3ware 9650SE-12ML SGL Pci-e Sataraid -

Pros:Lots of drivesCan handle up to 8 TB drives after firmware is updatedHigh data transfer rateStable RAID's.Fast rebuild and verificationAbility to change priority between performance and rebuild/verify.Replaced BBU battery after four years.RAID is stored on drives, if controller dies, a replacement 3ware controller will pick it up without issue.Cons:Only 12 drives without SAS expander.BBU hardware is expensive, but necessary for most reliable and fastest performance.I've slowly expanded capacity over the years, both in number of drives and drive size. In my original case, I've twelve 3 TB drives. In my backup case, twelve 4 TB drives. Both in RAID 5 for a total of 30 and 40 TB's of storage respectively.Recently had issues with the primary card dropping lane 1. After 9 years of life with no issues, that is not bad. Purchased this as an exact replacement for $90, installed it, upgraded firmware via the CLI, then plugged in the drives, RAID was recognized without issue. Currently running a full backup to a new local backup system (the 40 TB), moving data at about 955-990 Mbps. Both systems have a 9650SE-12ML.In a few years as space is required, I'll swap out the 3 and 4 TB drives with 8 TB's.