Highpoint 7101A - PCIe 3.0 SSD performance for the cMP

[Kedbear]

The appropriate steps once you have the HighPoint drivers installed:

1. Configure the RAID volume in the HighPoint web-based utility. Once this is done, MacOS will no longer see the four drives, it will only see one: the 8TB volume.
2. Open Disk Utility to put a filesystem on the new volume. This doesn't do any sort of RAID work with the device, it just puts a filesystem on the volume you created with the HighPoint controller.
3. Use it.

When completed, you'll be using the HighPoint hardware RAID not Apple's software RAID. And it sounds like that's what you did. The speeds are bit slower than I would expect; did you put an encrypted APFS filesystem on the volume? Or a standard, unencrypted one?

Thanks very much for the help. Yes i have done all these things so it looks like i set it up correctly. I used APFS. However i have a few more questions. What sector and block size should be used in the highpoint software? I left mine at the default 512B. Also, i tested the speed in blackmagic speed test with the default 5GB stress test.

 

[jasonmvp]

I used APFS.

APFS and not Encrypted APFS? Your speeds are awfully slow, and it seems like you encrypted the filesystem. Check again in Disk Utility; it'll tell you whether it's encrypted or not.

However i have a few more questions. What sector and block size should be used in the highpoint software? I left mine at the default 512B. Also, i tested the speed in blackmagic speed test with the default 5GB stress test.

I left everything at their defaults.

 

[avatar1349]

If you gonna use RAID, HPT driver and RAID works better than AppleRAID. If not, no need to use it at all.

Bom Dia tsialex

Added a 970 Pro (cuz they're MLC and therefor more consistent) on my HighPoint SSD7101A-1 and got reasonable read/write speeds
Formatted the Raid0 JHFS+ and cloned Mojave to the Raid0; Is bootable and running great!!

 

[Kedbear]

APFS and not Encrypted APFS? Your speeds are awfully slow, and it seems like you encrypted the filesystem. Check again in Disk Utility; it'll tell you whether it's encrypted or not.



I left everything at their defaults.

I checked and it is APFS volume in disk utility. Full readout here. Any ideas why the speeds are around 8TB/sec? thanks

 

[tsialex]

Bom Dia tsialex

Added a 970 Pro (cuz they're MLC and therefor more consistent) on my HighPoint SSD7101A-1 and got reasonable read/write speeds
Formatted the Raid0 JHFS+ and cloned Mojave to the Raid0; Is bootable and running great!!

View attachment 890013

Nice that you got working!

Just a question, why make a bootable RAID-0? Only makes sense if you are one of those people that can't use more than one disk. Keeping data separated from the system is an old recommendation and gives you better performance. Use a disk for boot and 3 for an array, you will have a system with much better manageability. No headaches at software updates.

 

[TimmyCrook]

Afternoon all. My new Mac Pro arrived, but the HighPoint won't mount to the system, unless I erase it.
I used this with a different 7,1 that I had to return. So it was working before. Just won't mount to the system.

Any guidance? Thanks!

 

[tsialex]

Afternoon all. My new Mac Pro arrived, but the HighPoint won't mount to the system, unless I erase it.
I used this with a different 7,1 that I had to return. So it was working before. Just won't mount to the system.

Any guidance? Thanks!

Correctly install HighPoint drivers, start disabling SecureBoot booting from Recovery and running StartUp Security Utility, then install the High Point drivers.

 

[jasonmvp]

I checked and it is APFS volume in disk utility. Full readout here. Any ideas why the speeds are around 8TB/sec? thanks

I'm sorry, I don't have any idea. It could be that one of the drives is faulty, but that's purely a guess.

 

[Kedbear]

I'm sorry, I don't have any idea. It could be that one of the drives is faulty, but that's purely a guess.

What speeds should I be expecting? Thanks

 

[avatar1349]

Nice that you got working!

Just a question, why make a bootable RAID-0? Only makes sense if you are one of those people that can't use more than one disk. Keeping data separated from the system is an old recommendation and gives you better performance. Use a disk for boot and 3 for an array, you will have a system with much better manageability. No headaches at software updates.

