The Mac Pro is a huge enclosure, why not have the drives inside that, also dampening all the noise. If I'm going to plug in huge enclosures, might as well have the '13 Mac Pro form factor. Although at least it seems very high-end, and has great monitoring and RAID functionality.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
MP 7,1 Promise Pegasus J2i Alternative？
- Thread starter zhpenn
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Because it means you have to take apart the whole computer when (not if) one craps itself.
I don’t know how you use hard drives (not talking about ssds) but I would view having to turn off the computer to replace a failed mechanical drive, untenable.
Thank you for taking the time to respond, that's really helpful. CheersDIY solution available. I suggest to read entire post from beginning.
That Pegasus J2i Cage - Internal HDD Mounting
Alright, well, the 4xSSD cage and 2x3.5" are done. The STL files are here https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4067905 From a printing service like MakeXYZ.com, The SSD cage is $85.90 to print and ship. Not bad when competing against $400. I haven't printed the 3.5" cage so do so at your own...forums.macrumors.com
Template
2019 Mac Pro Drive Cage by bwinter88
This is an alternative drive cage to the Promise Pegasus J2i accessory meant to be mounted in the 2019 Mac Pro. There are two cage designs; one to hold 2 spinners, and one to hold 4 SSDs (in the event you have a PCI card to connect additional drives)The power connector for internal drives in the...www.thingiverse.com
It also sad, why anything related with 7,1 it would expensive like crazy? Power cables, drive cages (not mentioned wheels) which is basically accessories must cost a fortune, even for fraction of market.
FYI, the standalone Promise Technology SATA Cable for the Pegasus J2i (Part # CABSATAJ2I) is no longer being offered from B&H and hearing the same from several other resellers. It is still available from Adorama, but is not in stock and no indication on shipping. Indication that the cable might be cancelled from Promise.
www.bhphotovideo.com
www.adorama.com
SATA & eSATA Cables Adapters | B&H Photo Video
See B&H's vast selection of SATA & eSATA Cables Adapters from top brands like StarTech, Rocstor, C2G and Comprehensive, all at unbelievable prices.
www.bhphotovideo.com
Promise Technology Sata Cable
Promise Technology 7.1" SATA Cable for the Pegasus J2i
www.adorama.com
^^^I actually ordered that cable from B&H on 6/13 and when I saw nothing forthcoming I cancelled it ten days later and ordered the Sonnet J3i. I know of no one who has received the Promise cable except for those who have ordered the full kit with the cage and HDD.
IMO, Promise made a strategic mistake by bundling the cage with the HDD and with the Sonnet unit are now paying the price.
I believe the Sonnet J3i is the better engineered unit.
1. It holds three drives
2. All the drives are mounted right side up
3. Sonnet's cabling scheme is superior
Lou
IMO, Promise made a strategic mistake by bundling the cage with the HDD and with the Sonnet unit are now paying the price.
I believe the Sonnet J3i is the better engineered unit.
1. It holds three drives
2. All the drives are mounted right side up
3. Sonnet's cabling scheme is superior
Lou
I agree, Promise should ship the cage empty and they will sell more.
Having owned the J2i, I actually appreciate the design and build quality they put into this expensive cage.
The drives are purposely mounted upside down from each other for a couple of thought out reasons:
1. To provide correct airflow towards the bottom of both drives. Ther mounting ensures more space for this.
2. This same orientation allows the cabling not to overlap against each other in a typical PC build. This allows for a more streamlined cabling arrangement versus a bulky arrangement and again goes back to a more streamlined airflow towards the drives.
3. Speaking of cabling - it has the exact length from end to end between connection (1) and (2) which are of slightly different length. This exact measurement may be frustrating for fat hands to put together as there is zero slack. But again, once connected - better airflow inside the case.
4. Braided cable similar in appearance to Apple's PRO cables and with zero drive disconnect issues unlike whoever supplied the cables for Sonnet.
Personally I don't need to mount three drives as this now slow connection is only used for back-up/Time Machine. Actual daily drives via NVMe PCIe cards anyway.
Which is why I don't understand why Promise supplied a HDD versus an SSD as well as offered an empty cage. They are clearly missing out on sales and are now under-appreciated for their build and design on it.
