PhotoFast Innovates G-Monster Plug-n-Play RAID Adapter

[btarunr]

Solid-state drive specialist PhotoFast innovated an easy RAID builder solution, which doesn't boast of being an expansion card, and doesn't require additional drivers from the OS. The G-Monster Evolution "Simple RAID Adapter", is a small orange PCB with SATA II and power input on one side, and two sets of SATA II data and power connections on the other. Users can connect two hard drives or SSDs to the device, and connect the device like any other hard drive, to the computer's storage controller. The RAID array the device builds using the member drives connected to it, remains abstract to the host machine, which sees it as a single hard-drive. The G-Monster Evolution supports RAID 0, RAID 1, and RAID JBOD modes, with maximum transfer rates of 270 MB/s for both read and write. RAID modes are configurable with the bundled software. One limitation of this device is that it does not support SSDs that have internal RAID 0 connections between two or more sets of NAND flash memory. This is perhaps because the device uses the same controller, or at least the basic design, that goes into making SSDs with internal RAID connections. Popular SSDs of this type (incompatible with this device) include PhotoFast G-Monster V2, Patriot Warp V3, OCZ Apex, and G.Skill Titan. Its availability and pricing are yet to be known.



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[lemonadesoda]

Neat. Simple. Moveable.

 

[LittleLizard]

I dont get this

 

[Maban]

Now that's an awesome concept.

 

[Cheeseball]

RAID without having to configure it in the BIOS/RAID controller. Nice. I hope the price isn't expensive for a small stick of PCB.

 

[Kitkat]

RAID without having to configure it in the BIOS/RAID controller. Nice. I hope the price isn't expensive for a small stick of PCB.

thanx for clearing that up i was abut to post a wtf myself lol and another q: its gonna hange loose when u have 2 ssds or??

 

[AsRock]

I dont get this

Only good thing i see with it is if your updating your mobo. If the new controller is not compatible with the one you been using raid with you lose or have to back up all your data.

Now with this would you to just be able to just plug in in the new mobo without hassle.

 

[boogerlad]

This is really pointless for some ssds because they almost are at their limit of the bus already.

 

[TheLostSwede]

Well, I think something was lost in translation with regards to the press release.
The idea is that you get one of PhotoFast's new G-Monster V5 drives and plug this thing in instead of the default RAID 0 card.
You can check out a video here which shows the internals of the V5 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00a21yD4Zow and you'll understand why this is a great addition for those looking at using an SSD for a RAID 1 setup rather than RAID 0.
Of course you won't be seeing the kind of performance numbers that you see in the video if you change the RAID setup from 0 to 1.

 

[1Kurgan1]

Very nice little card, hopefully the price isn't too steep.

 

[BazookaJoe]

For once I'm Impressed... Simple & functional.

The industry needs more of this kind of thinking.

 

[Deleted member 3]

Apart from similar solutions having existed for ages an actual RAID controller is just as transferable. Surely it's a nice little gadget, but it's hardly as revolutionary as some of the above responses suggest.
If the price is low enough they'd be great to pair with other RAID controllers, though I expect these to be too expensive compared to existing port multipliers. Then again SATA>IDE adapters are dirt cheap as well, so who knows.

 

[Deleted member 3]

Hmm, after a bit of searching, it doesn't seem to work with 3.5" harddrives physically.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00a21yD4Zow

 

[denice25]

that's a very good concept...