Glyph Blackbox Professional RAID evaluate: Rugged and speedy Thunderbolt 3 storage

Each time I evaluate a product that options laborious disk drives (HDDs), I sing the identical tune: a lot of capability for lots lower than SSDs, and higher efficiency than you may suppose.

I wouldn’t wish to run my working system off a field just like the Glyph Blackbox Professional RAID (HDDs presents slothful random entry), however I’d actually use it for audio or video manufacturing the place sequential switch pace is paramount. 550MBps in RAID 0 will simply do the trick in most situations.

The HDD versus SSD conundrum

However there’s a caveat: the striped RAID 0 that delivers that 550MBps presents no redundancy. HDDs, whereas way more dependable than they was once, are nonetheless mechanical and therefore, extra liable to failure than far sooner SSDs. Working HDDs in mirrored pairs is way safer, however half as quick and half the capability.

The upshot is, that whereas HDD storage is cheaper, when you absolutely account for the upper risk of drive failure, that’s not by as a lot as it’d first appear. Extra on that in the associated fee part.

Be aware that whereas I really feel compelled to level out the frailty of HDDs, I’ve had a pair of 16TB HDDs working 16 hours a day in a NAS field for nearly seven years, with nary a touch of something untoward. That mentioned, I run them mirrored resulting from a few unhealthy experiences again within the day.

This isn’t to say that SSDs by no means fail. They do on uncommon events, although more often than not restoration is solely a matter of a controller reset.

Glyph Blackbox Professional RAID options

A sturdily constructed (after which some) black metallic field jacketed in silicone, the Glyph Blackbox Professional RAID is a Thunderbolt 3 enclosure sporting twin, easy-open 3.5-inch drive bays. It’s offered pre-populated in 8TB to 48TB capacities. Keep in mind that marketed capability is the sum of each drives when operated striped or individually.

Together with the silicone sleeve, the Blackbox Professional RAID measures roughly 8.5-inches lengthy by 4-inches large by 5.25-inches tall. By its lonesome it weighs 5.1 kilos, ballooning to a hefty 8.1 or so kilos when HDDs are added. The AC adapter, with its matching silicone jacket provides one other pound.

On the again of the unit are a full-sized DisplayPort port, two Thunderbolt 3 ports (Kind-C), mode switches, a RAID mode set swap, a Kensington lock port, and the DC energy jack.

When you have been questioning why 3GBps Thunderbolt 3 with 550MBps HDDs, the Show Port and an non-obligatory built-in USB/card slot hub are the explanation. Or course, a pair extra USB ports and ethernet on the again may need stiffened that rationale, for my part.

The Blackbox Professional RAID makes it tremendous straightforward to modify modes (RAID 0 striped, RAID 1 mirrored, JBOD, or unbiased): merely reorient the dual mini dip switches in line with the diagrams immediately above them, then press and maintain the reset button for 4 seconds.

Being ever so barely paranoid (not with out trigger), it appears a bit too straightforward because the reset button isn’t recessed. However urgent mentioned button has no impact except you’ve modified the dip switches.

Glyph warranties the Blackbox Professional RAID for 3 years with a promise of knowledge restoration for 2 years, and components alternative for one. I didn’t see a shock score, however by no means drop a tough drive enclosure, and by no means, ever transfer it about whereas it’s powered up.

Glyph Blackbox Professional RAID value

The Blackbox Professional RAID retails for $600 with 8TB, $780 with 16TB, $1000 with 24TB, $1100 with 32TB, $1400 with the 40TB that I examined, $1550 with 44TB, and $1900 with 48TB.

These have been discounted to $530/8TB, $680/16TB, $900/24TB, $1000/32TB, $1150/40TB, $1350/44TB, and $1700/48TB. Alas, the field isn’t out there unpopulated so there’s no profiting from HDDs you may need mendacity round.

The Blackbox Professional RAID can also be out there with an built-in I/O hub that includes CFAST 2.0 and SD slots, in addition to a 10Gbps Kind-A USB port. Tack on $40 to $100 relying on the capability you order. Why, that value variance for a similar possibility I can’t inform you.

