Z820 drives configuration

[wvillers]

Thanks again for the info.

I am going to look into the LSI option with the 4 front drives...  Right now, I have SSDs in Icy Docks:

- 1x 256GB 830 as boot drive

- 1x 256GB 830 + 1x 256 m4 together as a JBOD-type (Icy dock, knocking down the SATA port to 3GB/s)

- 1x 128GB m4 on each remaining 2 ports in RAID0

Come to think of it, I could get away with 2x256GB in RAID0 for my boot drive, 2x256GB in RAID0 for data drive and populate the front with 128GB SSDs for scratch...

I do have a single CPU machine with 64GB RAM and Quadro...  

Not to slam HP too much, but I couldn't go the "cheap" route you suggested, even though I had ordered directly through HP.  After several weeks of wait, and several excuses from HP sales support that my system was delayed by a week every week, I got fed up and bought one off a reseller...  I guess my money was no good for HP (nice to know, I guess I should cash my HP 401K and buy a Dell 😉 ), but the reseller took it just fine 🙂

[curt12345]

Try provantage, they have good prices. You have a good configuration, right videocard, memory, now its just LSI with fast path option and play around with the settings till you tune it to your needs, LSI has pretty good support and they can usually tell you what to set the controller to based on your conifuration and needs, as SSD's get faster less drives are needed to max out the throughput, obviously as you test the ssd's the larger read/write tests will show max throughput.

Even with just 4 ssd's in raid zero on a 6gb interface that are speedy, over 500mb read/400 writes and fast path you will see over 2gb a sec on the larger file tests,  at that point I was seeing close to max throughput on the controller I had, that was on samsung 830's, have heard some bad things about the 840's but I think they are addressing that with firmware, the nice thing about Samsung over Inel is they build everything in the SSD, memory and controller, while Intel is using Sandforce controllers and we all know how they have had issues in the past.

[wvillers]

Thanks for the info!

BTW, what kind of 2x2.5"->3.5" adapter did you use?  I tried a SilverStone SST-SDP08, hoping to be able to stick it in the empty 3.5" drive slot without removing the dummy one, but that didn't fit...  I don't really want to have the drives exposed, for mutliple reasons including dust, so I was hoping this tray would work, but it's 2mm too long...

[curt12345 · Accepted solution]

http://h30094.www3.hp.com/product.asp?sku=3990721

This is what we used on the Z800, will work with Z820, the two into one optical bay bracket, don't know about the 4 into one, looks interesting though, the one we used came with hardware and power cables from molex to sata power as well.

SSDs are supported on all Z-Workstations. Check individual workstation platform Quickspecs for confirmation.

If an HP Solid State Drive is purchased as an After Market Option, the kit will include a mounting bracket for use in the standard 3.5" HDD Bays. If it is for use in an Optical Bay, one of the following mounting brackets will be needed.

• HP Optical Bay HDD Mounting Bracket-BLK-for WKS, HP Part Number NQ099AA
• HP 2.5in HDD 2-in-1 Optical Bay Bracket, HP Part Number FX615AA
• HP 4-in-1 SFF HDD Carrier with External access (Option kit only for Z620 and Z820, B8K60AA), fits into ODD bay

[joselso]

　

HP provides ample detailed information on the recommended installation methods and on available HP hardware for HDD's and SSD's into bays in the latest Z-series workstations:

• "Workstation support for 2.5” Mass Storage Devices"

in URL:

http://h20331.www2.hp.com/Hpsub/downloads/Workstation_support_for_2.5in_Mass_Storage_Devices_101712....

• "HP SATA/SAS hard drive and Solid State Drive installation"

in URL: (for Zn00 workstations)

http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c02589905.pdf

and in URL: (for Zn20 workstations)

http://www.google.co.il/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=%22hp%20sata%2Fsas%20hard%20drive%20and%20solid%20state%20d...

or:

https://h20566.www2.hp.com/portal/site/hpsc/template.BINARYPORTLET/public/kb/docDisplay/resource.pro...

[Some URL's are not quick to respond].

[wvillers]

Thanks for the info,

I was trying to go the $10 route to try things out, but I guess the HP route is not that bad...  The 2-in-1 is only $40 so that is a decent solution.  The 4-in-1 looks pretty good too, $140...

Then comes the checkout from the SMB store: FAIL!  Cryptic error message (from 3 different computers and web browsers).  What is up with HP and their e-commerce?  Is it that difficult?!?!?!?!  HP swallowed EDS a few years ago, their specialty was building these kinds of business infrastructure!!!!

Once again, it seems like HP does not want to deal with SMB.  Instead of wasting my time, why not sending us directly to a reseller?

Anyway, after some research, turns out the HP 4-in-1 is simply an Icy dock product: Icy Dock MB994SP-4S.  The most major difference: one-click purchase on Amazon versus non-functional HP SMB site...  Oh yeah, and it's only $72 as opposed to $139!  Thanks HP for your brillance, you saved me $67!

[wvillers]

And BTW, if anyone is interested in Icy Dock MB982SPR-2S (2x2.5 to 3.5, with built-in RAID), I have 4 I want to let go of.

Nothing wrong with them, just that the units are limited to 3GB/s...

[wvillers]

Received the MB994SP-4S today, it fits like a glove and (for what it's worth) makes the Z820 look meaner 🙂

Only issue is the MOLEX 4-pin power!!!! Z820 doesn't have these, so there is a need for a $6 adapter!

[echoout]

TenTechLLC, this is incredibly helpful. I have a z820 on order that should come in this week and I need to jump straight into video production. The Icy Dock and 4 SSDs should work great, but before I order those, what kind of MOLEX 4-pin power adapter should I look for?

Thanks so much!

[wvillers]

Hi there,

I got a Y splitter because I already have 2 OOD in (DVD burner and BD burner), so I went with this: http://www.amazon.com/Manhattan-15-Pin-Female-Splitter-308977/dp/B002LBROAA

I haven't received it yet, so I can't vouch for it yet, but I don't see what could cause problem...