Dell RAID Cards

Aynjell · 11-18-09, 11:50 AM

What is the current impression on the Dell Perc 5/i?

Would you reccomend this raid controller for 4 1TB caviar blacks (in RAID 5)?

What should I pay for one?

is there a specific version of this card I should get?

I know I've seen it mentioned a lot around here, so figured I'd ask around.

visbits · 11-18-09, 08:26 PM

They are the best sata raid controller available. I would say that 4x1tb Raid5 would be fine. Don't pay more than $100 for one (I've seen them go with Battery and breakout cables for $100).

There is no specific version to look out for. There extremely picky about ram, there's a thread at overclock.net about what ram is supported.

SuperMiguel · 11-18-09, 09:34 PM

im selling mine if u need it...

neonblingbling · 11-19-09, 01:15 AM

I don't know if I would said the PERC 5/i is the best RAID controller around, but it is the best bang-for-buck RAID controller. I got a card, battery backup, and cables for $100 shipped. Haven't regretted it.

Would this array be for storage or will you have your OS on it or something? I would consider getting the WD green line if it is for a file server, only because greens are cheaper, uses less power/doesn't get as hot, and performance will probably be bottlenecked by the network anyway. If you already have the black drives, the 5 year warranty probably wont hurt...

I think one of the biggest things that lead me to purchasing a PERC 5/i instead of using a solution like FreeNAS is because of being able to expand existing arrays. Plus, I like how I can run Windows on it without having to dual boot or something. I like know I have a backup computer, since my laptop's XP installation crapped out the night before a final while I was studying (many of my notes were electronic).

Old Thrashbarg · 11-19-09, 07:41 AM

It's certainly not the best RAID controller out there, but it's the best you're gonna get for under $300 or so, and it's more than good enough for the average SATA RAID setup.

People aren't stressing the point enough, I don't think, so I will say: make sure to get one with the battery backup unit. The cache won't work without it, and the BBUs aren't very easy to find by themselves.

I don't know of any particular revisions of the 5/i to look out for, but do be careful... there are a couple similarly named cards that aren't as good. I believe they're called 5/e and 5/iR.

11-18-09, 11:50 AM	Thread Starter #1
Aynjell Member Join Date: Dec 2008	Dell RAID Cards What is the current impression on the Dell Perc 5/i? Would you reccomend this raid controller for 4 1TB caviar blacks (in RAID 5)? What should I pay for one? is there a specific version of this card I should get? I know I've seen it mentioned a lot around here, so figured I'd ask around. __________________ Do not break wind in the same room as a dark brother or sister; to do so is to invoke the wrath of Sithis. - Aynjell, in fond memory of Lucien LeChance
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11-18-09, 08:26 PM	#2
visbits Member Join Date: Jan 2009	They are the best sata raid controller available. I would say that 4x1tb Raid5 would be fine. Don't pay more than $100 for one (I've seen them go with Battery and breakout cables for $100). There is no specific version to look out for. There extremely picky about ram, there's a thread at overclock.net about what ram is supported. __________________ Using Ubuntu does not make you good with linux. HEATWARE
	QUOTE Thanks

11-18-09, 09:34 PM	#3
SuperMiguel Super User Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Florida, US	im selling mine if u need it... __________________ <(+_+)> §ûþê® (v)îgûê£ <(+_+)>
	QUOTE Thanks

11-19-09, 01:15 AM	#4
neonblingbling Member Join Date: Aug 2004	I don't know if I would said the PERC 5/i is the best RAID controller around, but it is the best bang-for-buck RAID controller. I got a card, battery backup, and cables for $100 shipped. Haven't regretted it. Would this array be for storage or will you have your OS on it or something? I would consider getting the WD green line if it is for a file server, only because greens are cheaper, uses less power/doesn't get as hot, and performance will probably be bottlenecked by the network anyway. If you already have the black drives, the 5 year warranty probably wont hurt... I think one of the biggest things that lead me to purchasing a PERC 5/i instead of using a solution like FreeNAS is because of being able to expand existing arrays. Plus, I like how I can run Windows on it without having to dual boot or something. I like know I have a backup computer, since my laptop's XP installation crapped out the night before a final while I was studying (many of my notes were electronic). __________________ [HEAT] - ~~Sony SZ650 /// T7500 /// 3 GB ram /// 8400M GS /// OCZ Vertex 2 60GB~~ ded :(
	QUOTE Thanks

11-19-09, 07:41 AM	#5
Old Thrashbarg Member Join Date: Sep 2007	It's certainly not the best RAID controller out there, but it's the best you're gonna get for under $300 or so, and it's more than good enough for the average SATA RAID setup. People aren't stressing the point enough, I don't think, so I will say: make sure to get one with the battery backup unit. The cache won't work without it, and the BBUs aren't very easy to find by themselves. I don't know of any particular revisions of the 5/i to look out for, but do be careful... there are a couple similarly named cards that aren't as good. I believe they're called 5/e and 5/iR.
	QUOTE Thanks

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