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USB 3.x PCIe Cards for Classic Mac Pro
- Thread starter ActionableMango
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You should refine this set up and sell a kit...
Thanks for the thought, but I don't want to be in that business at all. However, I do have three cards that I bought for testing; all of them work, and I only need one. I'll send you a PM.
Hi! I just followed your process and, Ta Ta!, my 4TB USB Seagate was recognized. THEN, I tried transferring a 100GB file. All went well for a bit, then stopped. I shut down, reset the power connector into the pciexpress card, restarted and the same thing repeated; fast transfer for a few seconds, then zero. Got any ideas? Thanks.
Is Mountain Lion up to date? How are the source and destination drives formatted? Which exact model card did you get?
When I Google "4tb os x" I see lots of complaints about Disk Utility not formatting it properly or OS X not recognizing all of the capacity. Did it format fine and do you see all of the advertised space?
Try a bunch of things to see where issues occur and where they do not; this can help to identify the source of the problem. Try a USB 2.0 port just to see what happens. Try a different computer, or Windows if you have it. Try a different port on the card and a different PCIe slot on the MP. Try a different drive. Try copying other files.
When I Google "4tb os x" I see lots of complaints about Disk Utility not formatting it properly or OS X not recognizing all of the capacity. Did it format fine and do you see all of the advertised space?
Try a bunch of things to see where issues occur and where they do not; this can help to identify the source of the problem. Try a USB 2.0 port just to see what happens. Try a different computer, or Windows if you have it. Try a different port on the card and a different PCIe slot on the MP. Try a different drive. Try copying other files.
Info for reference:
I have three 4TB HDDs. One is the Hitachi 5K4000 in slot #4 inside the Mac Pro, and the other two are WD MyBook 4TB USB3 externals.
I've had no problems with any of them, and thats including running all night long during backups. This is USB3 via the CalDigit FASTA-6GU3. One is formatted for HFS+ and the other is left as shipped with NTFS. I back up the same 3.5TB of data on both of them, and they run side-by-side simultaneously over USB3 for hours just fine.
I have three 4TB HDDs. One is the Hitachi 5K4000 in slot #4 inside the Mac Pro, and the other two are WD MyBook 4TB USB3 externals.
I've had no problems with any of them, and thats including running all night long during backups. This is USB3 via the CalDigit FASTA-6GU3. One is formatted for HFS+ and the other is left as shipped with NTFS. I back up the same 3.5TB of data on both of them, and they run side-by-side simultaneously over USB3 for hours just fine.
ML is 10.8.3, everything is formatted extended journaled, formatting went normally, the card is FL1009-200.
This is a Seagate 4TB that works fine, although slowly, with USB 2. It is currently holding about 2.8 TB, and shows 1.2 TB left loaded using USB 2. This drive has a removable bottom (snaps off and on) and an alternate that converts the drive to Firewire 800. Configured this way, I can transfer at FW800 speeds between two drives. It is only when connected to the FL1009-200 card that it stops after about 190 MB of transfer.I don't have any other USB 3 computers or drives or Macs with PCIe slots. Both ports on the PCIe have the same problem. When the system is not working, system report shows "USB 3.0 Hi-speed Bus" and "USB 3.0 SuperSpeed Bus" in the USB Hardware page. When the system is working, it also shows the drive below one of those listings.
Thanks!
I've transferred far more than 100GB, but not all in one file like you. This weekend I'll create a 100+GB file and see what happens when I copy it.
I have that exact card, so I'll install it. My only USB 3.0 drives are 3TB Seagate Backup Plus models.
I have that exact card, so I'll install it. My only USB 3.0 drives are 3TB Seagate Backup Plus models.
