Multi-channel RAID for SATA: 3Ware, Highpoint and Raidcore/Broadcom

Highpoint RocketRAID 1820A

The RocketRAID 1820A is a further development of the RocketRAID 1820 , which we already took a look at nine months ago. The controller is only available as an eight-channel version, based on the in-house HPT601 chip. In contrast to the 9500S from 3Ware, the RocketRAID 1820A even supports command queuing, because it is based on a native SATA design. But despite that it still relies on the system processor for parity data calculation in RAID 5, it remains one of the software XOR devices. Nor does it have any internal hardware cache; otherwise the cheapest price in this comparative test would have been unbeatable. Highpoint has designed the interface to the maximum dimensions, with the result that it is possible to run at up to 133 MHz bus speed in the appropriate PCI-X slot. For that reason the benchmark results - as far as transfers are concerned - turn out to be very good.

But, with the exception of automatic e-mail notification in the event of a defect, the Highpoint controller still lacks the higher-value features. For example, the customer is still denied online capacity expansion or the deployment of several controllers using a RAID-BIOS. The RocketRAID, on the other hand, in contrast to the 3Ware controller, can also be used in low-profile environments (2 HE).