Which internal SSD for 2008 Mac Pro?

[sparkie7]

My refurb 2.8 octo should be arriving tomorrow so really need some advice/suggestions for a fast (or fastest) internal SSD on the market at present. Looks like I need to get a SATA drive? I really want to get it (or a couple) ASAP so I can load all my apps/software on these rather than the stock standard 320HD thats shipped with the MP.

1. what suggestions do you have for setting up as a RAID. Which means I have to get two of the same/make/model SSDs

2. suggestions for HD setup re System, software, documents, scratch disks. I would have thought having the System, Apps and utilities one drive. Documents on a 2nd (or third) drive. And scratch disks on drive 3 and 4 as an array.

3. Also, how many drives can I connect within the MP enclosure. Four? From the specs it looks like it has 4 drive bays for 3.5" SATA or SAS.

4. Which MP RAID card do you recommend

Any advice as always appreciated

 

[WonderSausage]

Read first.

http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=669

The best drive on the market is the Intel and even it has serious issues fundamental to SSDs in general. I think we need at least another generation before SSDs are ready for performance systems. Light usage on a MacBook Air is something entirely different than a Mac Pro power user.

My advice? Stick with VelociRaptors for the time being (WD3000HLFS version, not GLFS, which won't plug into a Mac Pro).

 

[sparkie7]

ok. thanks for the link.

How about fibre channel. worth considering?

 

[twig16]

Load your apps on the stock drive, then clone it to a new drive and maintain it as a disaster recovery drive.

Why do you need SSDs or RAID anything for your apps exactly?

Since you bought a refurb machine I assume you are cost-conscious, if so SSD drives or a RAID array for your boot disc seem to fall into the category of diminishing returns. RAID 0 increases your chances of drive failure as well.

Depending on your application you might want to spend on fast scratch discs or data drives, but all this effort on your boot drive is not necessary. But you really have to specify what you intend to do before anyone can help- photoshop, motion graphics, HD video encoding? After Effects, Windows Apps- what are you trying to do with the machine?

Get a single WD black drive to clone your boot drive to, under $90 from newegg. It is fast enough, reliable, good IO performance.

 

[sparkie7]

Load your apps on the stock drive, then clone it to a new drive and maintain it as a disaster recovery drive.

Why do you need SSDs or RAID anything for your apps exactly?

Since you bought a refurb machine I assume you are cost-conscious, if so SSD drives or a RAID array for your boot disc seem to fall into the category of diminishing returns. RAID 0 increases your chances of drive failure as well.

Depending on your application you might want to spend on fast scratch discs or data drives, but all this effort on your boot drive is not necessary. But you really have to specify what you intend to do before anyone can help- photoshop, motion graphics, HD video encoding? After Effects, Windows Apps- what are you trying to do with the machine?

Get a single WD black drive to clone your boot drive to, under $90 from newegg. It is fast enough, reliable, good IO performance.

I'll be using it for photoshop, light-room, aperture, motion, some 3D

I thought the 2009 MP's are over priced. And real speed improvements would be more noticeable and better spent on more RAM (16GB: 4x4GB ordered already), fast drives, like SSDs and RAID configs. Looking at OCZ vertex. Intel X25-E is too small. And mixing it with WD RE3's or WD Raptors

Any advice appreciated

 

[Horst]

Conventional wisdom says that a fast boot drive is important to performance. This is absolutely true with single-hard-drive systems, because the boot drive is used for everything. But it’s a red herring for serious work with a properly configured Mac Pro.

 

[twig16]

IF you want most bang for your buck, after memory, then think about a RAID array that will be used for your data/working projects and for CS Scratch.

Buy a 4Ware Sidecar (enclosure plus hardware raid card) for $250
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3974966&Sku=R333-1002

Slap 4X WD Black drives in there (750GB I found to be the pricing sweet spot, 1TB are available too). Or use RE3's if you want.

Set up a RAID array (in my case I used RAID 5 because I have an external backup I perform nightly to another drive), in your case if you do not have a back-up plan I would use RAID 10. Partition it with 80-100GB as a scratch disc, the rest as a big data drive for your work files.