RAID Card on Mac Pro

[chelseasian]

Hi!

I am about to order a Mac Pro and I am planning to add another two 750GB internal drives (not from Apple) into it. Since I am using it mainly for video work, and according to Apple's site, it is recommended to add a RAID Card, but I am not sure if it is necessary. Currently I have 4 external HDDs attached via FW800, and they are not RAIDed and I have not experienced any problems for the past 2 years. So I am wondering if adding a RAID Card will make any difference?

I appreciate any input.

Thank you. 🙂

 

[termina3]

At $1000, I wouldn't do it. Others who have experience with the card will be able to give you a better opinion though (I just use a mirror software RAID that's included with the system).

 

[Macinposh]

Just use the internal bays for software raid.

Put your system disk and a backup it (Bays 1+2=Raid 1) and then put 2 disks to bays 3+4 and raid0 them together. So basically you have a 0+1.

With your material on 2 disks you should get about 150MB/s speeds?
If not enough,put all 4 drives together in Raid0 so you should have about 300MB/s speeds. That should be enough for 10bit uncompressed HD?
Then put a disk in the 2nd dvd bay via satacable to the mobos free sata slot. There you can put your system disk.
For backup,use some external fw drives.

 

[bigbossbmb]

that would not be RAID0+1... that would be a RAID0 and a RAID1.

RAID0+1 is a RAID0 that mirrors another RAID0.


but yeah. until ZFS is completely integrated into leopard for non-developers, I would just do a software RAID with two of the bays.

 

[Macinposh]

that would not be RAID0+1... that would be a RAID0 and a RAID1.

RAID0+1 is a RAID0 that mirrors another RAID0.


but yeah. until ZFS is completely integrated into leopard for non-developers, I would just do a software RAID with two of the bays.

Correct.
Was in a hurry when typed that,so didnt have time to do it proper..

And yes,that ZFS will be a awesome thing when it is up and working properly.
But,before it is mature enough, I propably wouldn dare to use it.

Even if I am using Raid10 in my MP at the moment...