jbloudg20
01-12-05, 09:36 AM
I, like many others, am fairly new to SCSI, as I mostly have experience in ATA interfaces. I decided to build a SCSI setup to broaden my computer knowledge. In this thread, my goal is to share my first time SCSI experiences, and what I encountered when I purchased and set up my drives.
I highly recommend you read Xaotic’s thread, SCSI 101 (http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=238643). I am assuming that you have a small idea about SCSI from reading that thread.
Why SCSI?
SCSI is usually used in servers, due to high reliability, data security, speed, and flexibility in setup options. However all of these reasons all make it good for desktop use as well. One of the main reasons that many choose to use SCSI is for its raw speed. There is no doubt; SCSI drives are the fastest mainstream hard drives available.
Why Not?
The major downside to using SCSI is the cost. New, fast drives can cost an arm and a leg. This is probably the biggest setback to a SCSI setup. It really boils down to your personal preference, though. I will break down the cost later, however suffice it to say that SCSI can cost a good deal more than a comparable SATA (see Raptor) setup.
The other downside to SCSI is the relatively complex setup and configuration. SATA is much easier to configure, however with sufficient research and guidance, SCSI is not all that complicated. There are a number of forum members here, that have been exceedingly willing to help me with my first SCSI drives.
SCSI vs. Raptor:
This seems to be a never-ending debate, and there are obviously supporters of both sides. There is no denying that the Raptor is fast. Very fast. However on the other end, SCSI drives are even faster, yet at an added cost. It really boils down to the user. Is it worth the added cost to know you have the fastest-on-the-block hard drive? I'll leave that up to you. Instead I'll describe why I chose SCSI.
My reasons for wanting a SCSI setup did not include bragging rights (although that is a plus :) ) or cost. I simply had never used SCSI before, and I wanted to broaden my computer knowledge. I wanted to gain some experience in an interface that the typical user (and many so called experts) had never been exposed to. Also, my motherboard (Shuttle AN35N- Ultra) does not natively support SATA, so either way I would have had to buy a controller card. It actually worked out that my SCSI setup cost less than a Raptor-SATA setup would have cost me.
I will sum it up this way, if your mother board supports SATA natively, and you do not have some desire to get your feet wet in SCSI, then a raptor is a great choice. If your motherboard does not support SATA, do not rule out SCSI, as with some smart shopping, a faster (yet probably smaller) SCSI drive will cost about as much.
The hardware...
The basic SCSI setup includes a:
1) Controller
2) Cable
3) Drive
4) Terminator
5) (Depending on setup) SCA adapter
The controller is the brain of the outfit, allowing the hard drive (or other SCSI hardware) to interface with the motherboard and the rest of the system. These cards range in price, from fairly inexpensive (about $30) to very expensive. They are available in many flavors such as a standard controller or RAID, and they include all the formats that are discussed in the SCSI 101 sticky.
The cable is pretty straightforward, it connects the peripherals to the controller card, and must have a terminator on the end.
The hard drive, or any peripheral, is what we are trying to connect to the system. In many cases, an 80 pin to 68 pin adapter will be necessary to connect our hard drives to our cables. I am discussing some of the newer drives using the Ultra 160, wide SCSI format.
The terminator is always at the end of our chain, and it reduces the amount of reflected data from interfering with the data paths to our devices. They are available in two varieties, active and passive. An active terminator uses a voltage regulator to control the amount of voltage that is reduced, where a passive terminator uses resistors.
Here is the layout of the setup I purchased:
Controller
The controller I purchased is a standard Ultra 160 controller. It is made by LSI, and does not support RAID, however it has very good performance for a decent price.
Cost: $30.99 at Newegg
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=16-118-009&depa=0
Cables
I purchased a standard 68 pin rounded SCSI cable from coolerguys.com. This specific cable has 4 total connectors, one for the controller, one for the terminator, and room for 2 devices.
Cost: $6.95
http://www.coolerguys.com/840556017486.html
Drive
I looked all around at drives, and I really didn’t know what I was looking for. Thankfully, Xaotic pointed me in the right direction. I purchased a refurbished Seagate Cheetah 15k RPM drive. My specific model has a 8mb buffer, and a theoretical seek time of 3.8 ms. Although it is only 18GB, it is plenty to hold Windows 2000, UT2k4, NFS:U, BF:V and still have almost 7GB free.
Cost: Refurbished: $74.99
https://www.serversupply.com/products/details/one_item.asp?itemkey=50701&partnum=ST318453LC
New: $199.99
http://www.pc-pitstop.com/scsi_hard_drives/ST318453LC/
SCA Adapter
This is your standard, run of the mill SCA adapter that converts 80pin to 68pin. It has a Molex connector for power, and jumpers to set the SCSI ID.
COST: $15.00
http://www.unityelectronics.com/product-product_id/1907
Terminator
This is just a simple SCSI 68pin terminator.
Cost: $4.50
http://www.coolerguys.com/840556028048.html
Total cost:
Refurbished: $127.93 (before shipping)
New: $252.93 (before shipping)
Construction
Here is a brief overview of how to install your items. I am assuming that you purchased the same items that I bought (or similar).
