SATA controller for Win 10 Software Riad

[theEmbark]

I've read thru a bunch of topics asking this question but I'm not really seeing an answer I feel comfortable with so I am sorry to ask but...

What is a decent SATA/SAS controller to use with WIn 10's software raid. I'd prefer a card that supports 8 drives. My budget is really as low as I can go to make this work. SATA 3 would be nice but if it's a huge price jump then SATA 2 will work. Can I get a few specific models? Maybe a SATA 3 option and a SATA 2 option so I can weight the cost factor.

I use LSI cards in most of my servers but am looking for something to add storage to my win 10 machine that is detached from my NAS units.

Thanks in advance,
Kevin

 

[Geekwad]

What is the proposed/ideal setup for the 8 drives?

 

[theEmbark]

What is the proposed/ideal setup for the 8 drives?

4 sets of RAID 1.

And thinking further honestly SATA 2 is fine. One day I'd like to move to all SSDs but can't afford it now.

Thanks,
Kevin

 

[Geekwad]

For simple mirroring, I've found Window's built-in solution to be completely adequate (and of course affordable). If storage is the purpose of the machine, a small SSD to host the OS is great, then mirroring pairs from there in disk utility works just fine.

If you're open to that, then you can minimize the size card you need as you can use some of the mobo slots to get where you need to go.

 

[theEmbark]

For simple mirroring, I've found Window's built-in solution to be completely adequate (and of course affordable). If storage is the purpose of the machine, a small SSD to host the OS is great, then mirroring pairs from there in disk utility works just fine.

If you're open to that, then you can minimize the size card you need as you can use some of the mobo slots to get where you need to go.

That's definitely the plan 😀 however my MOBO is already quite full of SSD drives :/. I might be able to make a 4 port card work if I use my eSATA ports as regular SATA ports. If that brings the cost down a bit I have no issue doing that 😀.

Thanks again,
Kevin

 

[Geekwad]

Ah, ok. I was thinking small separate machine not adding to a full house

Is any of it being regularly accessed, or is this purely long-term data backups?

 

[theEmbark]

Aw yeah sorry about that, I should have specified 😀.

I am a producer and need to a place to store my audio samples. The ones that are regularly accessed are on SSDs but I have a huge library that I would like to have access to from my main work station (this machine). So for the most part it is long-term data backup but I will be accessing the files for use. Just from time to time throughout the year depending on who is in the studio.

 

[Geekwad]

Got it. How about this one:

http://www.sybausa.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=64_77_85&product_id=160&filter=62

Not sure how low you wanted to go, but would work well for your long-term mirrored, limited access data storage. If it has to be PCIe x1, then there are other choices....