What is Active PFC?
Active Power Factor Correction improves the power factor value of the PSU by altering the input current wave shape. PSUs with Active PFC can achieve a power factor of 0.99, while PSUs with Passive PFC can only achieve 0.70, and PSUs with no PFC achieve less than 0.60. A higher power factor reduces transmission losses and improves efficiency for power companies, making Active PFC an important feature for the environment.
How can a PFC power supply save energy?
By reducing the volt-amperes your electric utility has to deliver in order to provide a gene power level demanded by the power supply. Much less power is lost in generating useless “harmonics” that unnecessarily load down the AC electrical delivery system.
Are PSUs with multiple +12V outputs more reliable than PSUs with a single +12V output?
Yes, multiple +12V outputs are used to ensure safety protection; each output keeps the current within a safe range. PSUs with a single +12V output generally tend to be older designs and present greater risk because, in the event of a short in any component, there is no over current protection.
Are multiple 12-volt rails better than a single 12-volt rail?
With all the hype about multiple 12-volt rails (ads claim that two rails is better than one, five is better than four, etc.), you’d think it was a better design. Unfortunately, it’s not! Here are the facts: A large, single 12-volt rail (without a 240VA limit) can transfer 100% of the 12-volt output from the PSU to the computer, while a multi-rail 12-volt design has distribution losses of up to 30% of the power supply’s rating. Those losses occur because power literally gets “trapped” on under-utilized rails. For example, if the 12-volt rail that powers the CPU is rated for 17 amps and the CPU only uses 7A, the remaining 10A is unusable, since it is isolated from the rest of the system. Since the maximum current from any one 12-volt rail of a multiple-rail PSU is limited to 20 amps (240VA / 12 volts = 20 amps), PCs with high-performance components that draw over 20 amps from the same rail are subject to over-current shutdowns. With power requirements for multiple processors and graphics cards continuing to grow, the multiple-rail design, with its 240VA limit per rail, is basically obsolete. PC Power and Cooling is once again leading the industry. All of our power supplies now feature a large, single 12-volt rail. The design is favored by major processor and graphics companies, complies with EPS12V specs (the 240VA limit is not a requirement) and is approved by all major safety agencies such as UL and TUV.3
How do I pick a good PSU?
It is not easy for a general user to judge if a PSU is good or not. Here are some principles. • Choose a well-known brand. • Has the PSU passed safety certifications? • Is the wattage number the value for peak output or continuous output? Continuous is better. • Compare the weight with other similar products to see if it is too light. • (Not suitable for passive PFC power supply) • Compare the internal components, if they have size difference. • Does the PSU have the 80 PLUS certification.
How to Make Thunderbolt 3 Storages in Double Performance?
When two Netstor Thunderbolt 3 storage units (model: NA611TB3, NA622TB3, and NA762TB3…etc.) are connected to the same Thunderbolt 3 Mac computer/laptop, you can just use the following connection to get the Doubled Capacity and the Doubled Performance for up to 4200 MB/s between storages and the Thunderbolt 3 Mac.
Equipment Requirement:
。 Two units of Thunderbolt 3 storage
。 A Mac computer with 4 ports Thunderbolt 3
* [Note: 4 ports Thunderbolt 3 ports mean there are two Thunderbolt chips used by a computer; each Thunderbolt 3 chip (two ports) can provide bandwidth up to 2750 MB/s]
Scheme One
Two NA622TB3 present double performance under iMac Thunderbolt 3 ports
* Testing by: NA622TB3 *2, Gloway 2TB NVMe SSD *8, iMac 27”(Mid-2017) *1
Scheme Two
Here is the way to verify which Thunderbolt 3 Mac computer/laptop contains two separate TB3 controllers in support of the above doubled performance.
NA762TB would not power on, is this the power supply issue?
If the connection between NA762TB and host computer is bad, it also can be the cause.
Best way to check the connection is by connecting NA762TB to another computer with a new Thunderbolt 2 cable. If the issue still exist, then it might be the PSU inside NA762TB has an issue.
How to Make Thunderbolt 3 Storages in Double Performance?
When two Netstor Thunderbolt 3 storage units (model: NA611TB3, NA622TB3, and NA762TB3…etc.) are connected to the same Thunderbolt 3 Mac computer/laptop, you can just use the following connection to get the Doubled Capacity and the Doubled Performance for up to 4200 MB/s between storages and the Thunderbolt 3 Mac.
