Discussion RAID Card

[halcyon]

Does anyone have any experience with the Mac Pro RAID card? Is it worth adding to a MP with a hexacore processor as opposed to just using software RAID?

 

[hoshicat]

I just ordered this card from www.angelbird.com and installed it on my Mac, it works like a charm and boots from the card, I recommend it. http://www.angelbird.com/en/wings

 

[halcyon]

I just ordered this card from www.angelbird.com and installed it on my Mac, it works like a charm and boots from the card, I recommend it. http://www.angelbird.com/en/wings

Nice, I read about that card. If I may ask, how much did it set you [strike]back[/strike] ahead?

 

[hoshicat]

I bought a 3 60GB drive configuration, still got room for an extra drive, perhaps for time machine, I get about 700MBs read, which is awesome, and boots flawlessly on my mac pro 5,1

 

[halcyon]

I bought a 3 60GB drive configuration, still got room for an extra drive, perhaps for time machine, I get about 700MBs read, which is awesome, and boots flawlessly on my mac pro 5,1

Sweet...yet expensive.

I also have a MP 5,1 but I'm not sure I'm ready to add another $1K+ to it.

 

[hoshicat]

I spent slightly less, my configuration set me back around $780, you can also get cheaper configurations with 2 drives only and upgrade them later. You can bench also a 2 drive configuration if you want, if it's fast enough for you it would cost you even less and leave room for further improvement later.

 

[halcyon]

I spent slightly less, my configuration set me back around $780, you can also get cheaper configurations with 2 drives only and upgrade them later. You can bench also a 2 drive configuration if you want, if it's fast enough for you it would cost you even less and leave room for further improvement later.

Well, I currently have 2 OCZ 120GB Vertex 2 SSDs in software RAID and 2 WD V.Raptors in software RAID as well. I'm not sure the additional cost is justified unless performance increase is going to be super dramatic.

 

[hoshicat]

You can use your OCZ drives as modules if you want, and add another 2 identical drives in order to build a bigger and more powerful array. Make sure that you also buy some couplers if you are using, such in your case, third party drives.

 

[halcyon]

You can use your OCZ drives as modules if you want, and add another 2 identical drives in order to build a bigger and more powerful array. Make sure that you also buy some couplers if you are using, such in your case, third party drives.

Yeah, I'd considered that, thanks.

 

[wildwell]

In my experience, adding a RAID card to your MP tower will definitely deliver better performance than a software RAID, but you can also get hardware RAID performance for less $$$ with a quality external setup.

 

[halcyon]

I wish I could justify the cost on an AngelBird setup

 

[hoshicat]

I wish I could justify the cost on an AngelBird setup

I have bills to pay and I don't have money for a full setup. What I like about it is that I can buy it a chunk at a time and save some cash for more important things, such as eating or paying the rent. Not us all are millionaires, uh.