MP 7,1 PCIe Expansion Cards - What are you adding?

[jasonmvp]

hope to see how fast a HighPoint 7101A-1 is in a 7.1 as raid 0 with the 970

I'm not going to be running it in straight RAID0. The two cards will be mirrored on top of one another into a RAID01 volume.

 

[tommy chen]

before you can run the test ; -)

 

[Korican100]

In its stock format from OWC this unit will not be bootable as it's a RAID-0 formatted device. The only way to make it bootable is to reformat it as JBOD (4 separate blades). Then setup one of the JBODs(blade) as APFS and install or clone your boot image to it. The other three JBODs(blades) can then be setup as a 3x Blade RAID-0.

Thus is you were to buy the 4TB OWC device you would have

1) A 1TB bootable blade formatted as APFS.
2) Three blades formatted as 3TB RAID-0.

i just ordered this, and you have me interested. Could I essentially use the 1tb bootable blade as a windows bootcamp drive only?

 

[thisisnotmyname]

I haven't had a chance to go find the USB audio adapter I have around here yet but will test that soon too.

I found that USB audio interface, it's a Behringer U-Connect (cheap USB thing). It works but again just down-mixed to stereo rather than multi-channel even though I connected the TOSLINK to a multi-channel capable system. In any case, if someone is looking for stereo optical out that would work for them.
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In its stock format from OWC this unit will not be bootable as it's a RAID-0 formatted device. The only way to make it bootable is to reformat it as JBOD (4 separate blades). Then setup one of the JBODs(blade) as APFS and install or clone your boot image to it. The other three JBODs(blades) can then be setup as a 3x Blade RAID-0.

Thus is you were to buy the 4TB OWC device you would have

1) A 1TB bootable blade formatted as APFS.
2) Three blades formatted as 3TB RAID-0.

non-RAID != JBOD. JBOD is a spanning structure that uses multiple disks. You just un-RAIDed your disks but didn't then reform them into a JBOD array.

 

[zhpenn]

Added a Promise J2i with an extra 8TB Toshiba Drive. Running it as a stripped raid drive (RAID 0)
96GB of OWC Ram
Already had an external USB 3 hub which I just connected to one of the 2 available USB ports.

Hi how about the raid 0 Promise J2i, did you use mac Os raid assistant to make two of them working together? thanks a lot
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why a lot of people choosing sonet, not highpoint? for the raid nvme m2? any special reason?
are the highpoint and sonet soft raid or hardware raid?

 

[Bradleyone]

why a lot of people choosing sonet, not highpoint? for the raid nvme m2? any special reason?
are the highpoint and sonet soft raid or hardware raid?

I think it's just because the Sonnet appeared on a slide at the WWDC release of the Mac Pro, and is therefore Apple certified.

Highpoint is not, and on their web site do not mention Macs, and in Amazon Q&As the company says they do not support macOS.

However, the Mac Pro 5,1 community has done a lot of work testing the HighPoint SSD7101A and has found it to be a very solid performer.

I'm interested to know how the HighPoint SSD7103 performs in the Mac Pro 7,1 because that card apparently offers bootable RAID.

Which means the 7103 may be able to boot a Mac from a 4x M.2 RAID drive, whereas the 7101A (or Sonnet) will not.

 

[zhpenn]

I think it's just because the Sonnet appeared on a slide at the WWDC release of the Mac Pro, and is therefore Apple certified.

Highpoint is not, and on their web site do not mention Macs, and in Amazon Q&As the company says they do not support macOS.

However, the Mac Pro 5,1 community has done a lot of work testing the HighPoint SSD7101A and has found it to be a very solid performer.

I'm interested to know how the HighPoint SSD7103 performs in the Mac Pro 7,1 because that card apparently offers bootable RAID.

Which means the 7103 may be able to boot a Mac from a 4x M.2 RAID drive, whereas the 7101A (or Sonnet) will not.

yes very curious about HighPoint SSD7103 boot support for Mac,
and the price is no big difference from SSD7101A, if not support boooting, can still use as 7101A

 

[bxs]

I think it's just because the Sonnet appeared on a slide at the WWDC release of the Mac Pro, and is therefore Apple certified.

