Thunderbolt 3 provides the largest tube of data for direct-attached storage devices. The 40 Gbit / s connection is just as cheap as it is fast, but the adoption in PCs products has been slow. This will change in 2018 when prices fall. Today, we are watching the Areca ARC-8050T3 series, which is the fastest Thunderbolt 3 storage device to date.
Areca products are focused on the business and the professionals, but unlike others in this market, the company does not fear performance enthusiasts. Over the past decade, the company has been recognized as the key source for high-speed storage technology that enthusiasts often use to set competitive performance records. Areca customizable RAID controller programming and potential for massive pieces of onboard memory are secret infusion. You can test an older LSI hardware RAID card against the same LSI RAID-On-Chip as found on the Areca equivalent, and the latter will give you more throughput and less latency every time. To state it, the third company has outperformed the internal brand several times, but at a lower price. That is what this company does, and today we will see it happen again.
We recently released a review of the LaCie 12big. In our review, we talked about the limited competition in the Thunderbolt storage space. The 12big and the smaller 6big target business users, but they use chip technology borrowed from mainstream storage. LaCie has invested heavily in Thunderbolt 3 products, but we could only find older LaCie Thunderbolt 2 storage systems for comparison. It was at this point that we discovered the Areca ARC-8050T3 series with a variable number of drive bays, including a 12-bay model that is a direct competitor of the LaCie 12big. Unlike its competitors, the Areca model uses a company RAID controller technology.
Technical characteristics
Areca launched the ARC-8050T3 series with five models that offer options of varying sizes and capacities. The 4-bay model is the only system to use a single-core ROC that supports 6 Gb / s SATA and SAS. Areca supports the 800 MHz processor with a 1 GB DDR3-800 cache. This system is also the only one of the group without screen, but it is also the most economical.
Areca also offers two six-bay models with almost identical specifications. The ARC-8050T3-6M has a grip, which makes it trip-worthy. We assume that the "M" means mobile. This is the only system that we could not find for sale in the United States. The non-M version has a different housing design. The six-bay models also have expansion capabilities via a two-way SFF-8644 connection at the back. These devices use the same dual-core processor clocked at 1.2 GHz as all models except the four-bay unit. Electrically, the ROC supports 12 Gbps SAS, but it is also backward compatible with 6Gbps SAS and SATA. Areca supports ROC with 2GB of DDR3-1866 memory.
The ARC-8050T3-8 is essentially a spruced -6. The system is a little larger, but the two channels used for external expansion on the -6 model route inside the unit back to the backplane to eight drives. This system also adds a second hard disk cooling fan running at a sluggish speed of 2700 rpm.
We are testing the flagship model with twelve disk arrays, a dual-core 1.2GHz ROC processor and 2GB DDR3-1866. The specifications read like a RAID controller because that is the technology in the box. Areca uses a powerful LSI hardware RAID processor (now integrated with Avago) to deliver very high performance. The processor can address sixteen channels. Twelve are internal, and four connect to expansion devices via a SFF-8644 cable.
Areca does not list performance requests for these products because it depends on the storage devices. This series is sold without a disk, but B & H Photo and PC Pit Stop have preloaded systems, which saves you from having to assemble a system.
Features
With the exception of the four-bay model, all ARC-8050T3 systems support RAID 0, 1, 1E, 3, 5, 6, 10, 30, 50, 60, single disk and JBOD. The smallest system in this range does not support RAID 30, 50, or 60 because it does not have enough bays to support advanced arrays.
Larger systems support hardware-level encryption without affecting performance. You can use self-encrypting (SED) disks with all ARC-8050T3 systems.
Price and Warranty
ARC-8050T3 systems are sold as stand-alone components. Some companies will group the drives and others will even configure the system with the installed drive. The reseller manages these value-added configurations. Cases are normally sold without a disc. Prices vary from $ 999 for the four bays and $ 2,299 for the 12 bays we are testing. Areca supports the ARC-8050T3 series with a standard three-year warranty.
Accessories
Areca keeps all this very simple. Inside the package, we found an easy-to-follow paper installation guide to guide us through the installation process. The system comes with screws for installing drives in the trolleys, a long active Thunderbolt cable with type C connectors on each end, a power cable and an Ethernet cable.
Areca manufactures, but does not include, a battery backup module. This is an optional purchase that allows the DRAM cache to retain data in the event of a power failure. The -4 and -6M models do not support this feature.
Software
You must load the custom Thunderbolt 3 driver before using the software or even connecting the ARC-8050T3. We made the mistake of hooking up the system first, then spending an hour trying to configure the device. The installation process takes less than three minutes if you install the driver first.