This morning I disconnected the second optical drive (blueray burner) assuming that I might have a power management issue. Then started the MP. As always, the 4TB drive showed up on USB 3. First thing was to delete the 179GB file (added using the FW 800 capability) from this drive in order to re-add it to the drive using 3.0. Almost immediately the "empty trash" stalled, followed soon after with "this drive was improperly disconnected". Somehow, the drive is disappearing. I think it might be the card OR the fact that I'm running one FW drive using the Mac's FW power supply (there is no external power supply for this drive). Does anybody know what the relationship between the Mac's FW power and the optical drive power? Should I disconnect this FW drive? It is the one that has the 179GB file.
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My memory of this discussion fails me, Wonderspark, but I thought the Caldigit card had limitations. What is your current experience with it? Does it require a hacked driver?
Thanks.
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My memory of this discussion fails me, Wonderspark, but I thought the Caldigit card had limitations. What is your current experience with it? Does it require a hacked driver?
Thanks.
It comes with a driver on a disc. It appears limited to 250MB/second, as I've seen up to 242MB/sec USB3 and 246MB/sec eSATA using a Crucial M4. Powered by PCI slot only in an x4 lane slot with no issues experienced by me.
Caldigit USB3/eSATA
Wowser, $140 for the Caldigit USB3/eSATA card is a significant jump. The reviews on Amazon are not terribly glowing, but no show stoppers. I'll keep it in mind if this other setup can't be made functional...
Gonna try my current setup without the FW800-powered drive and post results.
Wowser, $140 for the Caldigit USB3/eSATA card is a significant jump. The reviews on Amazon are not terribly glowing, but no show stoppers. I'll keep it in mind if this other setup can't be made functional...
Gonna try my current setup without the FW800-powered drive and post results.
No Luck
OK, with the FW800 drive unplugged I rebooted. As usual, the USB 3 drive appeared. Again "empty trash" failed about halfway through the cycle, followed by "improperly removed disk". Moved usb cable to front port (USB 2, of course) and the drive didn't show up. cycled disk power and eventually it showed up. Finished emptying trash successfully.
I'm short on new ideas...
Reformat the 4TB? Replacing 2.7 TB takes along time, and why? The drive works well on FW800 and USB2.
OK, with the FW800 drive unplugged I rebooted. As usual, the USB 3 drive appeared. Again "empty trash" failed about halfway through the cycle, followed by "improperly removed disk". Moved usb cable to front port (USB 2, of course) and the drive didn't show up. cycled disk power and eventually it showed up. Finished emptying trash successfully.
I'm short on new ideas...
Reformat the 4TB? Replacing 2.7 TB takes along time, and why? The drive works well on FW800 and USB2.
I was hoping someone would have figured this out by now... So I'll share:
Considering the fresco-logic chipset based cards:
1) Hook up your USB 3.0 device to the card.
2) apple menu -> about this mac - system report -> USB
3) look for USB 3.0 superspeed bus. Is your device on that bus or 3.0 High speed bus?
4) If you are not on the superspeed bus, unplug the USB device from the current port and plug it into the next. I've found the top port to works without issue as superspeed: 500MB SEC Read/Write to a SSD on the 2 port and 4 port cards. The card specifications states the FL1009 should have 2 SS ports, however the drivers on the MacPro don't seem to agree.
Also - Make sure your peripheral is a USB 3.0 Superspeed rated device. If it's not, it's slow and crippled. With the proper hardware, you should be getting the same speed over USB3.0 as you would over SATA3 on a velocity X2. (I have both)
Note: This took about 2 minutes to troubleshoot when the card showed up a month ago. Always check the system report to know what's up with your IO.
Enjoy
Considering the fresco-logic chipset based cards:
1) Hook up your USB 3.0 device to the card.
2) apple menu -> about this mac - system report -> USB
3) look for USB 3.0 superspeed bus. Is your device on that bus or 3.0 High speed bus?
4) If you are not on the superspeed bus, unplug the USB device from the current port and plug it into the next. I've found the top port to works without issue as superspeed: 500MB SEC Read/Write to a SSD on the 2 port and 4 port cards. The card specifications states the FL1009 should have 2 SS ports, however the drivers on the MacPro don't seem to agree.
