NASLite Network Attached Storage

Have a MSI KM4M mobo that I'd like to put into a 4U rackmount case.

Problem is this MOBO only has PCI (32bit) slots.

I was planning on picking up a 3ware 8506 card but notice that these are PCI-X (64bit) cards. Seems that mobo's with PCI-X are harder to come by and more expensive.

Has anyone used a 8506 in a 32bit slot? Did it really affect performance that much?

Or any recomendations for SATA PCI 32bit 4 port Hardware Raid card that they've had good luck with. I plan on using this with 2 1TB WD SATA GREEN drives(RAID 1 - Mirror). Then I have 1 more 2TB drive that I'd either hang off that controller or use the SATA port on the MOBO.

Really wish the 3ware 9500 cards were supported.

Seems the struggle at putting together a new NAS box is finding an inexpensive HW raid controller and then building the system around that.

Thanks in advance folks, this forum is great!!!

The 3Ware 9500 series is fully supported now I am running a 9500s-12 and a 9550-8 and both perform admirably now that Ralph and Tony have sorted the large Array size issue out (you would of course need to use version x.62 of the SW to make full use of the card mind.

I have 12 drives hanging on the 9500s-12 running 11x1.5TB in R5 with 1x1.5TB as a hotspare and have had no probs at all with it.

Cant comment on performance hit going to a PCI 32 bit slot thought but I wouldnt have thought it would be to drastic

Crap, I thought the 3ware 9500 was a PCI (32 bit) card and readily available inexpensive via ebay... <ARGH> I hate looking at this stuff
I may just go with a 8500 and put it in a 32 bit slot and cross my fingers that it will work.

The 9500 will work in a PCI 32 bit slot

I picked up a 3ware Escalade 9500S-4LP off ebay last night for $44.99 with free shipping.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... K:MEWAX:IT

Hopefully it will work out. It should get here and I'll be doing the build next week and report how it goes.

I'm currently running NSL v2.11 02-2009 May have to look at upgrading I think that may be required to use the 1TB and 2TB drives?

Also on the 9500S card, I want to Raid-1 Mirror the 2 1TB drives and then I want to also add the 2TB drive which will be my MEDIA drive. Should I hang it off the 9500 card as just a single drive or hang it off one of the MOBO's 2 SATA ports?