Adaptec SCSI Card 29160 Review

[ArticleRobot]

Adaptec has been a well-known provider of SCSI I/O and RAID adapters and CD recording software for quite some time now. It's recently introduced their new line of Ultra160 SCSI adapters, and in this review we’ll be taking a look at the Adaptec SCSI Card 29160; the first model in its new line of Ultra160 SCSI adapters with a 64-bit PCI interface.

http://www.hardwarecentral.com/hardwarecentral/reviews/1728/

 

[N3uromancer]

I recently bought the 19160 card for my home machine, to go with a Atlas 10k I bought, The drive came as SCA(80 pin) and the card as 68pin..

I've tried 3 different types of convertors and two different drives, I just can't get them to work, the card doesnt see the drives.

And to make matters worse there's no Windows2000 drivers available yet. This doesn't shine well for Adaptec in my books, and the best their tech support geeks could muster was 'Your drive isn't designed to work with our card'.. jeez well I know that but they wouldnt make convertors if they didn't work.

If anyone is in a similar situation to me and knows something I don't, please do tell!

 

[appleabl]

Good information. I sure will hold off updating my adaptec 2940 u2w.

 

[Drakkhen]

You probably need this adapter - http://www.cablemakers.com/scsa-3720l.gif

This is what I had to do to get my 19160 to see some new Cheetah's that I had bought. I had some other SCA adapters and they didn't see the drives at all.

The above adapter is LVD specific.

Drakkhen

 

[dijonaise]

I recently purchased a 29160 and a cheetah x18, 18x or whatever, and have had zero problems. I'm very happy with the card. Does anyone know where I can find the SCSIBench 32 program? I quickly checked out Adaptecs site and couldn't find it.

 

[N3uromancer]

Thanks Drakkhen, I checked out the pic, and it looks sooooo similar to one I have, except the resistor has different colours (i know this means it's strength and the number next to the power socket is missing the LS on the end... Hmm.. I'll give it a go, I've nothing to lose expect another £50 .. gah.

thanks!

 

[Drakkhen]

Dijonaise, it should have come with your card, unless you got the oem version

Drakkhen

 

[dijonaise]

BAH! I did get the OEM. Oh well thanks for the help.

 

[FTetu]

Adaptec do not seem to consider the end user like your article suggest about the 19160. First, Adaptec do not make a card with only the chip supporting 160 for their costomer that have already a 2030cu (like me). second, try to find a LVD 68pin ultra160 internal connector of 1 foot and a single connector...impossible...You have to buy the whole kit or an incomplete kit. Adaptec made nothing for the upgrader or the single man's workstation.

 

[sscheppel]

Do the IEEE-1394 cards provide less CPU overhead also, or is SCSI still ahead of it in that respect?

 

[Pico940]

I’m currently running an Atlas 10k 68pin on a FirePort 40 SCSI card. I believe this to be a testimony to the Atlas’s backwards compatibility. However, needles to say, the performance I’ve seen, form HD Tack, says that it’s performing far behind an IBM 34GXP. The FirPort 40 isn’t an LVD controller. I’m looking to upgrade my controller card, however I don’t know what I should get.
Will getting an LVD card alone get the drives performance up where it should be? Or do I need to get a Ultra160 card to get the full performance of the drive. Is the Ultra160 only an increase in bandwidth or would I actually see a marked improvement over a 2940u2w. I’m assuming the lack of performance in my drive now is simple because it’s not on an LVD card. Is this correct?

I can get a 2940u2w for about $80. If I will see no increase in speed with a 39160 (or any other Ultra160 card for that matter) then I would rather get that.

What is this dual Ultra160 I see (Adaptec ASC-39160 and Tekram DC-390u3d)? I see that the Atlas 10k III will support Ultra320. Is that what Dual Ultra160 is?

Is there any real difference in Adaptec and Tekram?

Thank you all very much for taking time to read this.

 

[Tekram]

In regards to the difference between Our 160(Tekram)and Adaptec:

Cables are included only in Retail Box and Adaptec offer Bulk(Bag)& Retail kits. In regards to the prices, in general we are lower if you include the cost to buying the cables seperatly or retail kit.

We have two models: DC-390U3W and DC-390U3D
D-Dual Channel to supports up to 30 Ultra 160 LVD SCSI Drives. The W-Wide can support a combination of 30 (15-SE and 15-Ultra 160 LVD)Drives.

Performance is very close. We use LSI1010 SCSI ASIC. Driver support for Linux, Windows 2K, NT, 98SE & ME.

------------------
Tekram www.tekram.com

 

[dtsobel]

Adaptec's SCSI Cards are the industry standard for SCSI. I am a network engineer and would never use anything but Adaptec SCSI cards.

There is a company that makes cables and converters for SCSI including SCA to standard 68pin LVD connectors.

Their web site is http://www.scsi-cables.com/

They were the only one to make an internal termintor on a SCSI HVD Device that whent on the last connector.

 

[c0mmpl3x]

Will Adaptec 29160 controller work with an 80 pin lvd Hard drive(ULTRASTAR 18LZX). If not, could someone tell me which one will. and where i could find it at a low price. thank you.

 

[4x4.landie]

This is not really Adaptec's fault. SCA drives are meant to be used in SCA enclosures. The 80 pin cable has all the connections for power and SCSI ID selection as well as the 68 data pins.

You should have bought a drive with a 68 pin socket, standard power connector and jumpers to select SCSI ID

Regards

Jim H