I have an Intel D955XBK motherboard on my present computer and wondering about what type of a raid you are using.
I have it set up using 4 400 GB Seagate 16meg buffer drives using the onboard RAID controller but I was then thinking I should have used my old Adaptec controller instead.

http://www.intel.com/products/mother...5xbk/index.htm

It is using this technology:
http://www.intel.com/design/chipsets...storage_sb.htm

This is the controller I have.
http://www.adaptec.com/worldwide/pro...ID+Controllers

Also I am currently using a 650-watt power supply but sometimes get a low voltage warning popup. I have not checked to see what the available current on the +12-volt rail are but I might not have enough.
It has to power 6 HD's, 2 DVDRW's, 5 case fans, water pump and fan in the water cooler and I think there is a connector on my video.

Have you seen one of these?
I can get this for around $400.00, claim it puts out 66 amps on the +12 volt rail.
http://www.pcpowercooling.com/produc...1KW&view=about
Guess I should have installed a 150-amp alternator on my computer also..
Jim

 

in pc power supplies, brand has a lot to do with the actual output, el cheepo psu leads to instability, I do not think you need to spend 400 bux on a new one, you should be able to get a good antec with that rating for less or another heigh end brand with plenty of power on all the rails. 400 is a lot of money, tru you have a lot of stuff but not enough to warrant that kind of amperage sheesh, thats almost three times the amperage at max draw of my 200 psi rated 12 volt compressor.

 

If it is putting out it's rated power, 650watt should be plenty. As far as raid goes. raid 0 is fast but if one drive has problems all your data is gone. If you do a raid 0+1 you'll have the speed and mirroring of raid 1, but you'll have to sacrifice two drives to serve as mirror drives. But this is the best way to have total backup security.

 

On water cooled PC's I usually look into getting a dual power supply case- with power supplies where each one is sufficient to run the 'puter. While running on both power supplies (each on it's own UPS) the power supply isn't stressed, stays cool and the fan isn't trying to make the case fly away.

Just my 2c

AlpineRAM

 

I checked the specs on my power supply and it is:
Enermax 651W
+5 V 46 amps
+12 V 24 amps
+3.3 V 40 amps
-5V 1 amp
-12V 1 amp

So I think the power supply might not be the problem, the alarm threshold might be set too low, Ill have to check the history.
I have a spare 400 watt Antec power supply I was going to use for the cooling system but it is still in the to do list.
I have the computer and the DVR server both on the same UPS along with the router, modem, fax machine and digital clock. Never had a problem with the power infact about 2 weeks ago the power went about 2:00 A.M and when the power was restored around 8:00 A.M the remaining power readout was still at 88% I also had a compact florescent light plugged in for light.
My computers run 24/7.
My UPS is a BEST Fortress 3.0 Kv. System and I have 2- 140ah additional battery cabinets connected for extended runtime.

About my RAID I am running the 4 drives as RAID1 mirrored but I was wondering about the protocol weather to use the Adaptec controller card or the onboard Intel Matrix Storage Technology controller.
Thanks Jim.

 

The Intel onboard should be better(newer?) if it is older than your adaptec card, use your card. The intel should be faster as it connects directly to the south bridge instead of being limited by the pci bus. Really, you will get about the same performance, but with the on board, you will have one less addin card to worry about. and if the onboard ever breaks you have a backup. Watercooling is not worth the price/risk. if one piece fails your system is toast. Just buy a nice air cooler and it will get the job done. Extra psu means extra heat, that kinda defeats the purpose of a water cooled system.

 

Water-cooling was the only cure to keep it cool due to the logistics, it is a 3.8 GHZ runs 24/7 and the perfect airflow is not available. Before I installed it the sound level was getting to the point where it was uncomfortable. The CPU fan would throttle up to 20,000 RPM as the heat went up. There are enough safeguards on my cooler including low coolant alarm to shut it down if the heat rises above a preset point. I have also modded the cooler with 1/2 water lines throughout.
The processor now runs at 90* and will go up to 100* if I push the CPU to 90%.
The extra power supply is to be mounted externally for the cooling.
The RAID I was just concerned that when I upgrade my motherboard the technology might change and I would be left with useless data on my drives where as the Adaptec is an older standard.
The Adaptec card is about a year old and is a SATA.
Jim

 

I thougt about the noise level after I posted. Thats the only real reason to go to water cooling. If your RAID card is SATA I don't think you'll have any problems over the next few years as ATA technology has just started. You can use 20 year old drives on new computers as long as they have ATA133 or below. SATA is 150 to 3gbs. All SATA is backward compatible. Like I said, the only reason not to use your RAID card is to clear up an expansion slot and cut down on a little heat. If the onboard RAID is SATA then you have two options. Use what you know works(your card) or use the onboard and risk losing data.

 

sorry, I forgot to tell you, I have had SATA RAID on my motherboard for about 3 years now. I still use IDE drives that use ATA133 interface. Not one problem. And one of the drives im my PC is probobly about 7 years old.