For now, the fastest ATA setup is IBM Deskstar drives on a Pacific Digital DiscStaq ADMA controller card.. very very impressive performance.

Oooh, I'd not heard of those. Are they better than the 3ware kit then? (It seems to be 32/66 PCI for a start, and only 2 channels, whereas someone on LKML said his 8-channel 3ware could saturate 64/66 PCI.) Or is 3ware not an "ATA setup" within the meaning of the act? (ISTR the host perceives it to be a SCSI controller.)

Mind you, it is half the price of even the 2-channel 3ware.

Peter