Conclusion...

The Adaptec ATA RAID 2400A is an impressive product. Save for issues with sequential write performance in a few configurations, the adapter's performance propels it right up there with the Escalade 6400 in the "best-performing ATA RAID card yet tested" category.

Readers may have noticed an "ATA RAID 2400A vs. Escalade 6400" theme. The reason, quite simply, is that these two cards rest far above and beyond any other ATA RAID offering from a performance standpoint. It's only natural that they be compared to each other.

Which card is better? It's not so simple, of course, even when limiting considerations solely to performance. Overall, the 2400A tends to perform better in RAID 0 and RAID 5 setups, while the Escalade takes the crown in RAID 1 and RAID 01. Price is another issue: the 2400A commands about $100 more than the Escalade 6400. Whether or not the performance advantage that the 2400A offers in the aforementioned configurations (along with its extra features such as online capacity expansion and cache support) is worth the extra cost is, of course, up to the reader.