|
U320 SCSI RAID CONTROLLER COMPARISON
Conclusion
First, let's tabulate and summarize the results
of all three cards:
HD Tach 3.0.1.0,
RAID-0, smallest stripe size, 8MB zones
|
Controller |
Burst Speed |
Random Access |
CPU Utilization |
Average Read |
Average Write |
| Adaptec 2230SLP |
194.6 MB/s |
5.9 ms |
3
% |
120.5 MB/s |
136.9 MB/s |
| LSI MegaRAID 320-2 |
97.3 MB/s |
6.0 ms |
2 % |
96.6 MB/s |
53.7 MB/s |
| LSI MegaRAID 320-2E |
121.0 MB/s |
5.8 ms |
4
% |
210.2 MB/s |
98.8 MB/s |
HD Tach 3.0.1.0, RAID-0, smallest stripe size, 32MB zones
|
Controller |
Burst Speed |
Random Access |
CPU Utilization |
Average Read |
Average Write |
| Adaptec 2230SLP |
179.5 MB/s |
6.0 ms |
2 % |
119.8 MB/s |
75.8 MB/s |
| LSI MegaRAID 320-2 |
96.5 MB/s |
6.0 ms |
1 % |
95.2 MB/s |
64.2 MB/s |
| LSI MegaRAID 320-2E |
79.1 MB/s |
5.9 ms |
4 % |
210.6 MB/s |
119.8 MB/s |
In the tests using the smallest stripe sizes, we see
Adaptec having an advantage of bursting large amounts of data. But in the
average reads and writes, the LSI 320-2E outperforms all.
ATTO Mark, RAID-0, smallest stripe
|
Length |
RAID Card |
|
Adaptec 2230SLP |
LSI MegaRAID 320-2 |
LSI MegaRAID 320-2E |
|
0.5 |
15300 |
2425 |
NOT TESTED |
|
17161 |
8834 |
|
1.0 |
30029 |
17371 |
|
32508 |
17246 |
|
2.0 |
54291 |
30285 |
|
53403 |
31351 |
|
4.0 |
84698 |
48087 |
|
62659 |
49638 |
|
8.0 |
124388 |
64702 |
|
88048 |
75113 |
|
16.0 |
132694 |
40334 |
|
129925 |
95653 |
|
32.0 |
167157 |
69723 |
|
165916 |
97069 |
|
64.0 |
184089 |
39945 |
|
179174 |
35620 |
|
128.0 |
202623 |
13723 |
|
242662 |
29051 |
|
256.0 |
209192 |
695 |
|
249784 |
4618 |
|
512.0 |
214880 |
696 |
|
254324 |
1321 |
|
1024.0 |
212784 |
475 |
|
242562 |
2474 |
HD Tach 3.0.1.0, RAID-0, largest
stripe size, 8MB zones
|
Controller |
Burst Speed |
Random Access |
CPU Utilization |
Average Read |
Average Write |
| Adaptec 2230SLP |
291.0 MB/s |
7.1 ms |
1 % |
82.6 MB/s |
109.1 MB/s |
| LSI MegaRAID 320-2 |
125.6 MB/s |
5.9 ms |
0 % |
131.7 MB/s |
44.9 MB/s |
| LSI MegaRAID 320-2E |
243.8 MB/s |
5.9 ms |
2 % |
201.3 MB/s |
44.6 MB/s |
HD Tach 3.0.1.0, RAID-0, largest stripe size, 32MB zones
|
Controller |
Burst Speed |
Random
Access |
CPU
Utilization |
Average
Read |
Average
Write |
| Adaptec 2230SLP |
321.1 MB/s |
6.0 ms |
1 % |
82.1 MB/s |
79.0 MB/s |
| LSI MegaRAID 320-2 |
133.4 MB/s |
6.0 ms |
2 % |
130.9 MB/s |
98.4 MB/s |
| LSI MegaRAID 320-2E |
121.0 MB/s |
5.8 ms |
4 % |
210.2 MB/s |
98.8 MB/s |
LSI MegaRAID 320-2E
512MB cache |
218.1 MB/s |
6.7 ms |
3 % |
200.7 MB/s |
72.6 MB/s |
With the largest stripe sizes, we see some strange
results. Adaptec again leads the pack in higher burst rates, but struggles
in the average reads and writes except in the 8MB zone write test. LSI's
320-2E again wins in those categories, but not with 512MB cache.
