-- 
Aleksandar Milivojevic <amilivojevic at pbl.ca>    Pollard Banknote Limited
Systems Administrator                           1499 Buffalo Place
Tel: (204) 474-2323 ext 276                     Winnipeg, MB  R3T 1L7