September 8, 200718 yr In another thread I am having all sorts of problems with my SATA1 TX4 cards. So ive started looking for a different manufacturer that produces a viable alternative. I found a: Supermicro 8 Port SATA 2 Card (PCI/PCI-X) AOC-SAT2-MV8 http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/ProductInfo.asp?WebProductID=258223 http://www.supermicro.com/products/accessories/addon/AoC-SAT2-MV8.cfm Which wont break the bank and "may" be RAID free. Anyone know if this is a viable option for unRAID users to consider? Supermicro's SAT2-MV8 SATA controller (based on the Marvell Hercules-2 Rev. C0 SATA host controller) provides 8-port SATA HDD support via 64-bit PCI-X bus interface with high-performance features. Serving as a 2nd generation SATA storage card, the AOC-SAT2-MV8 offers double the data transfer rate of its 1st generation counterpart and offers functionalities for server, workstation and network storage environments in a low-profile PCI platform. The SAT2-MV8 is ideal for storage arrays for Network Attached Storage (NAS) and Nearline Backup. Built with superior quality and features, the SATA-MV2 will become an integral part of today's data storage solutions. The SAT2-MV8 Installation CD contains drivers for 32-bit and 64-bit Microsoft Windows and RedHat/SuSE/Fedora Linux operating systems. Key Features • 8-channel Serial-ATA adapter with 300MB/s per channel • 64-bit PCI-X interface • Software RAID supported Other Features Benefit Affordable, easy-install, eight-port Serial-ATA card Key Application Storage arrays for Network Attached Storage (NAS) and Nearline Backup Device Support Up to 8 Serial-ATA disk drives, activity LED indicated for each drive (LED cables not included) Data Transfer Rates Up to 3.0 Gigabits/sec per port RAID Software RAID suported Bus Type 64-bit PCI-X133MHz Internal Connectors 8 Serial ATA connectors Cables in Kit 8 x 2-ft Serial-ATA cables Physical Dimensions PCI ( standard & low-profile bracket); 2.5" H x 6.6" L Operating Temperature 0 to 55° Celsius Power Requirements 0.7 amps @ +5V Warranty 2 Years Limited Warranty
September 8, 200718 yr Author No but according to: http://www.supermicro.com/support/faqs/faq.cfm?faq=3932 Question In one of your FAQs I found in the support page; it says that the DAC-SATA-MV8 works in both 64-bit and 32-bit PCI slots. Does this information also apply to the AOC-SAT2-MV8 controller? Answer Yes, both will work in the 64-bit and 32-bit slots.
September 9, 200718 yr Yes it appears that card is supported. The current 4.2-beta3 (and below) does not have the driver built, but we will include it in the -beta4 release. Also found a post where apparently the card will work in a standard 32-bit PCI bus: http://groups.google.com/group/muc.lists.freebsd.questions/browse_frm/thread/18e47f7e51223821/98274da8e27ade30?lnk=st&q=SAT2-MV8&rnum=2#98274da8e27ade30
September 9, 200718 yr Author Excellent. This card is quite hard to find where i live however the per port count cost is much lower than a Promise SATA300 TX4 (approx 50%) so it may be an interesting option to some users.
September 9, 200817 yr Has anyone tested this card with 4.3.3? I'm assuming that the driver is now built in as Tom indicated it would be. I just want to make sure before ordering it. For those who have tried this card, are there any issues with hard drive temps or passing SMART info from the drives?
September 9, 200817 yr I'm running one of these cards with no problems. Have had no problems with drive temps. The only problem I have is when running a parity check then the card will slow down speeds as it is on the pci bus. Other than that I like the card. I have a couple of 1 terabyte drives on it & it works. Phil
September 9, 200817 yr I'm running one of these cards with no problems. Have had no problems with drive temps. The only problem I have is when running a parity check then the card will slow down speeds as it is on the pci bus. Other than that I like the card. I have a couple of 1 terabyte drives on it & it works. Phil Agree. Works fine with 4.3.3. 8 would be painful for parity checks. 5-6 is about the max I'd go. Put the smallest drives on this controller if you can. Put parity on a motherboard or PCI-E controller.
September 9, 200817 yr Put the smallest drives on this controller if you can. Put parity on a motherboard or PCI-E controller. Very good advice, this should be in the FAQ somewhere.
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