Highpoint is not, and on their web site do not mention Macs, and in Amazon Q&As the company says they do not support macOS.

However, the Mac Pro 5,1 community has done a lot of work testing the HighPoint SSD7101A and has found it to be a very solid performer.

I'm interested to know how the HighPoint SSD7103 performs in the Mac Pro 7,1 because that card apparently offers bootable RAID.

Which means the 7103 may be able to boot a Mac from a 4x M.2 RAID drive, whereas the 7101A (or Sonnet) will not.

Apple explicitly has stated that booting Catalina from APFS RAID-0 is not supported. If you want to boot from the Sonnet and/or Highpoint it will have to be done using a single SSD/flash blade.

 

[Bradleyone]

Apple explicitly has stated that booting Catalina from APFS RAID-0 is not supported.

Would this refer to a RAID created with their own software? The HighPoint 7103 seems to offer a hybrid hardware RAID, and in their Q&As they have:

Q: Can I use the operating system to create a RAID array between the NVMe drives? ​

A: This is possible, but we recommend using the RAID controller's interface​

​

Now of course they are talking about setting up the RAID under Windows/Linux and it probably wouldn't be possible the use that interface on the Mac.

However, I'm wondering if you set up the RAID under Windows (another PC or Boot Camp), then moved the card back into the Mac, would the Mac see it as one drive and let you go nuts with it?

 

[bxs]

Would this refer to a RAID created with their own software? The HighPoint 7103 seems to offer a hybrid hardware RAID, and in their Q&As they have:

Q: Can I use the operating system to create a RAID array between the NVMe drives? ​

A: This is possible, but we recommend using the RAID controller's interface​

​

Now of course they are talking about setting up the RAID under Windows/Linux and it probably wouldn't be possible the use that interface on the Mac.

However, I'm wondering if you set up the RAID under Windows (another PC or Boot Camp), then moved the card back into the Mac, would the Mac see it as one drive and let you go nuts with it?

AFAIK - Catalina cannot boot from a RAID-0.

 

[ZombiePhysicist]

Would this refer to a RAID created with their own software? The HighPoint 7103 seems to offer a hybrid hardware RAID, and in their Q&As they have:

Q: Can I use the operating system to create a RAID array between the NVMe drives? ​

A: This is possible, but we recommend using the RAID controller's interface​

​

Now of course they are talking about setting up the RAID under Windows/Linux and it probably wouldn't be possible the use that interface on the Mac.

However, I'm wondering if you set up the RAID under Windows (another PC or Boot Camp), then moved the card back into the Mac, would the Mac see it as one drive and let you go nuts with it?

not necessarily so. I did this with an old msata card on my 5,1 Mac Pro, set the raid up in boot camp. osx simply sees it as a single drive. Has worked for years. This “hardware” raid setup might be the apfs raid boot work around but someone needs to test it.

 

[Hydle]

Anyone installed the Highpoint/Sonnet nvme pcie cards yet? I’m trying to decide between the two and the deciding factor would be the fan noise and if they have heatsink

 

[ZombiePhysicist]

Anyone installed the Highpoint/Sonnet nvme pcie cards yet? I’m trying to decide between the two and the deciding factor would be the fan noise and if they have heatsink

I installed the Highpoint 7120. No fan. Quiet.

 

[Polymorphic]

I installed the Highpoint 7120. No fan. Quiet.

How are you mounting the U.2 drives?

 

[ZombiePhysicist]

How are you mounting the U.2 drives?

Long story, you can see here:

Mac Pro support for NVMe U2 Micron 9300 Pro 15.36TB U.2 Drive SSD?