Equipment Requirement:
。 Two units of Thunderbolt 3 storage
。 A Mac computer with 4 ports Thunderbolt 3
* [Note: 4 ports Thunderbolt 3 ports mean there are two Thunderbolt chips used by a computer; each Thunderbolt 3 chip (two ports) can provide bandwidth up to 2750 MB/s]
Scheme One
Two NA622TB3 present double performance under iMac Thunderbolt 3 ports
* Testing by: NA622TB3 *2, Gloway 2TB NVMe SSD *8, iMac 27”(Mid-2017) *1
Scheme Two
Here is the way to verify which Thunderbolt 3 Mac computer/laptop contains two separate TB3 controllers in support of the above doubled performance.
How many GPU cards can this hold?
This NA-250A-PRO is only equipped with 400W Power Supply without any extra PCIE power connectorS. You cannot install any GPU cards on this product.
What you need to know before you purchase a NA255A?
- Can your Host computer BIOS support the number of GPU cards that you plan to install in the NA255A?
- Can the drivers of your GPU cards that you plan to install on the NA255A that can be supported?
- What is the power consumption (wattage) of each of your GPU card you plan to install in the NA255A?
Can the NA255A support up to 4 GPU cards?
The NA255A hardware can support up to 4 pcs GPU cards but the BIOS on some manufacturer’s motherboards were not designed This means that hardware will not be issue but the motherboard firmware is more likely to be the cause of a problem if it arises. From our records, only some ASUS motherboards will not work up to 4 GPU cards. Check with your motherboard’s manufacturer for further details regarding compatibility.
How loud and how fast are the cooling fans on the NA255A?
The max speed is at 34dB but default is running at speed of 65% and 22dB. The fan speed can be adjust by manual. How to adjust shows on web http://www.netstor.com.tw/product_info.aspx?SerID=6&Title=TurboBox&ArID=21&PID=PID_170324287237937
What if my MSI™ Z270 gaming motherboard doesn't recognize the NA255A?
The solution is as follows:
- Visit the MSI BIOS Download Page to download and update your MSI Z270 Gaming MoBo to the latest BIOS version 7A58v12 released on April 11, 2017.
- First, make sure to not have any card installed in slot 2, slot 3, and slot 4 on the MSI motherboard before proceeding.
- Install NA255A host card on MSI’s motherboard’s PCIe slot 1 for signal of electrically x16
- Connect the monitor to MSI motherboard’s onboard HDMI interface for screen output (see attached image file) so the monitor will utilize Intel Core i3-7100’s integrated HD Graphics 630 processor. In MSI’s MoBo BIOS settings, set i3-7100 integrated HD Graphics 630 as the top priority screen output processor.
- Power on your PC, and then the NA255A will be powered on along automatically. When the Pc boots into Windows 10, the GTX 1080 gpu cards in NA255A will be recognized by WIN10’s Device Manager correctly.
I am interested in possibly using factory overclocked cards that are a little larger for maximum cooling. What is the max card height the NA255A can accomodate?
The NA255A can accommodate the max card height is 5.7”/145mm.
We have just received the NA250A-GPU and I have a question about the cards installation layout in my Mac Pro as well as the NA250A-GPU. The following are the details of my system and PCIe cards. Please advise what would be the best configuration of cards installation in both devices in order to achieve the best performance.
System:
- Mac Pro early 2009
- El Capitan OSX 10.11.5
PCIe cards:
- GT 120 for UI
- GTX 780 for Cuda processing
- Titan X for Cuda processing
- Red Rocket card
- Black magic decklink card
- USB 3 card
Please see the following for the suggested cards arrangement in both Mac Pro and NA250A-GPU. Since you are using GTX 780 and TITAN X for CUDA processing, we would suggest you to visit http://www.nvidia.com/object/mac-driver-archive.html and download/ install the latest Mac CUDA driver for the two GPU cards that working with Mac OS X 10.11.5.
Mac Pro (Early 2009), OS X 10.11.5 | |
Slot | PCIe card model |
4th PCIe slot (x4 signal) | USB 3.0 card |
3rd PCIe slot (x4 signal) | Blackmagic DeckLink card |
2nd PCIe slot (x16 signal) | NA250A host card |
1st PCIe slot (x16 signal) | Nvidia GT 120 graphics card (for GUI) |
NA250A-GPU | |
Slot | PCIe card model |
SLOT2 | Nvidia GTX 780 GPU card |
SLOT3 | Nvidia TITAN X GPU card |
SLOT4 | Red Rocket card |
Please help to verify if the NA255A-XGPU is able to support 4 x GTX 980 or 4 x GTX1080 simultaneously with the computer specs provided. Besides, if it is possible to get an upgrade to 1500W power supply instead of 1200W, or can we purchase without a power supply?
