Drobo replacement

[Enquiries]

Looking for a DAS 5 or 6 bay array with hardware raid to handle minimum 24tb of data with ability to add/swap drives and expand as data grows. RAID options of 5, 6, 50 requirements. Primarily for photo and video editing and archiving. Looking to spend between $2000 to $3000 for the array and hard drives. Thoughts?
Thank you,
Joe
joe@joefornabaio.com

[ed]

Thanks for your message! Here are some solid DAS options within your budget that can handle your photo and video editing needs, with RAID options and the ability to expand storage over time:

Pegasus3 R8

Bays: 8

RAID: 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, 60, JBOD

Connection: 2x Thunderbolt 3 (TB3)

Noise: Relatively quiet, designed for professional use

Capacity: Supports up to 8 drives (expandable)

Price: Likely on the higher end of your budget, but great for performance and scalability.

TerraMaster D8 Thunderbolt 3

Bays: 8

RAID: 0, 1, 5, 6, 10

Connection: 2x Thunderbolt 3 (40Gb)

Capacity: Handles 3.5/2.5-inch SATA drives

Price: More affordable, with great features for a lower cost compared to higher-end options.

Lacie 6big Thunderbolt 3

Bays: 6

RAID: 0, 1, 5, 6, 10

Connection: 2x Thunderbolt 3, USB 3.1 combo

Capacity: Ideal for 6-bay configurations and scalable for future growth

Price: Slightly higher, but built for heavy workloads like video and photo editing.

OWC ThunderBay Flex 8

Bays: 8

RAID: 0, 1, 5, 6, 10

Connection: 2x Thunderbolt 3, PCIe upgrade slot

Capacity: SATA/SAS and U.2/M.2 NVMe drives supported

Expandable: The PCIe upgrade slot allows for more flexibility in the future.

These units all support RAID configurations and will allow you to swap or add drives as your data grows. Given your focus on photo and video editing, I recommend considering Thunderbolt 3 units like the Pegasus3 R8 or TerraMaster D8 Thunderbolt 3 for fast data access speeds, especially when editing large files.

[Ace2377]

Thanks for your message! Here are some solid DAS options within your budget that can handle your photo and video editing needs, with RAID options and the ability to expand storage over time:
Pegasus3 R8
Bays: 8
RAID: 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, 60, JBOD
Connection: 2x Thunderbolt 3 (TB3)
Noise: Relatively quiet, designed for professional use
Capacity: Supports up to 8 drives (expandable)
Price: Likely on the higher end of your budget, but great for performance and scalability.
TerraMaster D8 Thunderbolt 3
Bays: 8
RAID: 0, 1, 5, 6, 10
Connection: 2x Thunderbolt 3 (40Gb)
Capacity: Handles 3.5/2.5-inch SATA drives
Price: More affordable, with great features for a lower cost compared to higher-end options.
Lacie 6big Thunderbolt 3
Bays: 6
RAID: 0, 1, 5, 6, 10
Connection: 2x Thunderbolt 3, USB 3.1 combo
Capacity: Ideal for 6-bay configurations and scalable for future growth
Price: Slightly higher, but built for heavy workloads like video and photo editing.
OWC ThunderBay Flex 8
Bays: 8
RAID: 0, 1, 5, 6, 10
Connection: 2x Thunderbolt 3, PCIe upgrade slot
Capacity: SATA/SAS and U.2/M.2 NVMe drives supported
Expandable: The PCIe upgrade slot allows for more flexibility in the future.
These units all support RAID configurations and will allow you to swap or add drives as your data grows. Given your focus on photo and video editing, I recommend considering Thunderbolt 3 units like the Pegasus3 R8 or TerraMaster D8 Thunderbolt 3 for fast data access speeds, especially when editing large files.


Regarding the TerraMaster D8 Thunderbolt 3...I was looking at NAS options to rip my rather large movie collection to.  I was looking at 8 bay units when someone suggested I should also consider a DAS setup since I don't need to offer access to anyone outside my home, I don't need to access outside my home, and I only need to watch on one tv.  They thought the simpler DAS might serve me better since I wouldn't need the network functions, and it might be better since the drives would only be active when I'm watching a movie rather than 24/7. 

I see this TerraMaster on sale for $1,299.99 at this time, and the NAS I was considering is the UGREEN DXP8800 Plus, which is on sale for $1,274.99 right now, so essentially the same price.  While I'm not making this decision based on upfront costs, I am ok paying this price for a machine that will serve my needs, we did expect going the DAS route would be the cheaper method as a cherry on top.  I'm assuming the UGREEN cannot function as a DAS?

Something inside me just seems to be telling me if the price is the same, I might as well get the NAS 'just in case' I never want the networking functionality.  Though a DAS seems to better serve me needs today.  For the application of ripping and watching movies, is this the TerraMaster D8 what you'd recommend fo that application, or is that overkill?  Anything you else you'd have in mind?

Are cheap boxes like an IO Crest 8 bay Tool Less Tray Hot Swapable 2.5" and 3.5" SATA Hard Drive External USC-C 3.2 (10Gbps) Hard Drive Enclosure for about $300 on Amazon good enough, or do those not provide enough speed?