Before you start, make sure you have the latest drivers for your controller card. These are usually available at the manufacturer's website. The drivers must be placed on a floppy disk, so that they can be accessed when installing the operating system.
1) Turn off your computer and crack open the case.
2) Install the PCI controller in an open PCI slot.
3) Mount the hard drive in a 3.5” bay.
4) Connect the long end of the cable to the PCI controller.
5) Set the jumpers for the ID of the SCA adapter. If you are using only one device, then no jumpers are needed. If you are using more than one, each device ID must be set. The pins on the adapter are set up in binary. Refer to the sheet supplied with the SCA adapter.
6) Connect the SCA adapter to the SCSI cable, on of the middle connectors. Also attach a Molex to power the adapter.
7) Plug the adapter into the hard drive.
8) Connect the terminator to the last plug on the cable.
Installing the OS
Once you have completed the above steps, it is time to put the case back together and boot. Place your operating system CD into your CD drive, and make sure your computer is set to boot from CD in the BIOS. Once the Operating System begins to load, make sure you hit F6 to specify a RAID driver. Even though you may not be using Raid, this is the time to specify the drivers for your controller. If the drivers are installed correctly, you should be all set. Enjoy your SCSI setup!
Comments
I am very happy with my purchase overall. I have learned quite a lot about SCSI and how the interface works. I am also impressed with the speed. I spent less money on this setup than my friend did on his 74GB raptor. We tested our drives using HD TACH, and found that the Raptor had a seek time of 8.1 ms, where my Cheetah had a seek time of 5.8 ms. Again; I am not saying that SCSI is definitely better. All I am saying is that it was the right choice for me.
Praises
Special thanks to Xaotic, who helped me a great deal during the setup and purchase of my components. This man went above and beyond the call, and is an exemplary forum member.
Please inform me of any inaccuracies so I can fix them :) !
Noise: There is no doubt that a 15k RPM drive will produce more noise. However, I did not find it alarming, or annoying. I was able to deal with the noise, just not the extra heat in my case. I picked up a Vantec Vortex HDD cooler, available here. (http://www.frozencpu.com/hdc-19.html) This not only cooled my drive (to about 22C when the fan is on low, 15-18C on high) but made it significantly quieter. The drive is barely audible now.
Level Loading: (SCSI vs. Raptor)
As it is hard to present hard evidence of level loading times, all I can really say is that even though the test systems for gaming were different, loading times were ABOUT the same. I cannot give times or anything concrete, but I can say this: No matter which drive you choose, your loading times will decrese. That is to say, your levels will oad faster when compared to a 7200 RPM setup. This seems like an obvious statement, but the gain is significant.
I highly recommend you read Xaotic’s thread, SCSI 101 (http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=238643). I am assuming that you have a small idea about SCSI from reading that thread.
Why SCSI?
SCSI is usually used in servers, due to high reliability, data security, speed, and flexibility in setup options. However all of these reasons all make it good for desktop use as well. One of the main reasons that many choose to use SCSI is for its raw speed. There is no doubt; SCSI drives are the fastest mainstream hard drives available.
Why Not?
The major downside to using SCSI is the cost. New, fast drives can cost an arm and a leg. This is probably the biggest setback to a SCSI setup. It really boils down to your personal preference, though. I will break down the cost later, however suffice it to say that SCSI can cost a good deal more than a comparable SATA (see Raptor) setup.
The other downside to SCSI is the relatively complex setup and configuration. SATA is much easier to configure, however with sufficient research and guidance, SCSI is not all that complicated. There are a number of forum members here, that have been exceedingly willing to help me with my first SCSI drives.
SCSI vs. Raptor:
This seems to be a never-ending debate, and there are obviously supporters of both sides. There is no denying that the Raptor is fast. Very fast. However on the other end, SCSI drives are even faster, yet at an added cost. It really boils down to the user. Is it worth the added cost to know you have the fastest-on-the-block hard drive? I'll leave that up to you. Instead I'll describe why I chose SCSI.
My reasons for wanting a SCSI setup did not include bragging rights (although that is a plus :) ) or cost. I simply had never used SCSI before, and I wanted to broaden my computer knowledge. I wanted to gain some experience in an interface that the typical user (and many so called experts) had never been exposed to. Also, my motherboard (Shuttle AN35N- Ultra) does not natively support SATA, so either way I would have had to buy a controller card. It actually worked out that my SCSI setup cost less than a Raptor-SATA setup would have cost me.
I will sum it up this way, if your mother board supports SATA natively, and you do not have some desire to get your feet wet in SCSI, then a raptor is a great choice. If your motherboard does not support SATA, do not rule out SCSI, as with some smart shopping, a faster (yet probably smaller) SCSI drive will cost about as much.
The hardware...
The basic SCSI setup includes a:
1) Controller
2) Cable
3) Drive
4) Terminator
5) (Depending on setup) SCA adapter
The controller is the brain of the outfit, allowing the hard drive (or other SCSI hardware) to interface with the motherboard and the rest of the system. These cards range in price, from fairly inexpensive (about $30) to very expensive. They are available in many flavors such as a standard controller or RAID, and they include all the formats that are discussed in the SCSI 101 sticky.