Hi tsialex,
I absolutely agree with you, but I just wanted to see if I could make a raid0 bootable; I'm not using the OS that intensivly. I bought the 970 Pro just to have 2 of them on the raid card. I'm 71 and just playing around, not really doing anything important. Have been doing and making themes for the iphone in earlier years and usually spend about 18 hours a day making the themes, but since the jailbreak community progressed sooo much I lost sort of interest, but still get into challenging myself.
Been running FreeBSD for years and since macOS has a FreeBSD sub system I kept the interests .... lol

 

[kittiyut]

I'm sorry, I don't have any idea. It could be that one of the drives is faulty, but that's purely a guess.

Could it be that the card is in a x8 slot instead of x16?
[automerge]1579754217[/automerge]

Did you got the V2.00 PCB? two or three fan connector, connected to the 2-pin or 3-pin header? New firmware?

I'm trying to find anything that differentiate the new firmware cards to the old ones, nothing yet.

To make sure that I get the V2.00PCB with new firmware, where should I order the card from?

Can this card do RAID 10 (1+0)?

Going back and forth between the HP and Sonnet.... for the HP - worried about getting an older version with noisy fan, for the Sonnet: can't get one at all!

Which is the better card anyway?

When completed, you'll be using the HighPoint hardware RAID not Apple's software RAID.

True hardware RAID and not software RAID?

 

[SolarisX]

The new fan, BFB0512MA-C, arrived this morning and I just finished installing it. I also replaced the copper heatsink with a new smaller copper heatsink which I used in my initial mod as the larger heatsink was collecting dust around the edges. I hate dust.

Previous results with 32.5 dB(A), part no. BFB0512HA-C - 3.5 CFM, 5100RPM

- PCIe ambient @ 29C and NVMe drive @ 36~38C peaking at 41C under heavy write with the PCIe fan spinning at 800rpm (default SMC control) and room ambient temp at 28C (APC Environment Temp Sensor)

Current results with 28 dB(A), part no. BFB0512MA-C - 2.9 CFM, 4300RPM

- PCIe ambient @ 31C and NVMe drive @ 37~39C peaking at 41~42C under heavy write with the PCIe fan spinning at 980rpm (default SMC control) and room ambient temp at 30C (APC Environment Temp Sensor)

The PLX switch's copper heatsink temperature is 39~41.5C (measured by infrared thermometer)

Photos:





The 28dB(A) fan is much quieter than the previous 32.5dB(A) that I actually can't hear it over the mac pro fans' noise.

I am happy with these results and with my once again near silent mac pro. I highly recommend this mod as a good solution to the Highpoint 7101-A's loud stock fan.

did you test the nine fan (No. BFB0512MA-C) with the original cooling of the card? Was it so bad that the new heat sink had to be installed?

 

[avatar1349]

Insight: I had back surgery a week ago and time at my standing test bench is limited. With that our of the way... off to today's results:

I was able to tear down the Amfeltec Squid 2.0x4 this morning, removing 3 SM951's and their heatsinks that are setup in a software raid. Moving them across to the 7101A, some interesting results came to light:

Addressing a single SSD at a time, the Highpoint 7101A is MUCH FASTER than the Amfeltec Squid. Allowing near PCIe 3.0 speeds from our aging mac pro.

Using a Software RAID 0 setup for the Amfeltec Squid, the Highpoint 7101A is about 25% SLOWER than the Squid. Perhaps I need to reformat the array with a different block size.


Let's start with BlackMagic Speed Test:

Highpoint 7101A 3xSM951
View attachment 767333
Highpoint 7101A 2xSM951 ** FASTER THAN 3X SM951 in 7101A**
View attachment 767369
Amfeltec Squid - 3xSM951
View attachment 767336

Amorphous Disk Mark (FREE - GO GET THIS ONE)

Highpoint 7101A 3xSM951
View attachment 767337
Highpoint 7101A 2xSM951
View attachment 767371
Amfeltec Squid - 3xSM951
View attachment 767340
QuickBench is another great test to show bandwith. Lets look first at 4k - 1m tests:

Highpoint 7101A 3x SM951
View attachment 767343
Highpoint 7101A 2x SM951

Amfeltec Squid - 3xSM951
View attachment 767344

Lets look at some larger file transfers.