Also - Make sure your peripheral is a USB 3.0 Superspeed rated device. If it's not, it's slow and crippled. With the proper hardware, you should be getting the same speed over USB3.0 as you would over SATA3 on a velocity X2. (I have both)
Note: This took about 2 minutes to troubleshoot when the card showed up a month ago. Always check the system report to know what's up with your IO.
Enjoy
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System Report
Thanks for your thoughts. Yes, I have been checking the sys report. The Seagate 4TB does connect through the superspeed bus, when it shows up. The problem has not been failure to connect; it is that the drive disconnects (unresponsive) after a few minutes of data transfer. This is followed by the usual "you didn't disconnect properly" message. This is followed by the sys report still seeing the superspeed bus, but the drive is gone.
I left the MP on overnight and this morning the 4TB drive was still connected through the front USB 2 port. I ejected it and connected to the back, problematic USB 3 port (left port when looking at the back of the computer). No connection. After restart, there it was; connected to the superspeed port.
I'm beginning to think the card may be bad. I'm going to leave the drive connected for a few hours without any activity to see if the drive disappears. If it stays connected in the idle state that'll be interesting.
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So after three hours of being connected but in active, the drive is still connected to theUSB3.0 port. I can play an individual video within. Of course the sys report still shows the drive connected. Next, tried to transfer a 200 GB iphoto file to this drive. Peak transfer rate was 112 MB/sec in the first 15 seconds, then 1 MB for a minute, now zero. sys report still brings up superspeed and the drive. Opening the drive shows folders, but files don't appear, so there isn't any communication. Same old same old.
Looking for ideas... I'm going to try another brand USB 3 drive
Thanks for your thoughts. Yes, I have been checking the sys report. The Seagate 4TB does connect through the superspeed bus, when it shows up. The problem has not been failure to connect; it is that the drive disconnects (unresponsive) after a few minutes of data transfer. This is followed by the usual "you didn't disconnect properly" message. This is followed by the sys report still seeing the superspeed bus, but the drive is gone.
I left the MP on overnight and this morning the 4TB drive was still connected through the front USB 2 port. I ejected it and connected to the back, problematic USB 3 port (left port when looking at the back of the computer). No connection. After restart, there it was; connected to the superspeed port.
I'm beginning to think the card may be bad. I'm going to leave the drive connected for a few hours without any activity to see if the drive disappears. If it stays connected in the idle state that'll be interesting.
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So after three hours of being connected but in active, the drive is still connected to theUSB3.0 port. I can play an individual video within. Of course the sys report still shows the drive connected. Next, tried to transfer a 200 GB iphoto file to this drive. Peak transfer rate was 112 MB/sec in the first 15 seconds, then 1 MB for a minute, now zero. sys report still brings up superspeed and the drive. Opening the drive shows folders, but files don't appear, so there isn't any communication. Same old same old.
Looking for ideas... I'm going to try another brand USB 3 drive
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Question Reconnecting the Molex Connector
ActionableMango, I did as you recommended and disassembled the Molex connector to route the harness. On reassembly I got the red and yellow correct and "assumed" the indistinguishable black wires are interchangeable. Is this a bad assumption?
ActionableMango, I did as you recommended and disassembled the Molex connector to route the harness. On reassembly I got the red and yellow correct and "assumed" the indistinguishable black wires are interchangeable. Is this a bad assumption?
Sounds like a component failure somewhere. The card, the cable, or the device.
1) do you have the PCI card hooked up to internal power.
2) I've found that when external drives are hooked up to the FL USB3 and the system sleeps, the media is improperly ejected.
3) There have been lots of reports of the Seagate 4TB external drives having issues. May be worth a search on the reliability of that part.
Good luck!
1) do you have the PCI card hooked up to internal power.
