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

btarunr · Jul 10, 2009, 11:20 PM

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.

Source: Tweaktown

lemonadesoda · Jul 10, 2009, 11:37 PM

Neat. Simple. Moveable.

LittleLizard · Jul 10, 2009, 11:40 PM

I dont get this

Maban · Jul 10, 2009, 11:57 PM

Now that's an awesome concept.

Cheeseball · Jul 11, 2009, 12:08 AM

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 · Jul 11, 2009, 12:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

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 · Jul 11, 2009, 03:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LittleLizard

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 · Jul 11, 2009, 04:18 AM

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

TheLostSwede · Jul 11, 2009, 04:44 AM

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 · Jul 11, 2009, 08:14 AM

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

BazookaJoe · Jul 11, 2009, 09:00 AM

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

The industry needs more of this kind of thinking.

DanTheBanjoman · Jul 13, 2009, 08:02 AM

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.

DanTheBanjoman · Jul 13, 2009, 08:08 AM

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 · Jul 13, 2009, 08:31 AM

that's a very good concept...

Jul 10, 2009, 11:20 PM	#1
btarunr Editor & Senior Moderator Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Hyderabad, India Posts: 14,981 (7.31/day) Thanks: 788 Thanked 12,895 Times in 5,647 Posts System Specs	PhotoFast Innovates G-Monster Plug-n-Play RAID Adapter 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. Source: Tweaktown Last edited by btarunr; Jul 10, 2009 at 11:39 PM.

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Jul 10, 2009, 11:40 PM	#3
LittleLizard Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Latin America, Uruguay Posts: 3,380 (2.06/day) Thanks: 339 Thanked 584 Times in 516 Posts System Specs	I dont get this __________________ "oh no, i make a very good person. I eat poop and sleep just like everyone else. My sense of humour just happens to fall under the DnD category of Chaotic Evil." - Mussels "I was expecting a line of EVGA FTW condoms or something like that." - DrPepper "I like my sex like my basketball, one on one, and with as little dribbling as possible" - Robert-The-Rambler

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Jul 10, 2009, 11:37 PM	#2
lemonadesoda Eligible for custom title Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 5,337 (2.17/day) Thanks: 749 Thanked 960 Times in 710 Posts System Specs	Neat. Simple. Moveable.

Jul 10, 2009, 11:57 PM	#4
Maban Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Minnesota Posts: 1,911 (1.01/day) Thanks: 797 Thanked 549 Times in 358 Posts System Specs	Now that's an awesome concept.

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Jul 11, 2009, 12:08 AM	#5
Cheeseball Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 598 (0.37/day) Thanks: 53 Thanked 66 Times in 51 Posts System Specs	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.

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Jul 11, 2009, 04:18 AM	#8
boogerlad Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 193 (0.08/day) Thanks: 13 Thanked 12 Times in 11 Posts	This is really pointless for some ssds because they almost are at their limit of the bus already.

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Jul 11, 2009, 04:44 AM	#9
TheLostSwede Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: A little green island far far away Posts: 842 (0.27/day) Thanks: 16 Thanked 152 Times in 113 Posts System Specs	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.

Jul 11, 2009, 08:14 AM	#10
1Kurgan1 The Knife in your Back Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Duluth, Minnesota Posts: 6,711 (4.13/day) Thanks: 3,093 Thanked 2,312 Times in 1,556 Posts System Specs	Very nice little card, hopefully the price isn't too steep. __________________ Youtube - The WarZ Myths + Gameplay, BF3 Weapon Reviews and more Dual Loop HAF 922 Build \| Dxtory and x264 Codec Guide “Daniel Craig is my Wookiee bitch now!” -Harrison Ford

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Jul 11, 2009, 09:00 AM	#11
BazookaJoe Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 800 (0.47/day) Thanks: 41 Thanked 207 Times in 125 Posts	For once I'm Impressed... Simple & functional. The industry needs more of this kind of thinking.

Jul 13, 2009, 08:02 AM	#12
DanTheBanjoman Señor Moderator Join Date: May 2004 Location: Utrecht, Utrecht, The kingdom of the Netherlands Posts: 8,498 (2.59/day) Thanks: 41 Thanked 1,453 Times in 1,077 Posts System Specs	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.

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Jul 13, 2009, 08:08 AM	#13
DanTheBanjoman Señor Moderator Join Date: May 2004 Location: Utrecht, Utrecht, The kingdom of the Netherlands Posts: 8,498 (2.59/day) Thanks: 41 Thanked 1,453 Times in 1,077 Posts System Specs	Hmm, after a bit of searching, it doesn't seem to work with 3.5" harddrives physically. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00a21yD4Zow

Jul 13, 2009, 08:31 AM	#14
denice25 Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 202 (0.13/day) Thanks: 2 Thanked 17 Times in 17 Posts	that's a very good concept...

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