We specialize in Forensic Computers for the Military and law enforcement and is currently looking to purchase the NA255A-XGPU. The followings are the PC specs and requirements: Host PC:
- Motherboard: ASUS X99-E WS/USB 3.1 Socket 2011-v
- CPU: i7-5820K 3.3GHz
- RAM: 32GB DRR4 2133MHz
- PCIe Slots: 7 x PCIe 3.0/2.0 x16 (single x16 or dual x16/x16 or triple x16/x16/x16 or quad x16/x16/x16/x16 or seven x16/x8/x8/x8/x8/x8/x8)
- Windows 10 Pro 64-Bit
or
- Motherboard: ASUS Z10PE-D8 WS Socket 2011-v3
- CPU: 2x Intel Xeon E5-2630v4
- RAM: 64-128GB DRR4
- PCIe Slots: 7x PCIe 3.0
- Windows 10 Pro 64-Bit
GPUs to be installed in the NA255A-XGPU are 4 x GTX 980 or 4 x GTX1080. For your reference, we had provided a real case with a similar scenario as yours: A customer installed four Nvidia GTX 980 GPU cards in his NA255A. The host computer he uses is Asus X99-E WS motherboard installed with Intel Core i7-5960X CPU; he installed eight 8GB DDR4 RAM modules on the motherboard, so totally there’re 64GB RAM on his Asus X99-E WS. The customer reports the four GTX 980 cards in NA255A work properly with Asus X99-E WS. We have confirmed the above setup from the customer is workable. However, you mentioned the CPU you used for the Asus X99-E WS/USB 3.1 motherboard is i7-5820K. But from our success case, the CPU used on Asus X99-E WS is a higher end model of i7-5960X. Please note that the max number of PCIe lanes for i7-5820K is only 28 lanes, but the max number of PCIe lanes for i7-5960X is 40 lanes. (1) i7-5820K: http://ark.intel.com/products/82932/Intel-Core-i7-5820K-Processor-15M-Cache-up-to-3_60-GHz (2) i7-5960X: http://ark.intel.com/products/82930/Intel-Core-i7-5960X-Processor-Extreme-Edition-20M-Cache-up-to-3_50-GHz Furthermore, your RAM for Asus X99-E WS/USB 3.1 motherboard is 32GB DDR4, but, from our success case the RAM is 64GB DDR4. The size of RAM on the motherboard may also have an influence on the number of GPU cards workable with motherboard. Therefore, four GTX 980 GPU cards in NA255A should also work with your Asus X99-E WS/USB 3.1 motherboard. But most importantly, the CPU model and size of RAM must be considered since the i7-5820K CPU only has 28 lanes and motherboard only has 32GB in size. As we mentioned, the ASUS X99-E WS can support up to 4 GPUs; however, the Z10PE-D8 WS can only recognize up to 2 GPUs. We suggest to choose the GTX-1080 because this GPU requires less power and offers better performance. Currently we don’t have the 1500W power supply option available. And due to its elaborate design, we don’t recommend using any different power supply other than the one included in the case.
Is the Host Adapter PCIe card that plugs into the host PC a simple "data pass through" layer?
The NA255A is a standard multiple PCIe slots expansion enclosure. It only require a free PCIe x16 slot from the host PC and doesn’t need any software installation for the enclosure itself. Of course, if the third-party’s PCIe cards that to be installed into NA255A require driver installation then the driver installation procedure is just the same as you plug the PCIe card into your host PC. So, the NA255A is a “data pass through” PCIe slot expansion. Just imaging the NA255A let your single PCIe slot of host PC to be multiple PCIe slots. The upstream slot is pre-installed with a target PCIe adapter in order to connect with the host adapter board of the host PC.
If I were to connect the Host Adapter card to a custom backplane with a custom FPGA, does it still get recognized by the Host PC’s bios?
If the FPGA is also a standard PCIe interface that can be installed into a standard PCIe slot of the host PC then it can also be installed into any expansion slots of NA255A as well but not in the slot of upstream port.
For the 1200 W model, will four different wattage GPUs work while total wattage less than 1200W?
Yes, it can work.
Is this chassis designed to only support air cooled GPUs or is there enough room to install a closed loop liquid cooled card in this chassis?
There is enough room to install two closed loop liquid-cooled graphics cards in the NA255A chassis, and it requires an additional metal bracket to be attached (fastened) to the inner top of the NA255A chassis for the radiators.
Is the NA255A compatible with the motherboard MSI X99A SLI PLUS on a host computer?