Having owned the J2i, I actually appreciate the design and build quality they put into this expensive cage.
The drives are purposely mounted upside down from each other for a couple of thought out reasons:
1. To provide correct airflow towards the bottom of both drives. Ther mounting ensures more space for this.
2. This same orientation allows the cabling not to overlap against each other in a typical PC build. This allows for a more streamlined cabling arrangement versus a bulky arrangement and again goes back to a more streamlined airflow towards the drives.
3. Speaking of cabling - it has the exact length from end to end between connection (1) and (2) which are of slightly different length. This exact measurement may be frustrating for fat hands to put together as there is zero slack. But again, once connected - better airflow inside the case.
4. Braided cable similar in appearance to Apple's PRO cables and with zero drive disconnect issues unlike whoever supplied the cables for Sonnet.
Personally I don't need to mount three drives as this now slow connection is only used for back-up/Time Machine. Actual daily drives via NVMe PCIe cards anyway.
Which is why I don't understand why Promise supplied a HDD versus an SSD as well as offered an empty cage. They are clearly missing out on sales and are now under-appreciated for their build and design on it.
Because Promise is all about price-gouging their customers as much as humanly possible.
On the flipside, they do make excellent hardware, I have a Pegasus R6 with RAID50. It's very nice. What's not so nice is having to replace a single drive and discovering their soft zinc screws in the sled, which make it nearly impossible to accomplish a simple drive swap without paying them for another sled and more screws.
In my own perception and humble observations: they can and do make quality hardware, and then somewhere along the chain their bean-counters have a group huddle to figure out how to **** over the customer as much as humanly possible, and make people dislike the company and go with a competitor whenever possible.
So, as a customer who has purchased both TB and TB3 hardware RAIDs from them, do I have anything negative to say about the actual product? No... But I dislike the company and its ethos as a whole and would buy something anywhere else given the opportunity to purchase a similar product.
Let's see... Buy a J2I and... I have to throw a Toshiba drive I don't want in the closet, or repurpose it to some other device. Or, buy Fusion Flex J3i...? Kinda a no-brainer.
Put me down as another that would have bought an empty chassis if there was one. The included drive is of no use to me.
I posted this in another thread, but Inateck makes a mounting kit with the correct cable. It's very high quality:
Went on sale recently for $70
Inateck Mounting Kit for 3.5" Hard Drive Compatible with Mac Pro 2019, with SATA Cable and Tools, SA04007, Black
Inateck Mounting Kit for 3.5" Hard Drive Compatible with Mac Pro 2019, with SATA Cable and Tools, SA04007, Black
www.amazon.com
Went on sale recently for $70
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
It’s a combo cable. It’s a single cable with a pcie power plug and 2 sata plugs at one end that goes into Mac Pro. The other end has 2 sata plugs that go into the drive.
This one is for 2.5" drives and includes cables.
Inateck Mounting Bracket for 2 x SSD/HDD, Compatible with Regular PC and Mac Pro 2019, with SATA Cable and Installation Tool
Mounting Bracket for 2 x SSD/HDD
www.amazon.com
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
couple years old thread but still equally relevant with the newest 2023 mac pro:
www.sonnettech.com
Fusion Flex J3i (2019 Mac Pro Drive Bracket) - SONNETTECH
3-drive mounting system for Mac Pro (2019). Install SATA 3.5-inch hard drives and 2.5-inch SSDs. Kit includes brackets, screws, and cables.
www.sonnettech.com
Made alternative myself 
Its only for 2.5 drives (will use only SSDs) and I can attach 4 of them. Currently 2 SSDs are connected to Mac Pro's SATA ports and two additional ones (or maybe all 4) will be connected to dedicated SATA or SAS controller.
Here is the link for power cable which already has 4 SATA power connectors on it.
Its only for 2.5 drives (will use only SSDs) and I can attach 4 of them. Currently 2 SSDs are connected to Mac Pro's SATA ports and two additional ones (or maybe all 4) will be connected to dedicated SATA or SAS controller.
Here is the link for power cable which already has 4 SATA power connectors on it.
Last edited: