Help me choose a raid card please

[jimmyrules712]

I'm setting up a computer that will be doing backups for a server and I plan on putting two seagate 320 GB hard drives in it running raid 1.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a quality raid 1 capable controller card?

Would this be one of my better options?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816110002

[EzyStvy]

I will not use anything BUT an Adaptec.
http://www.pcmech.com/forum/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=1292901

[jimmyrules712]

so this then?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816103059

[glc]

I was more referring to a RAID 5 - if all you want is a simple mirror, use the motherboard controller.

Why are you looking at RAID at all for that use? A mirror is not worth it - if you are really concerned about redundancy, put one of those 320's in an external housing and copy the backups to it for offsite storage.

[jimmyrules712]

well I want it to be redundant automatically without me needing to do any extra work.

If I can just buy a cheap raid card that can handle raid 0 then I would say it's worth it.

And the motherboard that this card would be going into doesn't have an onboard raid controller.

[glc]

RAID 0 is not redundant - if one drive goes the whole array goes.

RAID 1 is redundant - but if the file system corrupts both drives will be corrupt.

A good external housing costs the same or less than a good RAID card.

If all you want is a card that will do RAID 1, no need for the advanced features of Adaptecs. Just don't go too cheap, and I've had the best luck with Silicon Image (SIL) based cards.

[XenaWP]

Is there a big advantage over using the mobo's RAID capabilities?

A8N5X
Performance 939 Board for Everybody
- AMD Socket 939 Athlon 64 X2/Athon 64 FX/Athlon 64
- NVIDIA® nForce™ 4
- PCI Express Architecture
- Serial ATA RAID....

(http://www.asus.com/products4.aspx?modelmenu=1&model=596&l1=3&l2=15&l3=207)

[glc]

I don't think he is using the system in his sig.

And the motherboard that this card would be going into doesn't have an onboard raid controller.