This is not directly unRAID related, but does anyone have experience with Intel 10GB NICs?

 

I need some uber-fast storage for a new project... and the size I need makes SSD prohibitively expensive.  In addition, the data in encrypted so the popular SSD controllers that give many SSDs their extra speed will give poor performance due to the uncompressible nature of the data.  I'm planning a 6-drive striped RAID 0 array, and need the fastest pair of NICs possible (within reason).

I have used the Intel x520 dual port adapters both in mezz card and PCIe card formats.  Probably 50-60 currently in use.  Solid card, no complaints.  The Emulex 10Gbe CNA are also good cards (though more pricey)

 

Use the twinax (called CU or copper sometimes).  $120 per cable total versus $60 for a 10gbe aqua fiber cable and at least $600 for the optical transciever at each end.

 

What type of motherboard are you going to be using to drive this?  The Intel x520 cards are 8x PCIe 2.0.  What type of switches on the other end?  If you are planning on actually pushing that much traffic, many cheaper 10Gbe switches will start to suffer from buffer over-runs.

Thanks.  It will be a dedicated link with no switches, and the mobos are Gigabyte with adequate slots... GA-890 and GA-MA790

Avoid cards with the chelsio chipset - or else be very careful with drivers under linux. We've had plenty of problems with them and their inbuilt tcp offload and traffic management engines.