(Fastest MacbookPro+SSD interface) For Professional Photography

[phildog33]

Wanted to relay my findings on macbook pro usage in the field + HD interfaces

I use a Mac Pro 2.88 Quad - 14gb Ram - 12TB Raid5 interface getting about 800mb/s speeds -- in the studio
On location -- I have a 2.33 C2D with 3GB ram and various HD interfaces, its been ok with the Nikon D3, Canon 5d, etc.. but not cutting it for me anymore.

I use Capture One Pro 4.7 to process Nikon D3X and MFDB files
So... I tested 40 RAW files from the D3x, each Raw is about 30MB

****

Mac Pro setup above -- 40 Raws -- 4min 56 secs

Macbook Pro using one FW800 Drive Hitachi 200gb 7200 rpm -- 16min 11s
Terribly slower

****

For testing a faster interface I purchased whatever they had at J and R.. not the best equipment but jsut something for the test.. I can still return everything, so no worries... Please help me with recommendations

Lacie Express Card for Esata
http://www.jr.com/lacie/pe/LAC_130783/

and

2x these 128gb PNY/Samsung Drives
http://www.jr.com/pny/pe/PNY_PSSD2S128GM/

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Macbook Pro with express card and 1x SSD via esata -- 14min 34 s

Macbook Pro with express card and 2x SSD via 2 ports/not daisy chained and software Raid0 striping --- 14min 10 secs

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I only shaved off about 2 minutes of processing using all these SSDs and esata connections.

I want to get a bigger time difference/time savings than this

Can you just comment on your findings

Thanks
P
p.s. ill follow up with mb/s tests on the various interfaces

 

[phildog33]

Here are some Speed tests using AJA Kona and a 1gb sample size.. With file system cache disabled

Also the enclosures I used were these guys, sometimes it was finnicky on usb bus power using the small 2.5" metal enclosure. The way it works is a small power connector to 2x USB ports.. Bus powered SSD/eSata

2.5" enclosure, all bus powered - pretty cool that this works, but sometimes finicky --not enough USB power when running 2x SSDs/enclosures
http://oyendigital.com/hard-drives/store/EB2-S.html

3.5" enclosure, anything they had with eSata
http://www.jr.com/ppa-international/pe/P2A_2629/


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Results from Highest Speed to Lowest
--------

1 ---- 2x ssds in raid 0 -- using 2x of the small enclosures.. one USB port of power for each, bus powered... it does work, but finicky sometimes --- Write 121 MB/s, Read 121 MB/s


2 ---- 1x ssd with double USB bus power + 1 Fw800 Hitachi drive 7200rpm 200gb 2.5" drive -- raid 0 together --- Write 71 MB/s, Read 108 MB/s


3 ---- 1x ssd in small enclosure, eSata straight connect, 1xUSB bus power --- Write 72 MB/s, Read 86 MB/s *Note using 2x USB bus power ports.. same speed


4 ---- 2x FW800 drives daisy chained together, 2x Hitachi 200gb 7200rpm 2.5 drives, Raid 0 together --- Write 60 MB/s, Read 76 MB/s


5 ---- 1x Hitachi 7200rpm in big 3.5" box, connected via eSata, AC Powered --- *Note, the small enclosures cant power a traditional spinning drive at 7200rpm USB bus powered.. just crashes, not enough power to keep it spinning that fast --- Write 43 MB/s, Read 60 MB/s


6 --- 1x FW800, 1x Hitachi 200gb 7200 rpm drive, straight connect --- Write 41 MB/s, Read 60 MB/s


*Just to test my CF cards from my cameras


7 --- 2x Delkin 16gb UDMA CF Cards and Lexar UDMA FW800 card readers, Raid 0 together, daisy chained --- Write 37 MB/s, Read 58 MB/s


8 --- 1x Delkin 16gb UDMA CF Card and Lexar UDMA Fw800 reader, straight connect --- Write 19 MB/s, Read 31 MB/s

 

[James Cole]

Intel would be your best choice.

 

[phildog33]

im just curious if its the interface (express+ssd) or the cpu/memory thats slowing me down

just ask because the savings in using SSDs and express card/eSata vs just Fw800 traditional drives was just 10% time savings

i want to get something 2-3x faster.. is it possible?

P

 

[frimple]

im just curious if its the interface (express+ssd) or the cpu/memory thats slowing me down

just ask because the savings in using SSDs and express card/eSata vs just Fw800 traditional drives was just 10% time savings

i want to get something 2-3x faster.. is it possible?

P

I would imagine it's a limit of ExpressCard/34. Depending on if it was built with a USB or PCIExpress connection (not likely) the throughput would max at ~50Mbytes/sec.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ExpressCard

 

[phildog33]

i just bought a umbp 2.53ghz model with 4gb ram

is it worth it to redo all these tests? or is the express card bus on the faster computer going to be the same results probably?

p