Highpoint 7101A 3xSM951
View attachment 767346


Amfeltec Squid - 3xSM951
View attachment 767345
[doublepost=1529696363][/doublepost]


The fan is always running, is controlled by SMART, and is not silent.

Ive tested with multiple SM951 AHCI blades, not multiple NVMe.

The Highpoint NVMe Raid manager is still in development and is planned to be released in July 2018.

I am quiet happy with the HighPoint SSD7101A-1. Apparently got the latest make which has a de-lidded PCIe switch. Speed with 2x 970 Pro is impressive
Hardly hear the fan, even under load

 

[w1z]

did you test the nine fan (No. BFB0512MA-C) with the original cooling of the card? Was it so bad that the new heat sink had to be installed?

No I haven't. I highly doubt it would underperform with the original shroud as it is still pushing ample air.

If you decide to go with the original shroud, try testing with and without the shroud's front plate.

 

[tommy chen]

with the latest driver (1.1.10) found two problems

the speed decreases by 10%.
and the temperature of my 970 evo plus rises about 5 degrees

HP readme:

so i back to 1.1.9.2

 

[TimmyCrook]

The new fan, BFB0512MA-C, arrived this morning and I just finished installing it. I also replaced the copper heatsink with a new smaller copper heatsink which I used in my initial mod as the larger heatsink was collecting dust around the edges. I hate dust.

Previous results with 32.5 dB(A), part no. BFB0512HA-C - 3.5 CFM, 5100RPM

- PCIe ambient @ 29C and NVMe drive @ 36~38C peaking at 41C under heavy write with the PCIe fan spinning at 800rpm (default SMC control) and room ambient temp at 28C (APC Environment Temp Sensor)

Current results with 28 dB(A), part no. BFB0512MA-C - 2.9 CFM, 4300RPM

- PCIe ambient @ 31C and NVMe drive @ 37~39C peaking at 41~42C under heavy write with the PCIe fan spinning at 980rpm (default SMC control) and room ambient temp at 30C (APC Environment Temp Sensor)

The PLX switch's copper heatsink temperature is 39~41.5C (measured by infrared thermometer)

Photos:

View attachment 831250

View attachment 831253 View attachment 831252

The 28dB(A) fan is much quieter than the previous 32.5dB(A) that I actually can't hear it over the mac pro fans' noise.

I am happy with these results and with my once again near silent mac pro. I highly recommend this mod as a good solution to the Highpoint 7101-A's loud stock fan.

A few questions.
I only see two leads on your fan, did that version of your HighPoint fan come with only two?
Also, did you remove the thermal foam over the chip, and use thermal paste?

 

[profdraper]

Curious: has anyone found any compatibility issues with running both the Highpoint AND the SoftRAID drivers in Catalina? for example: using SoftRAID to manage a OWC device and Highpoint's WebGUI to manage a 7101A.

 

[Theophilos]

I purchased a used Highpoint SSD7101A-1 from Amazon Warehouse and installed two Samsung 1 TB Evo Plus drives. I'm expecting two additional 2 TB Evo Plus drives next month for a total of 6 TB storage.

The fan on my unit was obnoxiously loud and the WebGUI didn't have the option to control fan speeds. After reading through posts in this thread, I decided to completely remove the front cover of the shroud (the piece near the fan) and the fan itself.

Now, the unit is completely silent. Here are my temperature readings after running the Blackmagic 5GB test for about 5 minutes.

These temperatures seem perfectly within the acceptable range.

A FEW HOURS LATER...

I discovered that this card caused my 7,1 Mac Pro to crash and suddenly power off. I checked the seating, power, etc., but nothing seemed to work. Maybe because it was a used Amazon Warehouse purchase. Either way, I removed it and will most likely find a different solution.

 

[w1z]

A few questions.
I only see two leads on your fan, did that version of your HighPoint fan come with only two?
Also, did you remove the thermal foam over the chip, and use thermal paste?

