New PCI IDE controller or new mainboard - advice needed

When I access two IDE devices on a same channel, performance is low. I have
four devices and only two slots, so two of the devices are slave.
Primary master and secondary master are two new hard-disks, same type,
dynamic disks with software STRIPE partitions. Primary Slave is DVD-burner.
Secondary slave is the boot hard-disk.

What would you recomend me?
a/ Buy a new mainboard with four IDE channels?
+ it will support AGP8 (the current mainboard supports AGP4)
- is more expensive
- I may have problems activating windows 2003 ent server
b/ Buy a new PCI IDE controller?
+ it will support hardware RAID / STRIPE and I will probably be able to
boot from it (I currently use a software STRIPE on two dynamic disks).
+ It is cheaper
- I may have problems activating windows 2003 ent server

There will be 4 IDE devices and a 4 PCI devies changing its location. Two of
which are LAN cards. Should I notify Microsoft before changing the locations
of the hardware, so that they expect the hardware changes and activate
windows for me? I don`t care If I have to reinstall windows.



details:
/dev/hda : [0,0] Segate Baracuda 320GB 16 MB cache 7200rpm DMA5
/dev/hda : [0,1] Plextor PX-760A 2MB cache DMA4
/dev/hdc : [1,0] Segate Baracuda 320GB 16 MB cache 7200rpm DMA5
/dev/hdd : [1,1] Segate 40GB 2 MB cache 5400rpm DMA5



Thank you for any advice!




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Relevant Pages

  • New PCI IDE controller or new mainboard - advice needed
    ... When I access two IDE devices on a same channel, ... I may have problems activating windows 2003 ent server ... There will be 4 IDE devices and a 4 PCI devies changing its location. ... of the hardware, so that they expect the hardware changes and activate ...
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