-Inexpensive -Easy to Install (but not 100% PNP, I did have to install drivers) -Fast, does not seem to be slower than plugging directly to the motherboard controller
-Recognized directly with Truenas -Well packaged in a plastic case to protect the card in shipping.
Fast, Stable, Quick booting.
Easy to use software and configuration tools
Works out-of-the-box with various Linux distros using 4.x kernel (currently Debian Stable) Works well with mdadm Simple settings Works well/reliably/as advertised
Excellent performance. Easy install comes with a low profile bracket. Excellent configuration software for Windows featuring both a command line application and windows GUI. Perfect if you need to script remote control of RAID array. Update to date drivers for the latest operating systems. Supports creation of very large arrays.
It worked with no fuss: shut down ubuntu, popped in the card, hooked up a drive, powered up and there it was in the drives app.
-Bought this to replace failed MegaRAID card on an old server. I did not want to reconfigure my RAID arrays (3xRAID1, 1xRAID10) -Installed new card everything booted including my RAID arrays. Just as I was hoping. -Free advice to anybody with significant storage array: Make sure you have backups and make sure you have tested your restore procedures. I was able to restore all of my storage (~10TB) to cobbled together server and limp along until the replacement card arrived. -Yep, I know I should replace the entire server. I bought it used, 8 years ago, this is the first time a component failed.
Easy install, worked fine in a second PCIe x8 (x16 running at x8) slot next to another adaptec controller. Great performance. Excellent price.
This card replaced three 8 disk SAS cards in my system. This card simply just works without any issue. I have been running it for about 8 months with 21 data disks and 3 parity disks in a FlexRAID configuration that recalculates parity every 24 hours. Given how dynamic some of my data is the parity recalculation cycles can be a couple hours long and this card is rock solid with that really heavy i/o.
easy set up
I did benchmarks running a SSD drive hooked up to SATA II, SATA III with no drivers and SATA III with drivers. Wow is all I can saw with this card. My speeds went from 100k to 500k to 3M megs per second on the read and writes. Use to take 10 min to boot now at 3min total time.
Card boots just fine, I have two 15000 rpm 256 gig sas drives in a raid 0 striped array, wie 6.5.