SCSI RAID ?'s Please help

Hello, I have a question for the SCSI/RAID guru's out there. I am doing a lot of Java compilation, and I decided to install a RAID 0 system in my PC. Currently I am using IDE drives. I purchased an IBM ServeRAID 3 40Mb/s controller with 3 channels, and 3 IBM 9.1 Gb drives. The drives are 80Mb/s Ultrastar LVD drives, and I decided to get myself a RAID controller with 80Mb/s access and LVD capability (the drives can be configured to be SE standard drives, but why?).

So I got an ATTO PC2UL RAID controller that supports RAID 0, which has 1 internal channel and 1 external channel. It also has a pad where another internal connector to the 2nd channel would go on a different model. My questions are:

1. Would I get better performance from just using the 3-channel controller anyway, and configuring the drives for the lower speed connection? It's a full-size card but just barely fits.

2. Or should I connect the drives on one channel to the ATTO controller? Would it be possible to solder a micro-D 68-pin connector to the available pad, or is that just crazy talk ? Having just one cable would reduce case clutter. Oh yeah, I also have an Adaptec 2940UW with my CD-ROM attached, this will also be for attaching the CD-writer I will eventually get...

3. What's the best way to partition the disks? I would like to place the OS on one partition, and create a separate partition for swapping. I'll be using Windows 2000 Pro for this setup. So do I create 2 low-level partitions on each drive, and then set them up as separate stripe sets, or create one stripe set from the three drives and create partitions from the Windows disk administrator?

I already have the cables needed for connecting 3 drives to a single controller, I switched the order I had placed for single-device cables to get 1 4-device cable. And my wife has forbidden buying any more computer parts until I do something with all the ones I have (anyone need terminators?). I want to put together a Solaris Intel machine too, so I could always use the ServeRAID card for that.

I'm hoping someone with a working knowledge of RAID can help me out, since the more I learn about SCSI and RAID, I find something that makes me want to change what I have... and I'm going nuts!

TIA

P.S. I only have a 200W PS and I ran out of connectors, so I assume I'll need something bigger, at least 400W. Reading the latest review at THG, I want to go with an Antec or Enermax. Any suggestions? Oh yeah, I have an Intel 440BX board with a Celeron 850 CPU if that makes any difference.