2) I've found that when external drives are hooked up to the FL USB3 and the system sleeps, the media is improperly ejected.
3) There have been lots of reports of the Seagate 4TB external drives having issues. May be worth a search on the reliability of that part.
Good luck!
More confusion
Left the system on today,came back after seven hours, the computer was sleeping, woke it up and the 4TB Seagate was still connected to USB 3.0. Opened a video file and accessed it perfectly. So the only problem seems to be writing to it. Gotta find another drive before buying another card.
Left the system on today,came back after seven hours, the computer was sleeping, woke it up and the 4TB Seagate was still connected to USB 3.0. Opened a video file and accessed it perfectly. So the only problem seems to be writing to it. Gotta find another drive before buying another card.
I'm probably wrong, but it sounds like a chip is heating up. Could be on the drive controller or the card. Can you remove the drive from the enclosure and connect it internally for testing? I realize it works fine on a 2.0 USB port, but that may not stress the controller enough to present the the issue.
I made a 120GB file, removed the Orico card, and installed the FL card. Copied the 120GB file from an internal SATA 1.5TB Caviar Green to an external Seagate 3TB Backup Plus USB 3.0 drive. It worked fine. The speed stayed constant as far as I can tell and took about 15-20 minutes. I repeated but in the other direction, from the external USB to the internal SATA and that went fine too.
It's been smooth sailing for me in my normal use as well.
I don't know; the cable I received from Amazon has four distinguishable wires. One of the black wires has a white stripe and it is next to the yellow.
They are both the same gauge and both go to ground, so I would guess that it is fine. If you want to be sure, use a multimeter to match to the molex connector at the other end of the cable.
It's been smooth sailing for me in my normal use as well.
I don't know; the cable I received from Amazon has four distinguishable wires. One of the black wires has a white stripe and it is next to the yellow.
They are both the same gauge and both go to ground, so I would guess that it is fine. If you want to be sure, use a multimeter to match to the molex connector at the other end of the cable.
New Drive, Same problem
This morning I purchased a WD Passport 2TB and connected it to the USB 3 card. Same behavior as with the Seagate, so I conclude it is not the drives. I switched the black wires on the Molex connector and put the seagate back on the USB card. Same problem. It is time to buy another card and hope something changes.
Thanks everyone for your help. It has all been valuable. Keep you posted if the card works.
This morning I purchased a WD Passport 2TB and connected it to the USB 3 card. Same behavior as with the Seagate, so I conclude it is not the drives. I switched the black wires on the Molex connector and put the seagate back on the USB card. Same problem. It is time to buy another card and hope something changes.
Thanks everyone for your help. It has all been valuable. Keep you posted if the card works.
I don't think what you are implying is correct.
My system report says the same thing as yours, but Black Magic Disk Speed test shows the same speed on both ports (180MB/s with Seagate 3TB Backup Plus HDD). To contrast, the same drive gets about 32MB/s connected to the built-in USB 2.0 port up front.
Bad News
Today the replacement Fresco PCIe board arrived. After installation, same results. I tried 2 different big folders to transfer and both transferred about 100 MB before slowing to a crawl and ultimately the USB drive disappeared. So to recap, two different (seagate, WD) USB 3 drives on two different Fresco logic boards have all done the same thing. Common items are the cables, so I disconnected the cables from the Molex connector on the Fresco board and immediately got the message "disabled for drawing too much power". So the cables are doing what they should.
Help??
Today the replacement Fresco PCIe board arrived. After installation, same results. I tried 2 different big folders to transfer and both transferred about 100 MB before slowing to a crawl and ultimately the USB drive disappeared. So to recap, two different (seagate, WD) USB 3 drives on two different Fresco logic boards have all done the same thing. Common items are the cables, so I disconnected the cables from the Molex connector on the Fresco board and immediately got the message "disabled for drawing too much power". So the cables are doing what they should.
Help??