This is insane!

Dustbak · September 19, 2011, 08:15:24 AM

I just finished up my new MacPro. A true Maczilla. Processing files from my H4D60 towards tiff takes appr. 8 seconds per file!!

Check out the sustained write speeds. 3 SSD drives in RAID5 (waiting for the 4th) on an Areca 1880.

mharvey65 · September 19, 2011, 10:26:42 AM

Ouch!

What excuse do you use for having a lunch break?

Michael

Dustbak · September 19, 2011, 05:44:05 PM

Euh... lunch

jeffbnz · September 19, 2011, 08:50:33 PM

is it rude to drool in a forum???

Jeff

ette · September 20, 2011, 08:10:42 PM

Quote from: jeffbnz on September 19, 2011, 08:50:33 PM
is it rude to drool in a forum???

BWAAAA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

Andy Johnson-Laird · September 21, 2011, 04:40:46 AM

I just ordered up YAMP (Yet Another Mac Pro). I decided to go with the Apple RAID card and stuff it with four 2TB WD drives. I'm going to use a HighPoint RocketRAID 2314 to allow me to have the OS and apps on a Corsair 256GB SSD that's actually inside the case -- I couldn't find anyone who makes a SATA adapter with an internal connector that also can provide the ability to boot off the drive so I connect the SSD to the RocketRAID via a SATA/eSATA cable and loop the cable back inside the system box (ugly, but effective). I'll use 32GB of OWC RAM. Not sure there's benefit to going to more than 32GB. I'll be using it for video editing as well as still images.

So, Dustbak, whose SSDs did you use for the RAID? Also which Areca controller are you using, please?

Thanks
Andy.

Dustbak · September 21, 2011, 07:21:42 AM

Andy,

Don't get the Apple RAID card! It is expensive and slow. It also does not go beyond the 500MB/s barrier.

Go to http://www.maxupgrades.com for an adapter in which you can put 8 SSD drives. The adapter fits in the empty super drive bay. You can take one of the S-Ata plugs on the main board and use that one for your boot SSD (the other goes to the optical drive). Maxupgrades also sells a backplane to be able to use another RAID card besides the Apple one and still use the internal bays (actually I have one for sale including the RAID card).

I use Areca, I currently use the 1880 and before that the 1210 (Which I have for sale). These cards are pretty fast but also have the reputation of being the ones with the least amount of issues with Mac's.

I have 48GB in my MacPro (12-core 2.93ghz). For the RAID I used the Vertex 3 made by OCZ. In your case I would use the OWC SSD's (the newer ones) since your are already located in the US. You would like to have SSD's with the Sandforce controller that have no benefit from TRIM when you want to use SSD's in RAID (you loose TRIM anyway and in that case the GC of the Sandforce is pretty good).

BTW, you also have to be very careful with the WD drives. With the exception of the RE (Raid Editions) they have TLER disabled causing these drives to be regarded as dropped by your RAID card when even a small error occurs. Very annoying. I have some WD Black caviars and this is my 3rd set. All of them got bad blocks after 6 months of heavy usage. With my current knowledge I would opt for the Hitachi drives. The 3TB 7200RPM drives are as fast as the black caviars, more silent, have TLER enabled, are cheaper and more reliable (IMO).

iamwillp · February 03, 2012, 06:28:09 AM

Hey Dustbank

This is really exciting!! I've just taken the plunge and YAMP'ed my way into the red. I ordered the 12 core 2.93GHz, should arrive next week. I'm getting 94G Ram from OWC and was also going to raid 4 x 480 SSD's together in the 4 bays.... Then a friend posted me a link to your post.

As I understand it you've installed the - MaxConnect for MacPro 8x - 2.5 inch Disk Drives Optical Drive Bay Disk Mounting Assembly as shown here -

http://www.maxupgrades.com/istore/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&product_id=190

And this card - Areca ARC-1880x

I've been talking with OWC and they recommend this card MAXPower RAID mini-SAS 6G-1e1i - http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Newer%20Technology/MXPRMS6G1E1I/

Do you have any experience with this card?

Thanks

Will

NickT · February 03, 2012, 08:11:16 AM

Quote from: iamwillp on February 03, 2012, 06:28:09 AM
I'm getting 94G Ram from OWC

I must be getting old, i can remember getting excited when I added 2 MB Ram to my Amiga..

Dustbak · February 03, 2012, 10:54:04 PM

Don't worry Nick. I started with the 30MB Winchester Harddrive and thought I never needed much more

Will, I am not sure but I thought you can only hookup 4 drives on 1 SAS connector. I have no experience with the card OWC mentioned but being limited to 4 drives means eventually you need 2 of these cards (if you would like to fill the entire space of 8 drives). This is the main reason I went for the Areca, it has 2 internal connectors. You get the matching cables from Maxupgrades. The Areca works flawlessly in the 2.93 machine, get the Areca-1880i (i stands for internal and has 2 internal SAS ports).

Also make sure you get the SAS version from Maxupgrades so you get the right cables for it as well. The cables you get from Maxupgrades can be fitted internally via the front from the card to the Bay where the drives reside. There is a small opening on the left frontside where you can put them through. You will have to fiddle a bit with it.

iamwillp · February 09, 2012, 08:42:26 AM

Thanks Dustbank. I just came out of a trance where i spent all my money.... I've got 96 Gig of RAM, 8 x 240 Vertex3 SSD's, and the maxupgrades bundle with Areca 1882i card, cables, and aluminium box for the optical drive space.

http://www.maxupgrades.com/istore/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&product_id=190

Do I need anything else? Do you know if I can boot from a raid on the areca card?

Dustbak · February 09, 2012, 08:52:53 AM

Yes, you are supposedly able to boot from the Areca as well. I did not make it this way, too much of a hassle. I have another SSD in the MaxUpgrade contraption that is hooked up to one of the on-board S-Ata ports. I boot from this drive. This drive is an OWC Mercury SSD.

I have a 4 SSD 256 RAID5 on the Areca as a working volume. I can go up to 7 SSD drives in RAID for working volume. You can try to boot from the Areca Card or do the same thing and boot from 1 SSD. In that case you need another S-Ata Cable.

3 Cables through the chassis of the MacPro is possible but you have to tweak a bit and have patience.

Domip · April 28, 2012, 06:43:06 AM

Hi Dustbak
Show us some pics from the inside of your fasten-your-seatbelts-machine ?

jonathan.lipkin · April 29, 2012, 02:30:37 PM

Quote from: NickT on February 03, 2012, 08:11:16 AM
Quote from: iamwillp on February 03, 2012, 06:28:09 AM
I'm getting 94G Ram from OWC

I must be getting old, i can remember getting excited when I added 2 MB Ram to my Amiga..

I remember when I added a floppy drive to my apple II to replace the casette tape.

Dustbak · April 30, 2012, 07:10:06 PM

Quote from: Domip on April 28, 2012, 06:43:06 AM
Hi Dustbak
Show us some pics from the inside of your fasten-your-seatbelts-machine ?

Here they are, not that much to see. I kept the machine pretty clean. You can see the Areca 1880i and the 2 SAS cables going up into the DVD bay. In the DVD bay is the bracket with the SSD drives. Hardest part was to get the 2 cables (the blue ones) through the side and up. The space over there is fairly small. The red cable (at the left side) is the cable that goes from the Motherboard to the SSD containing the OS (I don't boot from the Areca Card).