Yes, both the stock and replacement fans came with 2 leads. As for the silicone pad (definitely not foam), I left it on the shroud as I am not using it and instead opted for copper heatsinks which have a thin thermal sticky tape.

 

[Kedbear]

I purchased a used Highpoint SSD7101A-1 from Amazon Warehouse and installed two Samsung 1 TB Evo Plus drives. I'm expecting two additional 2 TB Evo Plus drives next month for a total of 6 TB storage.

The fan on my unit was obnoxiously loud and the WebGUI didn't have the option to control fan speeds. After reading through posts in this thread, I decided to completely remove the front cover of the shroud (the piece near the fan) and the fan itself.

Now, the unit is completely silent. Here are my temperature readings after running the Blackmagic 5GB test for about 5 minutes.

These temperatures seem perfectly within the acceptable range.

A FEW HOURS LATER...

I discovered that this card caused my 7,1 Mac Pro to crash and suddenly power off. I checked the seating, power, etc., but nothing seemed to work. Maybe because it was a used Amazon Warehouse purchase. Either way, I removed it and will most likely find a different solution.

How do you find out if it’s the 7101a-1 that made the Mac Pro shut down? I ask because the same thing has happened to me but I don’t know how to find out if the card is to blame. Thanks

 

[majus]

How do you find out if it’s the 7101a-1 that made the Mac Pro shut down? I ask because the same thing has happened to me but I don’t know how to find out if the card is to blame. Thanks

Remove the card and restart the machine. If it doesn't crash after that, it would be a pretty good indication.

 

[jasonmvp]

I discovered that this card caused my 7,1 Mac Pro to crash and suddenly power off. I checked the seating, power, etc., but nothing seemed to work. Maybe because it was a used Amazon Warehouse purchase. Either way, I removed it and will most likely find a different solution.

I'm running two from Amazon, and haven't had a lick of trouble with them. Do you have your system logs available that absolutely pinpoint the HighPoint as the cause of your system's crash?

 

[Theophilos]

How do you find out if it’s the 7101a-1 that made the Mac Pro shut down? I ask because the same thing has happened to me but I don’t know how to find out if the card is to blame. Thanks

I’ve been using the Mac Pro with upgraded RAM and a Sonnet 4x4 card with 4 Evo Plus drives for 2 weeks with no issues whatsoever. The panics/shutdowns started within an hour after installing the 7101. Everything ran fine until I left the Mac and let it go to sleep. When I came back after 30 min or so, I found the computer off with a panic warning at boot. I tested for several hours with the same result. Once I removed the card and reenabled secure boot, SIP, etc., no more issues. I still have the card and would be grateful if anyone knows how to make it reliable.

 

[Kedbear]

I’ve been using the Mac Pro with upgraded RAM and a Sonnet 4x4 card with 4 Evo Plus drives for 2 weeks with no issues whatsoever. The panics/shutdowns started within an hour after installing the 7101. Everything ran fine until I left the Mac and let it go to sleep. When I came back after 30 min or so, I found the computer off with a panic warning at boot. I tested for several hours with the same result. Once I removed the card and reenabled secure boot, SIP, etc., no more issues. I still have the card and would be grateful if anyone knows how to make it reliable.

Same thing happening for me with 7101. Computer shuts down, I have to unplug the power cable and put it back in to turn it back on again.

 

[Theophilos]

Same thing happening for me with 7101. Computer shuts down, I have to unplug the power cable and put it back in to turn it back on again.

I just had a thought: My configuration was done using Highpoint's driver and with the WebGUI installed. The only reason I installed those was in the hope that my version of the card had fan control, which it did not. Either way, I had the whole thing configured and arrayed using Highpoint's software. The card seems to work perfectly well with Apple RAID without having to disable secure boot and using Highpoint's driver. I'm not looking to boot from the card, so I don't need the driver. God willing, I'll reinstall the card as before, but without the driver, and use Disk Utility to create my RAID. As I remember, the speed wasn't too different from when I used Highpoint's software for the RAID.

If you are one of the users who haven't experienced any issues with the Highpoint 7101, would you please let us know if you have it set up using the driver and whether you used the WebGUI to set up the RAID array, if applicable.