software vs hw hard on linux

Due to various third party issues, and the fact PG rules, we're planning
on migrating our deplorable informix db to PG. It is a rather large DB
with a rather high amount of activity (mostly updates). So I'm going to
be aquiring a dual (or quad if they'll give me money) box. (In my testing
my glorious P2 with a 2 spindle raid0 is able to handle it fairly well)

What I'm wondering about is what folks experience with software raid vs
hardware raid on linux is. A friend of mine ran a set of benchmarks at
work and found sw raid was running obscenely faster than the mylex and
(some other brand that isn't 3ware) raids..

On the pro-hw side you have ones with battery backed cache, chacnes are
they are less likely to fail..

On the pro-sw side you have lots of speed and less cost (unfortunately,
there is a pathetic budget so spending $15k on a raid card is out of the
question really).

any thoughts?

--
Jeff Trout <jeff(at)jefftrout(dot)com>
http://www.jefftrout.com/
http://www.stuarthamm.net/