The enclosure is priced barely decrease than the OWC Gemini, although the Gemini has a pair extra ports customary. The Gemini can also be out there drive-less for $300 and with 4TB model for $470 — configurations that the Blackbox Professional RAID doesn’t supply. The G-RAID mirror contains a Professional-Blade modular NVMe SSD port and is a little more than the Blackbox Professional RAID as properly.

Jon L. Jacobi

As I beforehand mentioned, in comparison with SSDs, the Blackbox Professional RAID seems dust low-cost. A single 8TB NVMe SSD in an enclosure is round $600/$700, which is aggressive at that capability. However including 4 of these collectively to get 32TB would price you $2400 versus $1100 the 32TB Blackbox Professional RAID units you again.

And that’s earlier than you pay $250 plus for an NVMe RAID field such because the OWC 4M2 — if you will discover it. I went searching for the 4M2 and it’s apparently EOL, to get replaced with one thing sooner within the close to future. I’d recommend the OWC Thunderblade, however that’s a whopping $800 for 4 slots, making even a pair of the Blackbox Professional RAID’s way more interesting.

To re-emphasize, HDD reliability is a lot better than it was once, however it is best to most likely run the Blackbox Professional RAID mirrored or in pairs for something aside from scratch storage.

That makes the associated fee $2200 for 2 32TB Blackbox Professionals versus $2700 to $3200 for 32TB of NVMe SSDs. Cheaper, however not practically as a lot so. Contemplating the huge increase in efficiency SSDs ship, properly…

Glyph Blackbox Professional RAID efficiency

Although the Glyph Blackbox Professional RAID wasn’t fairly as quick as OWC’s Gemini in our testing, needless to say I examined the OWC field with a pair of very quick, 24TB WD UltraStar DC HC580 HDDs. The 40TB Blackbox Professional RAID Glyph despatched us used nonetheless quick, however barely extra mundane 20TB Toshiba MG10ACA20TE drives.

Regardless, 532MBps studying and 511MBps writing in striped RAID 0, as measured by Blackmagicdesign’s Disk Velocity Take a look at is an excellent efficiency. So is 271MBps studying and 254MBps writing in mirrored RAID 1 mode.

AmorphousDiskMark 4 rated the Blackbox Professional RAID in RAID 0 as barely sooner 540MBps studying and a bit slower 490MBps writing. The 273MBps/259MBps efficiency in RAID 1 is sort of precisely half because it usually is.

The story was just about the identical (as anticipated) from ATTO Disk Benchmark. Be aware that the ruler to the left within the display captures under modifications from 1GBps most for RAID0 to 500MBps most within the RAID 1 check.

I additionally ran the Glyph Blackbox Professional RAID via PCWorld’s check fairly with largely the identical outcomes. The OWC Gemini was sooner, however the G-RAID Mirror was a lot slower in RAID 0. The latter’s low scores have been a puzzler as that field used the identical 24TB WD UltraStar DC HC580 HDDs because the Gemini.

I included the random efficiency numbers as a small dose of levity. Trendy SSDs outstrip these outcomes a hundredfold. When you’re younger sufficient to not keep in mind HDDs, that is what we folks needed to cope with. After after all, upgrading from floppy disks.

The Glyph Black field Professional raid did very properly in our 4GB transfers if not in addition to the OWC Gemini in some checks. Once more, the sloth-like efficiency of the G-RAID mirror, additionally a Thunderbolt 3 field was a thriller.

The pecking order remained intact after the 450GB write, the Blackbox Professional RAID a methods behind in second place.,

General, I used to be fairly happy with the Blackbox Professional RAID’s efficiency. Given the benefit of the marginally sooner WD HDDs within the OWC, I’d name the containers themselves roughly on par performance-wise.

Must you purchase the Glyph Blackbox Professional RAID?

If you need most capability for the least quantity of {dollars} then the Blackbox Professional RAID is a superb product. Largely on par with the OWC Gemini, and sooner than the G-RAID Mirror.

However I’d think about working it paired with one other or in mirrored mode for knowledge security, which cuts down mightily on the discount facet. Regardless, a terrific dual-hard drive enclosure.