In RAID-0, there is a speed advantage with a single x2 card ... just not twice as fast as one would hope.
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Power for 2nd SSD Velocity Solo X2 Mac Pro 5.1
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In RAID-0, there is a speed advantage with a single x2 card ... just not twice as fast as one would hope.
DUO X2 in RAID0
Here are my results with the DUO X2 in RAID0. Not as fast as the Tempo SSD Pro, but perfectly fitting my needs, a great bonus that it can host a dual OS X and Windows boot at SATA-3 speeds and is always in a very great shape! No issues at all. I hope they'll start shipping this brilliant card very soon!
It is a GREAT upgrade for the SOLO X2!
Here are my results with the DUO X2 in RAID0. Not as fast as the Tempo SSD Pro, but perfectly fitting my needs, a great bonus that it can host a dual OS X and Windows boot at SATA-3 speeds and is always in a very great shape! No issues at all. I hope they'll start shipping this brilliant card very soon!
It is a GREAT upgrade for the SOLO X2!
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Apricorn Tech Support had me try a few things, claiming that I should be able to achieve the advertised 880 MB/s speed.
Here are my findings:
I have un-RAIDED the SSD drives and performed individual speed tests to see if I can determine if theres a problem.
The Samsung EVO attached directly to the PCIe card was achieving roughly 480 MB/s write and read speeds. The Samsung EVO in the Optical Bay (attached via SATA III cable) was more spotty. On the Blackmagic Speed Test app, it showed up as 0 MB/s in both categories. I tried the AJA System Test app and while it occasionally displayed 380 MB/s, it would stall momentarily and end up reporting 3 MB/s. Obviously there is a problem with this drive.
Testing this EVO using the optical bay's normal connection, I was able to get it functioning properly (albeit at SATA II speed), leading me to believe this is a problem with the SATA III Connection on the Velocity SOLO X2 Card.
My initial inclination is to return the Velocity SOLO X2 Card and wait for something like the DUO X card, where I can mount both of my EVOs to a single PCIe card.
Any advice otherwise?
Here are my findings:
I have un-RAIDED the SSD drives and performed individual speed tests to see if I can determine if theres a problem.
The Samsung EVO attached directly to the PCIe card was achieving roughly 480 MB/s write and read speeds. The Samsung EVO in the Optical Bay (attached via SATA III cable) was more spotty. On the Blackmagic Speed Test app, it showed up as 0 MB/s in both categories. I tried the AJA System Test app and while it occasionally displayed 380 MB/s, it would stall momentarily and end up reporting 3 MB/s. Obviously there is a problem with this drive.
Testing this EVO using the optical bay's normal connection, I was able to get it functioning properly (albeit at SATA II speed), leading me to believe this is a problem with the SATA III Connection on the Velocity SOLO X2 Card.
My initial inclination is to return the Velocity SOLO X2 Card and wait for something like the DUO X card, where I can mount both of my EVOs to a single PCIe card.
Any advice otherwise?
Could you please check your read/write permissions on the SSD you tested that gave you 0MB/s test results with AJA?
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It's back in the optical bay, using the standard SATA II Connection. Permissions are as follows:
system - Read & Write
wheel - Read Only
everyone - Read Only
No "admin" category.
Both EVO SSDs are pretty much brand new out of the box.
Thanks again. I'm hoping that the Duo X2 is on the way...
It's back in the optical bay, using the standard SATA II Connection. Permissions are as follows:
system - Read & Write
wheel - Read Only
everyone - Read Only
No "admin" category.
Both EVO SSDs are pretty much brand new out of the box.
Thanks again. I'm hoping that the Duo X2 is on the way...
YWM! You should add "administrators" with Read & Write permissions for the SSD on the SOLO X2 and try AJA again.
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Hmm. Clicking the "+" button on the get info screen causes the Finder to beachball and become unresponsive. Not sure what the issue is, but it seems to happen on all the drives, not just the Samsung.
I'll investigate. Thanks for the help.
PS - What does YWM mean?
You should absolute investigate that issue, please report back.
YWM = Your Welcome Mate
You should absolute investigate that issue, please report back.
YWM = Your Welcome Mate
Restarted the computer and was able to add "administrators" to the mix. AJA system test functions normally now, but the SSD is still not running at SATA III speeds. Apricorn may have to assist me with a return / exchange.
But the more I think about it, the more I may want to wait for a DUO X2...
Thanks again for the help BDM!