ATTO Mark, RAID-0, largest stripe
|
Length |
RAID Card |
|
Adaptec 2230SLP |
LSI MegaRAID 320-2 |
LSI MegaRAID 320-2E |
|
0.5 |
17289 |
6256 |
NOT TESTED |
|
17417 |
6400 |
|
1.0 |
32845 |
9021 |
|
34236 |
12360 |
|
2.0 |
57499 |
11567 |
|
55451 |
22864 |
|
4.0 |
97686 |
12684 |
|
60616 |
53888 |
|
8.0 |
145610 |
26230 |
|
77652 |
92274 |
|
16.0 |
193645 |
184494 |
|
103979 |
187241 |
|
32.0 |
232360 |
224611 |
|
148569 |
256010 |
|
64.0 |
261888 |
229712 |
|
182722 |
262528 |
|
128.0 |
276133 |
233132 |
|
198351 |
257472 |
|
256.0 |
272733 |
236184 |
|
265777 |
251030 |
|
512.0 |
293601 |
151793 |
|
268761 |
161708 |
|
1024.0 |
307305 |
5214 |
|
246120 |
2833 |
HD Tach 3.0.1.0, RAID-1, 8MB
zones
|
Controller |
Burst
Speed |
Random
Access |
CPU
Utilization |
Average
Read |
Average
Write |
| Adaptec 2230SLP |
305.4 MB/s |
6.8 ms |
1 % |
82.0 MB/s |
110.4 MB/s |
| LSI MegaRAID
320-2 |
131.9 MB/s |
4.9 ms |
2 % |
112.5 MB/s |
32.9 MB/s |
| LSI MegaRAID
320-2E |
200.2 MB/s |
5.0 ms |
2 % |
113.6
MB/s |
45.8 MB/s |
HD Tach 3.0.1.0, RAID-1, 32MB zones
|
Controller |
Burst Speed |
Random Access |
CPU
Utilization |
Average Read |
Average Write |
| Adaptec
2230SLP |
316.2 MB/s |
6.7 ms |
1 % |
93.5 MB/s |
93.2 MB/s |
| LSI MegaRAID
320-2 |
132.4 MB/s |
4.9
ms |
2 % |
112.7 MB/s |
33.4 MB/s |
| LSI MegaRAID
320-2E |
199.9 MB/s |
4.9
ms |
2 % |
113.5 MB/s |
43.7 MB/s |
Again, Adaptec wins the burst tests, but also the average
write speed test. The LSIs are close in their average read speeds, but the
320-2E comes out on top. It seems Adaptec's RAID-1 write algorithm is more
optimized than LSI's, whereas LSI's read algorithms are better than Adaptec's.
Its also important to point out that the LSI Random Access times are much faster
in RAID-1 than in the RAID-0 tests, and slower for Adaptec.
ATTO Mark, RAID-1
|
Length |
RAID Card |
|
Adaptec 2230SLP |
LSI MegaRAID 320-2 |
LSI MegaRAID 320-2E |
|
0.5 |
16708 |
6384 |
NOT TESTED |
|
17289 |
9088 |
|
1.0 |
31565 |
15402 |
|
34492 |
18176 |
|
2.0 |
58011 |
29188 |
|
54939 |
36024 |
|
4.0 |
94087 |
33027 |
|
69658 |
60315 |
|
8.0 |
137968 |
9731 |
|
111099 |
93620 |
|
16.0 |
187241 |
117996 |
|
136944 |
133023 |
|
32.0 |
224055 |
121384 |
|
142606 |
133686 |
|
64.0 |
251658 |
126919 |
|
149499 |
82443 |
|
128.0 |
272733 |
125515 |
|
158986 |
132888 |
|
256.0 |
272062 |
92777 |
|
180048 |
112383 |
|
512.0 |
287140 |
13005 |
|
244328 |
87671 |
|
1024.0 |
297526 |
2680 |
|
247329 |
78398 |
ATTO Mark, Software RAID-0
|
Length |
RAID Card |
|
Adaptec 2230SLP |
LSI MegaRAID 320-2 |
LSI MegaRAID 320-2E |
LSI MegaRAID 320-2E
512MB cache |
|
0.5 |
16539 |
4245 |
6083 |
5971 |
|
16905 |
6179 |
12234 |
12010 |
|
1.0 |
31742 |
5873 |
6541 |
6925 |
|
33357 |
11795 |
41490 |
38674 |
|
2.0 |
58523 |
6415 |
6462 |
6557 |
|
54497 |
25423 |
77545 |
79081 |
|
4.0 |
93298 |
7281 |
13556 |
7097 |
|
68472 |
42967 |
120512 |
119488 |
|
8.0 |
140011 |
62194 |
126925 |
115447 |
|
102455 |
78805 |
178914 |
177764 |
|
16.0 |
170588 |
103979 |
101733 |
63860 |
|
147120 |
136269 |
244916 |
250834 |
|
32.0 |
213112 |
191306 |
183893 |
204908 |
|
169604 |
253512 |
255381 |
261696 |
|
64.0 |
237916 |
173130 |
237336 |
244328 |
|
207638 |
261888 |
260616 |
260046 |
|
128.0 |
256203 |
234295 |
232555 |
243269 |
|
233132 |
261888 |
256203 |
258111 |
|
256.0 |
264468 |
229712 |
216480 |
228039 |
|
262528 |
252472 |
249784 |
253704 |
|
512.0 |
270072 |
171864 |
191027 |
191501 |
|
252472 |
190086 |
212784 |
209192 |
|
1024.0 |
274763 |
13148 |
75309 |
5912 |
|
240861 |
9732 |
15008 |
2972 |
Using software-based disk
striping, Adaptec performed much better than
either of the LSI cards, even with 512MB of
cache.
This is a tough call. But the edge slightest would have to go to the
LSI 320-2E for its slightly more flexible and updated design. Kudos to the
Adaptec 2230SLP for its great performance and low-profile form factor, but its
PCI-X interface is dated and not present in many of today's more common
non-server motherboards.
Adaptec 2230SLP
LSI MegaRAID SCSI 320-2E
|
