I use badblocks for a full write/read pass and then check SMART data through smartmontools afterwards.
How comfortable are you with Linux? Do you have a spare PC (or can dedicate a PC) to Linux while testing HDDs?
Are you connecting the Areca to the expander with a SFF-8088/SFF-8088 cable, or did you reroute a SFF-8087 off the card? If the latter, try the former. People have reported problems daisy chaining another expander off the internal one that the ix models use. I don't have any -ix cards, only LP...
Do you really need 25% free space? I don't worry about longevity / write amplification etc. I figure by the time it matters, you can just get a replacement.
Steelseries 6GV2, out of warranty by a few months.. gr.
Multiple keys will randomly repeat when pressed (IE, pressing the "t" key will sometimes result in numerous "t"s).
Does this sound somehow repairable, or should I just write off the keyboard? It's very annoying, having to constantly...