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Confused! (SSD Installation)

S

sepu

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 18, 2006
135
0
Sorry, as I said in other post I got a Mac pro 2010 and this is my first one.

I got 3 SSD 2 of them are using this
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other World Computing/MM35A52CMB/

and I put them in the optical drive but there is just one extra cable and I have 2 ssd which I want to run them as Raid 0. Which will be for my scratch, etc. What do I need in here?

The other one it will be the main where i will install my OS and Apps. I was thinking in getting this for the Main

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/IcyDock/MB882SP1S2B/

Please let me know what cables do I need since Im unsure and I really want to turn on this machine ... I got it today and I realize that I can't use it which sucks but also is my fault since I dint inform myself well.
 
The solution is to mount your two SSD's for the RAID0 array in the regular drive bays (using the Icydock adapters you linked to) and use the optical connection for your main SSD or put them all in regular drive bays and forget about the optical bay (but I don't know what other drives you have and this would require 3 Icydock adapters). Short of adding an eSATA card, there's no way to connect additional drives in the optical bay.
 
you could connect one of them using one of the extra SATA cables that are in their for the optical drive ? you could take out your optical drive and put it in a external case and run the two cables that way ?

you could also got the icy dock way with two of them and use the one extra cable in the optical bay (thinking you only have one optical drive ?)

get a external SATA card and run the two off that with a basic sans digital case ? or any case that has one SATA port per drive you dont want a PM case for your scratch it will be to slow ;)
 
sepu said:
and I put them in the optical drive but there is just one extra cable and I have 2 ssd which I want to run them as Raid 0. What do I need in here?
Click to expand...

Either remove your optical drive and use that sata cable, or do a sata extension from the connectors of one of the 4 drive bays. With the later alternative, you also need a power splitter to split your sata power in the optical bay.

There is only 6 sata ports on the 2010 mac pro, 2 of which are in the optical bay and 4 that are the drive bays.
 
hey thank you guys.

What cables exactly do I need I mean there Sata but when I went and check them out, there a bunch can you show me which ones are exactly please.
 
sepu said:
hey thank you guys.

What cables exactly do I need I mean there Sata but when I went and check them out, there a bunch can you show me which ones are exactly please.
Click to expand...

for the extra one in the optical bay just look at the one connected to the optical drive in their and its exactly the same :) and should be right their next to the empty bay ? ;)
its a long skinny thing plugged into the back of the optical drive :) just look for that same piece :) hope that makes sense when you get in their you will see it easy :)
 
I saw this thread and just join the discussion with a question : I just bought a 120 GB SSD from OWC, do I need an accessory to implement it in the Macpro (2010) or doest it fit in the optical or regular bay by simply insert it ? It is not clear on OWC site...Thanks
 
carambo said:
I saw this thread and just join the discussion with a question : I just bought a 120 GB SSD from OWC, do I need an accessory to implement it in the Macpro (2010) or doest it fit in the optical or regular bay by simply insert it ? It is not clear on OWC site...Thanks
Click to expand...
You can let it set loose or DIY something for the optical bay if you wish (zip ties, velcro, ...). All it must have, is the connection to the cable for the bay in order to work (contains both data and power signals).

For the HDD bay, you'd be best using a mount IMO (Icy dock unit linked above works well, and it's not prohibitively expensive), so it fits the connector properly (you don't want to damage this, as it would mean a new backplane board if you do).

I recall zip ties have been used on the tray (no adapter used), but that's up to you. It will work so long as you're very careful to make sure the drive is lined up properly.
 
Thanks for the inputs ...
where the optical bay is. Is there anything like a Y split where you can connect that Sata port and make 2 more connection? do you guys know?

Also you mention it just have 6 Sata ports, so if you want to add more HDD or SSD what do you do?

Thanks.
 
nanofrog said:
You can let it set loose or DIY something for the optical bay if you wish (zip ties, velcro, ...). All it must have, is the connection to the cable for the bay in order to work (contains both data and power signals).