Ok so I got the drive. I got a bracket and it all seems to fit in decently tidy. Some pics: So I have the Pegasus J2i in there. Swapped the useless 8TB for a 16TB spinner. I got a 3.5" to 2.5" bracket. One note, the screws in the J2i that hold larger drives, are too big for both the 2.5"/3.5"...

forums.macrumors.com

 

[Grumply]

My current plan is this:

8) x4 2x Samsung 1TB 970 Pro

7) x8 Samsung 6.4TB PM1725A HHHL

6) x8 Samsung 6.4TB PM1725A HHHL

5) x16 APPLE USB/TB3/Audio

4) x16 x8 Sonnet USB3.1

3) x16 Radeon VII

2) x8 Blackmagic Decklink Mini Monitor 4k

1) x16 Radeon VII


I'm thinking the NVME drives will all go up top (to help keep the heat they generate away from the GPUs).

Depending on pricing I might swap the two PM1725a 6.4TB HHHL cards for two HGST SN260 7.68TB HHHL cards, or for a single Micron 9300 Pro or Samsung PM983 15.36TB unit.

 

[arock]

My current plan is this:

8) x4 2x Samsung 1TB 970 Pro

7) x8 Samsung 6.4TB PM1725A HHHL

6) x8 Samsung 6.4TB PM1725A HHHL

5) x16 APPLE USB/TB3/Audio

...

FYI, the Apple USB/TB3/Audio card can only mount in slot 8. It has a non-standard connector. Not sure why you'd want 2x 970 Pro blades to share an x4 slot anyhow.

 

[Grumply]

FYI, the Apple USB/TB3/Audio card can only mount in slot 8. It has a non-standard connector. Not sure why you'd want 2x 970 Pro blades to share an x4 slot anyhow.

Good to know, thanks ?I'll flip those two around

 

[rylim]

FYI, the Apple USB/TB3/Audio card can only mount in slot 8. It has a non-standard connector. Not sure why you'd want 2x 970 Pro blades to share an x4 slot anyhow.

Do you know if it is possible to get another Apple USB/TB3/Audio card and add into my system? Or, there is another 3rd party TB3 card on the market that I can get?

I need more than 4x TB3 ports for my external TB3 drives.

 

[bsbeamer]

AFAIK, there’s only USB-C cards available. If you’re just talking external drives, many have TB loop out for daisy chain and they might be your best solution.

 

[Ludacrisvp]

non-RAID != JBOD. JBOD is a spanning structure that uses multiple disks. You just un-RAIDed your disks but didn't then reform them into a JBOD array.

JBOD is not that.
JBOD is “just a bunch of disks”.
Which means each disk is on its own.
You are talking concatenation to span multiple disks to be seen as a single large volume.

 

[Dreday24]

Adding usb A and waiting on the w5700x, the 580x is enough for my work but i’d like to play league or wow every fortnite without having to buy another computer. If not then i’ll get a 5700xt.

 

[thisisnotmyname]

JBOD is not that.
JBOD is “just a bunch of disks”.
Which means each disk is on its own.
You are talking concatenation to span multiple disks to be seen as a single large volume.

JBOD - Definition

This entry contains the definition to the term JBOD.

www.bleepingcomputer.com

nope, although you have the acronym correct in reality it is slightly more than literally just a bunch of disks. JBOD is spanning.

 

[AidenShaw]

JBOD - Definition

This entry contains the definition to the term JBOD.

www.bleepingcomputer.com

nope, although you have the acronym correct in reality it is slightly more than literally just a bunch of disks. JBOD is spanning.

Your source is wrong. Wikipedia's definition contrasts JBOD and SPAN.

Non-RAID drive architectures - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[ChrisDV]

Hi folks,
I'm new here. Just received my MP 7,1. I read a lot here about the storage expansion possibilities, namely the Highpoint and Sonnet PCIe cards, capable of holding 4 M.2 drives. Cost of those cards is approx. 360 USD.
How about this similar card:

Controller Card - PCIe 2x M.2 SATA SSD - SATA Controller Cards | Add-on Cards & Peripherals | StarTech.com Belgium

2x M.2 SATA SSD Controller Card - PCIe | Belgium

www.startech.com

Of course, it can only hold 2 M.2 cards, but the price is way lower.
Why put 4x1TB drives in a Sonnet or Highpoint if you can run 2x2TB on this much cheaper card?
What am I missing here? Lack of possibility of RAID setup? Speed? Something else?