The management software is almost identical to the Areca RAID controller software. The settings will seem overwhelming at first if you are not used to this level of control. There are two ways to approach the software. You can dive into each setting and create a custom table, or you can simply use the Quick Create button and select from the eight options. The default setting is already configured and will allow you to start. The default settings change when you select a different RAID level, so an optimization is already built-in.
The complete custom experience is one of the reasons why Areca RAID controllers have spent time at the top of the world records ranking for storage-based benchmarks. Enthusiasts can spend hours in the software to get the maximum performance. I've spent several evenings experimenting in the interface to extract some extra PCMark points.
Packaging
Areca keeps the packaging simple. All of these devices will sell online, so there is very little interest in the appeal of the radius. The system comes in a dense cardboard box with a color box on the inside. The inner box has an image and some specifications, but I would be surprised to see them in a brick and mortar store.
Let's take a closer look
We have the flagship model in the lab for testing. Areca calls this a desktop form factor. The drives are installed in two ranks, so the system is halfway up the LaCie 12big, but it only takes a little more space on the desktop. You can control the table with the buttons and the display. You can use it to configure the system without even installing the software. A password prevents others from falsifying your table.
The system supports 12 GB / s SAS hard drives that you will not find on LaCie Thunderbolt products. The sleds support 2.5 "and 3.5" drives in both SAS and SATA flavors, so you have several options. It is also possible to divide the system into several tables.
The commercial end of the system is on the back. There are two large fans that cool the discs. A small fan cools the power supply and a medium sized fan keeps the electronics in working order. We ran this system on a desk and had no problem with the sound. The system dynamically adjusts the fan speed according to internal temperatures.
The two Thunderbolt 3 Type-C ports are the main connectors. You can chain Thunderbolt 3 devices together. The interface also carries a video signal.
If twelve bays are not enough, you can also expand the system by connecting a JBOD box. The Areca software allows you to build a separate array or integrate disks into your internal RAID. You can also chain multiple Areca ARC-8050T3 systems via Thunderbolt 3 and use an interface to control everything.
Systems have an advanced self-power feature based on the host system's power state. This allows you to build a large RAID array that covers your other ARC-8050T3 systems.
The Ethernet port can be confusing for inexperienced users. This port allows you to run the Areca software remotely from another system (out of band management).
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Thunderbolt 3 provides the largest tube of data for direct-attached storage devices. The 40 Gbit / s connection is just as cheap as it is fast, but the adoption in PCs products has been slow. This will change in 2018 when prices fall. Today, we are watching the Areca ARC-8050T3 series, which is the fastest Thunderbolt 3 storage device to date.
Areca products are focused on the business and the professionals, but unlike others in this market, the company does not fear performance enthusiasts. Over the past decade, the company has been recognized as the key source for high-speed storage technology that enthusiasts often use to set competitive performance records. Areca customizable RAID controller programming and potential for massive pieces of onboard memory are secret infusion. You can test an older LSI hardware RAID card against the same LSI RAID-On-Chip as found on the Areca equivalent, and the latter will give you more throughput and less latency every time. To state it, the third company has outperformed the internal brand several times, but at a lower price. That is what this company does, and today we will see it happen again.
We recently released a review of the LaCie 12big. In our review, we talked about the limited competition in the Thunderbolt storage space. The 12big and the smaller 6big target business users, but they use chip technology borrowed from mainstream storage. LaCie has invested heavily in Thunderbolt 3 products, but we could only find older LaCie Thunderbolt 2 storage systems for comparison. It was at this point that we discovered the Areca ARC-8050T3 series with a variable number of drive bays, including a 12-bay model that is a direct competitor of the LaCie 12big. Unlike its competitors, the Areca model uses a company RAID controller technology.
Technical characteristics
Areca launched the ARC-8050T3 series with five models that offer options of varying sizes and capacities. The 4-bay model is the only system to use a single-core ROC that supports 6 Gb / s SATA and SAS. Areca supports the 800 MHz processor with a 1 GB DDR3-800 cache. This system is also the only one of the group without screen, but it is also the most economical.
Areca also offers two six-bay models with almost identical specifications. The ARC-8050T3-6M has a grip, which makes it trip-worthy. We assume that the "M" means mobile. This is the only system that we could not find for sale in the United States. The non-M version has a different housing design. The six-bay models also have expansion capabilities via a two-way SFF-8644 connection at the back. These devices use the same dual-core processor clocked at 1.2 GHz as all models except the four-bay unit. Electrically, the ROC supports 12 Gbps SAS, but it is also backward compatible with 6Gbps SAS and SATA. Areca supports ROC with 2GB of DDR3-1866 memory.