We have tested NA255A with major PC motherboards from Asus, Gigabyte, and MSI…etc., and the PC Motherboards work seamlessly with the Netstor NA255A enclosure, so MSI X99A SLI PLUS motherboard should also work all right with the NA255A.
For a Nvidia GTX 1080 TI graphics cards that uses primarily with OTOY Octane Render, can this also work with NA255A?
When Nvidia GTX 1080 Ti card installed directly on the PC motherboard, and under this circumstance if the OTOY Octane Render works properly with the Nvidia GTX 1080 Ti card installed directly on PC motherboard, it will also mean as GTX 1080 Ti card installed in NA255A connecting to the PC motherboard, the OTOY Octane Render works fine with the GTX 1080 Ti card in NA255A.
Will 4 Titan-X Maxwell graphics cards into NA255A (the Nvidia web drivers and Cuda drivers are already installed and working properly on a single card in the 16 lane slot that he wants to expand) work with MacPro5_1 - dual 6 core processors - (PCIe 2.0) with Operation System 10.13.6 without the need to install drivers, or any appropriate drivers for his current operating system?
When going to Nvidia’s official driver website:
https://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us
Select ‘TITAN’ for Product Type, select ‘GeForce GTX TITAN X’ (this is Maxwell one), select ‘Show All Operating Systems’ for the Operating System item. Then there are only GeForce GTX TITAN X drivers for Windows, Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris…etc.; no macOS driver. Under this circumstance, as there is no macOS driver for GeForce GTX TITAN X at Nvidia’s site.
Furthermore, we have got information from worldwide users that macOS 10.11 through macOS 10.13 has limited number of GPU cards that can work with macOS of tower Mac Pro; generally, only up to 2 or 3 GPU cards can work with the system of macOS 10.11 ~ macOS 10.13 on tower Mac Pro.
Trouble shot that GPU cards are not working on NA255A 1/2- Solution I.
The first few steps you can perform to trouble shot that GPU cards are not working on NA255A.
- Download the latest BIOS version for your motherboard.
- Leave your GPU/VGA card on motherboard for display purpose.
- Install Nestor NA255A’s host card in PCIe 3.0 x16 slot on the motherboard.
- Leave the rest of PCIe slots in the motherboard empty.
- After the above arrangement, add one GPU card into NA255A.
- Power on the NA255A and host computer.
- After it boots into the operation system, check in Windows’ Device Manager if the GPU card in the NA255A can be recognized by the Windows operating system?
- If the GPU card can be recognized, then power off the system. Add the second GPU card in NA255A. Power on the system, and check if two GPU cards can be recognized?
- Provided two GPU cards can be recognized, power off the system. Add the third GPU card in NA255A. Power on the system, and check whether the three GPU cards can be recognized? And so on for adding the fourth GPU.
[ For example: ]
A customer who running into an issue with the NA-255A with 4x RTX 2060 GPU’s connected to the host machine with the following specs:
ASUS X299 Sage Motherboard
i7-9800x CPU (44 PCIe Lane)
16GB RAM DDR4 (Also tried with 64GB)
Internal GPU of computer is a GTX 1650
No other PCIe cards connected, and no M.2 drives connected
Here is a solution:
- Download the latest BIOS version Version 1201 (2019/08/19), and update his WS X299 SAGE MoBo to this latest BIOS version
- Install the Nvidia GTX 1650 card in PCIe 3.0 x16_3 slot [Slot No. 3] on his WS X299 SAGE motherboard
- Install Netstor NA255A’s host card in PCIe 3.0 x16_1 slot [Slot No. 1] on his WS X299 SAGE motherboard.
- Keep the rest five PCIe slots on WS X299 SAGE MoBo empty; also, not have any M.2 SSD connected to let the max PCIe resource be assigned to the graphics cards connected to the system.
- After the above arrangement has been done, firstly install only one RTX 2060 card in NA255A.
- Power on both NA255A and WS X299 SAGE computer
- After it boots into the operating system, check in Windows’ Device Manager if the RTX 2060 card can be recognized by the Windows operating system?
- If the RTX 2060 can be recognized, then power off the system. Add the second RTX 2060 card in NA255A. Power on the system, and check if two RTX 2060 cards can be recognized?
- Provided two RTX 2060 cards can be recognized, power off the system. Add the third RTX 2060 card in NA255A. Power on the system, and check whether the three RTX 2060 cards can be recognized? And so on.
Trouble shot that GPU cards are not working on NA255A 2/2 – Solution II.
The second steps you can perform If your operating system and the previous graphics card drivers have already corrupted due to reasons, you should conduct the following steps to resolve the issue.
- Disconnect the original HDD from the PC motherboard.
- