SATA raid controllers- Jmicron JMB363 vs nVidia MediaShield 3

[AP81]

Hi guys,

I recently bought an ASUS M2N-SLI DELUXE with the nForce 570 chipset (

http://www.asus.com.au/products.aspx?l1=3&l2=101&l3=301&l4=0&model=1160&modelmenu=2)

and found that the board has two raid controllers:
an nVidia raid controller and a JMicron JMB363 controller.

I was going to set up raid-0 but was wondering which is the better of the two to use? It would save me the hassle of testing both controllers if someone already knows.

I haven't used either, but my guess would be the nVidia raid controller is better.

Any ideas?

 

[AP81]

Hmm, looking at the manual it states the the nVidia raid is integrated via the southbridge chipset.

Wouldn't this mean that the nVidia raid would have more CPU overhead?

 

[ASG0856]

Looking at Wikipedia, and the 'normal' layout, I don't think it would make a difference, as, if I understand it correctly, the Southbridge is the I/O Hub for all RAID controllers, if available.

 

[kjv1611]

I know that on at least an Abit board that I have (AB9 Pro), the JMicron has caused some issues for people when using RAID mode, so I'd go with nVidia unless you just want to do the testing between the two.

If both work with no issues, I seriously doubt there'd be much difference between the two. If you had an Intel chipset, on the other hand, I'd suggest the Intel chipset - just based on reviews I've read - never actually took the time to compare, myself.

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me

 

[kmcferrin]

Hmm, looking at the manual it states the the nVidia raid is integrated via the southbridge chipset.

Wouldn't this mean that the nVidia raid would have more CPU overhead?

No. In the old days it was quite common for SB-integrated components to be "software-based" devices, meaning that they used the CPU to do the computations instead of having dedicated logic. This isn't the case with most systems these days, and certainly not on enthusiast boards like the one listed here.

However, IIRC there is an Intel Matrix RAID product that does rely on host processing for RAID functionality, which means that it could be slower AND your choice of OS will be more limited (think back to the old "WinModem" days).

 

[wahnula]

nVidia is simply a more robust controller. In my P5W-DH the JMicron controller is more for SATA optical drives and eSata, I have noticed a little squirrelly behavior with it in the past. They also don't have nVidia's track record or history of stability and quality.

PLEASE plan how you are going to recover from disaster when, not if, the RAID 0 array tanks. Anyone that stores precious data on a RAID 0 array without backing it up at least daily is doomed to haunt forum528...

Tony

"Buy what you like, or you'll be forced to like what you buy"...me

 

[AP81]

Thanks for all the input, nVidia it is then. Simple to set up too.

I am still confused with the JMicron controller...
The JMicron controller only has one SATA connector??? How do I raid that (not that I want to)???

 

[AP81]

I found on another site:

the JMicron RAID controller is for the 1 external SATA connection + 1 internal SATA connection.

Why on earth would you want a raid setup with one of the drives outside of your case? Maybe a raid mirror, but still, it seems silly.

 

[wahnula]

AP81,

My board has the same config. The manual mentions using the JMicron and nVidia controller together to configure a RAID 10 array. I presume that means RAID 0 is set up on both arrays and then mirrored. The JMicron RAID's second drive does not need to be external, the cable will run out the back and plug into the SATA port, still kind of goofy.

But, that lone SATA port on the inside is valuable, you can use it to run a SATA optical drive or another HDD. Mine holds a Raptor HDD loaded with Vista Ultimate. Should I ever feel the need for a little frustration, I press F8 during POST for a boot device popup and boot to Vista.

Tony

"Buy what you like, or you'll be forced to like what you buy"...me

 

[kjv1611]

[copy]
Mine holds a Raptor HDD loaded with Vista Ultimate. Should I ever feel the need for a little frustration, [/copy]

[ROFL]

I can agree with that one!

Vista showed that a company can actually make one product that does everything, mostly, very well and very easily, and then release an "upgrade" that is a new learning experience in patience.

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me