The ARC-8050T3-8 is essentially a spruced -6. The system is a little larger, but the two channels used for external expansion on the -6 model route inside the unit back to the backplane to eight drives. This system also adds a second hard disk cooling fan running at a sluggish speed of 2700 rpm.
We are testing the flagship model with twelve disk arrays, a dual-core 1.2GHz ROC processor and 2GB DDR3-1866. The specifications read like a RAID controller because that is the technology in the box. Areca uses a powerful LSI hardware RAID processor (now integrated with Avago) to deliver very high performance. The processor can address sixteen channels. Twelve are internal, and four connect to expansion devices via a SFF-8644 cable.
Areca does not list performance requests for these products because it depends on the storage devices. This series is sold without a disk, but B & H Photo and PC Pit Stop have preloaded systems, which saves you from having to assemble a system.
Features
With the exception of the four-bay model, all ARC-8050T3 systems support RAID 0, 1, 1E, 3, 5, 6, 10, 30, 50, 60, single disk and JBOD. The smallest system in this range does not support RAID 30, 50, or 60 because it does not have enough bays to support advanced arrays.
Larger systems support hardware-level encryption without affecting performance. You can use self-encrypting (SED) disks with all ARC-8050T3 systems.
Price and Warranty
ARC-8050T3 systems are sold as stand-alone components. Some companies will group the drives and others will even configure the system with the installed drive. The reseller manages these value-added configurations. Cases are normally sold without a disc. Prices vary from $ 999 for the four bays and $ 2,299 for the 12 bays we are testing. Areca supports the ARC-8050T3 series with a standard three-year warranty.
Accessories
Areca keeps all this very simple. Inside the package, we found an easy-to-follow paper installation guide to guide us through the installation process. The system comes with screws for installing drives in the trolleys, a long active Thunderbolt cable with type C connectors on each end, a power cable and an Ethernet cable.
Areca manufactures, but does not include, a battery backup module. This is an optional purchase that allows the DRAM cache to retain data in the event of a power failure. The -4 and -6M models do not support this feature.
Software
You must load the custom Thunderbolt 3 driver before using the software or even connecting the ARC-8050T3. We made the mistake of hooking up the system first, then spending an hour trying to configure the device. The installation process takes less than three minutes if you install the driver first.
The management software is almost identical to the Areca RAID controller software. The settings will seem overwhelming at first if you are not used to this level of control. There are two ways to approach the software. You can dive into each setting and create a custom table, or you can simply use the Quick Create button and select from the eight options. The default setting is already configured and will allow you to start. The default settings change when you select a different RAID level, so an optimization is already built-in.
The complete custom experience is one of the reasons why Areca RAID controllers have spent time at the top of the world records ranking for storage-based benchmarks. Enthusiasts can spend hours in the software to get the maximum performance. I've spent several evenings experimenting in the interface to extract some extra PCMark points.
Packaging
Areca keeps the packaging simple. All of these devices will sell online, so there is very little interest in the appeal of the radius. The system comes in a dense cardboard box with a color box on the inside. The inner box has an image and some specifications, but I would be surprised to see them in a brick and mortar store.
Let's take a closer look
We have the flagship model in the lab for testing. Areca calls this a desktop form factor. The drives are installed in two ranks, so the system is halfway up the LaCie 12big, but it only takes a little more space on the desktop. You can control the table with the buttons and the display. You can use it to configure the system without even installing the software. A password prevents others from falsifying your table.
The system supports 12 GB / s SAS hard drives that you will not find on LaCie Thunderbolt products. The sleds support 2.5 "and 3.5" drives in both SAS and SATA flavors, so you have several options. It is also possible to divide the system into several tables.
The commercial end of the system is on the back. There are two large fans that cool the discs. A small fan cools the power supply and a medium sized fan keeps the electronics in working order. We ran this system on a desk and had no problem with the sound. The system dynamically adjusts the fan speed according to internal temperatures.
The two Thunderbolt 3 Type-C ports are the main connectors. You can chain Thunderbolt 3 devices together. The interface also carries a video signal.
If twelve bays are not enough, you can also expand the system by connecting a JBOD box. The Areca software allows you to build a separate array or integrate disks into your internal RAID. You can also chain multiple Areca ARC-8050T3 systems via Thunderbolt 3 and use an interface to control everything.
Systems have an advanced self-power feature based on the host system's power state. This allows you to build a large RAID array that covers your other ARC-8050T3 systems.
The Ethernet port can be confusing for inexperienced users. This port allows you to run the Areca software remotely from another system (out of band management).
PLUS: Best SSD
PLUS: How We Test Hard Drives and SSDs
PLUS: All SSD Content
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The post Areca ARC-8050T3 Thunderbolt 3 DAS Review appeared first on News Doses.