For the HDD bay, you'd be best using a mount IMO (Icy dock unit linked above works well, and it's not prohibitively expensive), so it fits the connector properly (you don't want to damage this, as it would mean a new backplane board if you do).

I recall zip ties have been used on the tray (no adapter used), but that's up to you. It will work so long as you're very careful to make sure the drive is lined up properly.
Click to expand...

Ok, thanks, looking forward to receive my new MP and this SSD. Regards
 
copying boot drive (MacHD) drive to SSD

I have two HD's in my Mac Pro. (orig. 320mb) is the MacHD (Apps, Users, System, Library), and second one for Data.

If I buy an SSD to replace the 320mb OS/Apps drive. What is the recommended procedure for copying to it, and then designating it as the primary boot drive?

Do I install it in ICY adapter into the 3rd pay. Make a clone copy of the MacHD drive to it? , then designate it as the boot drive , etc. Can you point me to info on this? Thanks!
 
qveda said:
I have two HD's in my Mac Pro. (orig. 320mb) is the MacHD (Apps, Users, System, Library), and second one for Data.

If I buy an SSD to replace the 320mb OS/Apps drive. What is the recommended procedure for copying to it, and then designating it as the primary boot drive?

Do I install it in ICY adapter into the 3rd pay. Make a clone copy of the MacHD drive to it? , then designate it as the boot drive , etc. Can you point me to info on this? Thanks!
Click to expand...

Depends a bit on how much room you have already used on your boot HD and how big the SSD will be. JMO, but you will get the best long term performance from any SSD if it is only half (or less) filled. i.e. if you have packed the boot HD then you may want to consider either trimming some stuff from it or doing a fresh install of the OS on the SSD.

FWIW, I used superduper to clone the new machines HD to the SSD. Select the SSD as the boot drive in Preferences - Startup Disk and you will be good to go!

JohnG
 
sepu said:
Thanks for the inputs ...
where the optical bay is. Is there anything like a Y split where you can connect that Sata port and make 2 more connection? do you guys know?
Click to expand...
You cannot just split a SATA connection to more than one disk. There is a device that does it (switches between up to 5x disks on a single port), called a Port Multiplier, but you have to find power and a place to put it, so they're only found in external enclosures. Given how it works, it's also a compromised solution (bandwidth of one port is shared between all the disks, so there is a performance hit as a result). Worst yet, I'm only aware of 3.0Gb/s PM chips, so they're not suited to SSD's.

But it would technically be possible to get a Port Multiplier board and use on one of the SATA ports internally (there's even a unit that is meant for 2x 2.5" disks in one HDD bay; max throughput is ~200MB/s in a stripe set configuration = definitely not good for SSD's).

sepu said:
Also you mention it just have 6 Sata ports, so if you want to add more HDD or SSD what do you do?
Click to expand...
So the only way to get more internal SATA ports, is to add in a card that has OS X drivers (internal I've seen are all 3.0Gb/s last I saw; so 6.0Gb/s is only available in eSATA versions). IF you do want to run a PM enclosure, you also have to make sure the card supports Port Multiplier chips (not all do).

But it will give you a 1:1 ratio (one disk per port; no sharing) for improved throughputs, which is really important with SSD's, and ideally, you'd want a 6.0Gb/s card if at all possible (may have to get an eSATA version and run the cables back inside via an open PCI bracket; not pretty). External will be cleaner, but cost more, as there's enclosures to deal with.
 
johnnymg said:
Depends a bit on how much room you have already used on your boot HD and how big the SSD will be. JMO, but you will get the best long term performance from any SSD if it is only half (or less) filled. i.e. if you have packed the boot HD then you may want to consider either trimming some stuff from it or doing a fresh install of the OS on the SSD.

FWIW, I used superduper to clone the new machines HD to the SSD. Select the SSD as the boot drive in Preferences - Startup Disk and you will be good to go!

JohnG
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tips! I'm currently using only about 19gb on my boot drive (OS, Apps etc). So 80gb might be sufficient SSD size, or even 60gb. Depending on prices I might to to 120gb to be safe
 
hey nanofrog thank you for your detail explanation I really appreciated !
 
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