The cable is pretty straightforward, it connects the peripherals to the controller card, and must have a terminator on the end.
The hard drive, or any peripheral, is what we are trying to connect to the system. In many cases, an 80 pin to 68 pin adapter will be necessary to connect our hard drives to our cables. I am discussing some of the newer drives using the Ultra 160, wide SCSI format.
The terminator is always at the end of our chain, and it reduces the amount of reflected data from interfering with the data paths to our devices. They are available in two varieties, active and passive. An active terminator uses a voltage regulator to control the amount of voltage that is reduced, where a passive terminator uses resistors.
Here is the layout of the setup I purchased:
Controller
The controller I purchased is a standard Ultra 160 controller. It is made by LSI, and does not support RAID, however it has very good performance for a decent price.
Cost: $30.99 at Newegg
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=16-118-009&depa=0
Cables
I purchased a standard 68 pin rounded SCSI cable from coolerguys.com. This specific cable has 4 total connectors, one for the controller, one for the terminator, and room for 2 devices.
Cost: $6.95
http://www.coolerguys.com/840556017486.html
Drive
I looked all around at drives, and I really didn’t know what I was looking for. Thankfully, Xaotic pointed me in the right direction. I purchased a refurbished Seagate Cheetah 15k RPM drive. My specific model has a 8mb buffer, and a theoretical seek time of 3.8 ms. Although it is only 18GB, it is plenty to hold Windows 2000, UT2k4, NFS:U, BF:V and still have almost 7GB free.
Cost: Refurbished: $74.99
https://www.serversupply.com/products/details/one_item.asp?itemkey=50701&partnum=ST318453LC
New: $199.99
http://www.pc-pitstop.com/scsi_hard_drives/ST318453LC/
SCA Adapter
This is your standard, run of the mill SCA adapter that converts 80pin to 68pin. It has a Molex connector for power, and jumpers to set the SCSI ID.
COST: $15.00
http://www.unityelectronics.com/product-product_id/1907
Terminator
This is just a simple SCSI 68pin terminator.
Cost: $4.50
http://www.coolerguys.com/840556028048.html
Total cost:
Refurbished: $127.93 (before shipping)
New: $252.93 (before shipping)
Construction
Here is a brief overview of how to install your items. I am assuming that you purchased the same items that I bought (or similar).
Before you start, make sure you have the latest drivers for your controller card. These are usually available at the manufacturer's website. The drivers must be placed on a floppy disk, so that they can be accessed when installing the operating system.
1) Turn off your computer and crack open the case.
2) Install the PCI controller in an open PCI slot.
3) Mount the hard drive in a 3.5” bay.
4) Connect the long end of the cable to the PCI controller.
5) Set the jumpers for the ID of the SCA adapter. If you are using only one device, then no jumpers are needed. If you are using more than one, each device ID must be set. The pins on the adapter are set up in binary. Refer to the sheet supplied with the SCA adapter.
6) Connect the SCA adapter to the SCSI cable, on of the middle connectors. Also attach a Molex to power the adapter.
7) Plug the adapter into the hard drive.
8) Connect the terminator to the last plug on the cable.
Installing the OS
Once you have completed the above steps, it is time to put the case back together and boot. Place your operating system CD into your CD drive, and make sure your computer is set to boot from CD in the BIOS. Once the Operating System begins to load, make sure you hit F6 to specify a RAID driver. Even though you may not be using Raid, this is the time to specify the drivers for your controller. If the drivers are installed correctly, you should be all set. Enjoy your SCSI setup!
Comments
I am very happy with my purchase overall. I have learned quite a lot about SCSI and how the interface works. I am also impressed with the speed. I spent less money on this setup than my friend did on his 74GB raptor. We tested our drives using HD TACH, and found that the Raptor had a seek time of 8.1 ms, where my Cheetah had a seek time of 5.8 ms. Again; I am not saying that SCSI is definitely better. All I am saying is that it was the right choice for me.
Praises
Special thanks to Xaotic, who helped me a great deal during the setup and purchase of my components. This man went above and beyond the call, and is an exemplary forum member.
Please inform me of any inaccuracies so I can fix them :) !
Noise: There is no doubt that a 15k RPM drive will produce more noise. However, I did not find it alarming, or annoying. I was able to deal with the noise, just not the extra heat in my case. I picked up a Vantec Vortex HDD cooler, available here. (http://www.frozencpu.com/hdc-19.html) This not only cooled my drive (to about 22C when the fan is on low, 15-18C on high) but made it significantly quieter. The drive is barely audible now.
Level Loading: (SCSI vs. Raptor)
As it is hard to present hard evidence of level loading times, all I can really say is that even though the test systems for gaming were different, loading times were ABOUT the same. I cannot give times or anything concrete, but I can say this: No matter which drive you choose, your loading times will decrese. That is to say, your levels will oad faster when compared to a 7200 RPM setup. This seems like an obvious statement, but the gain is significant.