Glad to be of help! What are your readings now? Please keep in mind that speedtests may vary on different machines. Anyway, if you're not happy with the SOLO X2, return or exchange this one.
Unfortunately, I'm still getting a problem with one of the drives - it'll stall in the middle of both AJA and Blackmagic tests and then report something like 3 MB/s.
Something's either wrong with my SSD or the Solo X2. Either way, I'll probably return them both.
Thanks again for your help. Fingers crossed that a better solution presents itself soon...
Had no idea that the 840 EVO wasn't suited for RAID 0. I've only heard positive things about this model. Isn't the 850 a very new model that hasn't even been released yet? Regardless, I'll look into the Pro series.
And what would the advantages of a Secure Erase be on these drives be?
I looked back through the posts to see if you had posted this information to Harry322, and perhaps I had just missed it, but I don't see it.
It would be helpful if you could explain why the EVO isn't useable in RAID-0 since apparently the rest of us don't have any experience using the EVO in this mode. I believe the EVO is a dual-tiered technology (similar to the Fusion drive concept), but I don't know the ramifications of using that in RAID-0 (although I have built DIY Fusion drives using RAID-0 SSD along with Hard Disk and that seemed to work OK).
I don't think "Secure Erase" is beneficial for SSDs (in fact I don't think Disk Utility will allow it) ... however "forced Trim" is a good idea to fully clear the SSD prior to using it. You can do that with Terminal commands, or with the right setup, Disk Utility "Repair Disk" will do it for you on all the free space of the SSD (useful after a fresh partition/format to clear a SSD).
-howard
We have drifted away from the original topic here: issues with the Solo x2 card ... but the question was asked and discussion followed...
I don't see any reason why the EVO wouldn't reliably work in a RAID-0 array, given that Harry322 already stated he had the first one and simply wanted to add another on to that. Granted, RAID-0 is usually selected for speed, then capacity, so the EVO isn't the best choice here, but they are lower cost and the first one was already available. I always use either 840 Pro or Crucial M4 drives in RAID-0 because of their speed (and the 850 looks interesting, but it isn't available yet).
However, inclusion in a RAID-0 array doesn't put any additional strain on the SSD over just the single drive, there are simply two or more of them running in parallel to increase the total bandwidth. Each individual drive is simply performing its normal operational task. Now, if the EVO was utilized in a write-intensive heavy-duty commercial server, or was part of a parity type RAID array, there might be cause for alarm. But that doesn't seem to be the case here, although Harry322 didn't specify in what capacity he was using his Mac Pro.
When the subject of "Secure Erase" was first mentioned, there was no indication that the reference wasn't to the Disk Utility "Secure Erase", which simply writes zeros throughout the disk ... not a good idea with a SSD! Upon further clarification, it was pointed out that the reference was to the proper method of block cell reset (to the unprogrammed state), which the various trim methods also perform, some during normal system operation, others as a bulk reset of the hardware. I think we are referring to the same thing here.
If kennyman or someone else would like to clarify these issues (briefly so as to not further derail this thread), I am sure we would be glad to listen and view links to any info the manufacturer provides on EVO and RAID-0.
I don't see any reason why the EVO wouldn't reliably work in a RAID-0 array, given that Harry322 already stated he had the first one and simply wanted to add another on to that. Granted, RAID-0 is usually selected for speed, then capacity, so the EVO isn't the best choice here, but they are lower cost and the first one was already available. I always use either 840 Pro or Crucial M4 drives in RAID-0 because of their speed (and the 850 looks interesting, but it isn't available yet).
However, inclusion in a RAID-0 array doesn't put any additional strain on the SSD over just the single drive, there are simply two or more of them running in parallel to increase the total bandwidth. Each individual drive is simply performing its normal operational task. Now, if the EVO was utilized in a write-intensive heavy-duty commercial server, or was part of a parity type RAID array, there might be cause for alarm. But that doesn't seem to be the case here, although Harry322 didn't specify in what capacity he was using his Mac Pro.
When the subject of "Secure Erase" was first mentioned, there was no indication that the reference wasn't to the Disk Utility "Secure Erase", which simply writes zeros throughout the disk ... not a good idea with a SSD! Upon further clarification, it was pointed out that the reference was to the proper method of block cell reset (to the unprogrammed state), which the various trim methods also perform, some during normal system operation, others as a bulk reset of the hardware. I think we are referring to the same thing here.
If kennyman or someone else would like to clarify these issues (briefly so as to not further derail this thread), I am sure we would be glad to listen and view links to any info the manufacturer provides on EVO and RAID-0.