Upgrade success Highpoint/Inateck/ICYBOX

[Marty62]

Just a quick report - this is "work in progress"

So received my 2012 MP today and began a series of upgrades, I want this to
last a while and be as powerful as possible - within reason!

Inateck USB3.0 card, Mac version/no extra PSU:

Plug in PCI card, reboot, works, tried 2x USB3.0 pocket drives, thumb drives
etc ... so far zero issues other than you can't "boot" from a drive connected to it.

Highpoint RocketRaid 642L SATA III 6GB/s PCI card:

Plug in PCI card, reboot, install Mac drivers, reboot ( alt+apple+p+r this time )
Seems to be there, just loaded Samsung EVO 750gb SSD with OS10.8.5
and then will attach to the card, taking power from 4th Mac bay as that's free.
Using 2x cables SATA Female>Molex male>Molex female>SATA Male
Also logged into Highpoints online support portal, very handy.

I also picked up an ICYBOX USB3.0 raid enclosure for backup, will have 2 x 3TB
seagates installed, neat in one smallish box and fast connection.

Will report back when the SSD is the boot drive on the 642L !

Wish me luck

 

[Marty62]

Update:

Well I can't seem to get this to boot using the Highpoint card.

Have my SSD all ready to go and I would have to start again and format
using the raid array software.

Have decided to abandon that idea and pick up a Apricorn V2 card.

I would gain a drive bay back also as I had to tap off SATA pwr from one.

I'm sure it's great for RAID and multi drive applications, just not right for
me.

M.

 

[slughead]

Update:

Well I can't seem to get this to boot using the Highpoint card.

read my post here
https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/18813185/

 

[Macman45]

I've tested Innatech stuff including the card you mention...sometimes you need a custom SATA cable, but looks like yours us working fine...if you do have issues just contact their customer services...they shipped us out a variety of custom cables and charged nothing.

They make enclosures too, but these carry the CIT brand....I have one that I use with my rMBP which was also a freebie / test unit. They will take drives up to 4TB, have their own PSU and are true USB 3

Having Said that, there seems to be no stock here in the UK at present, but I'm sure you can find one if you look around


http://www.amazon.co.uk/CiT-inch-U3...393339190&sr=8-2&keywords=Cit+USB+3+enclosure

 

[Marty62]

I've tested Innatech stuff including the card you mention...sometimes you need a custom SATA cable, but looks like yours us working fine...if you do have issues just contact their customer services...they shipped us out a variety of custom cables and charged nothing.

They make enclosures too, but these carry the CIT brand....I have one that I use with my rMBP which was also a freebie / test unit. They will take drives up to 4TB, have their own PSU and are true USB 3

Having Said that, there seems to be no stock here in the UK at present, but I'm sure you can find one if you look around


http://www.amazon.co.uk/CiT-inch-U3...393339190&sr=8-2&keywords=Cit+USB+3+enclosure

Thanks MacMan,
I explained in the other thread above, I was missing a file and had no idea that
I needed it !! - Slug should get paid for helping Highpoint's bad instructions protocol !!

If I had it yesterday, I may not have dumped the card but actually the Apricorn
V2 solo will suit me fine and is faster as Slug has suggested.
I think that if the documentation was better, I would have not come unstuck
but having a new EVO 750 "dangling" from cables was not the best solution !
Apricorn is neat, cheaper, faster, powered from the PCI slot and I gained a drive bay back.
No brainer
M.

 

[zarf2007]

Thanks MacMan,
I explained in the other thread above, I was missing a file and had no idea that
I needed it !! - Slug should get paid for helping Highpoint's bad instructions protocol !!

If I had it yesterday, I may not have dumped the card but actually the Apricorn
V2 solo will suit me fine and is faster as Slug has suggested.
I think that if the documentation was better, I would have not come unstuck
but having a new EVO 750 "dangling" from cables was not the best solution !
Apricorn is neat, cheaper, faster, powered from the PCI slot and I gained a drive bay back.
No brainer
M.

Hi Marty

I also have the same usb3 card and it works a treat. Have tried both USB flash drives and hard drives and no problems so far, just plugin and go without the addional cables some need. Also went with the v2 card and 1tb Evo and works like a charm and very fast. Using it as my osx boot/apps drive and running mavericks without issues. I am also adding a 250gb Evo for windows 7 bootcamp connected to the 2nd port on the v2 card and mounted with one of these if possible

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B008598SIE/ref=pe_385721_37038051_TE_3p_dp_1

So far all good and the mac is very fast and quiet!

 

[Marty62]

Hi Marty

I also have the same usb3 card and it works a treat. Have tried both USB flash drives and hard drives and no problems so far, just plugin and go without the addional cables some need. Also went with the v2 card and 1tb Evo and works like a charm and very fast. Using it as my osx boot/apps drive and running mavericks without issues. I am also adding a 250gb Evo for windows 7 bootcamp connected to the 2nd port on the v2 card and mounted with one of these if possible

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B008598SIE/ref=pe_385721_37038051_TE_3p_dp_1

So far all good and the mac is very fast and quiet!

That's good to hear, should have my Apricorn card tomorrow, went for the solo
but it does have an extra SATA data port for another SSD if needed.
I have a spare Crucial M4 that used to be a laptop drive, it suffered the M4
boot failure but I could zap it as a scratch audio recording disk just for Sh**s
and giggles !
Have just been testing the other drives, the WD Velociraptor and WD "Black" do perform
quite well with read/write of 250/250 & 170/180 respectively.
Icy Box USB3.0 raid box may go back, it works fine but is just VERY noisy - 4 x the noise from
my Mac's fans !

Pleased as heck with the Inateck USB3.0 card though

M.