For years enthusiasts looking to add a high performance RAID controller to their system have flocked to Areca Technology. Areca’s reputation was built on their ability to design and sell controller cards that were able to perform very well, especially in RAID 0, an array type that is mainly used by computer enthusiasts since it is the fastest array possible. Areca is in a sense the underdog of the HBA industry; LSI and Adaptec both have a majority of their sales going to system integrators and Areca HBAs are mostly found in DIY computer systems.

Today we are looking at the Areca ARC-1680X, a SATA/SAS controller that has two SFF-8088 external miniSAS connectors. The 1680X is a first generation SAS controller that still uses PCIe 1.0 8x to interface with your PC (or Mac).



Link: Tweaktown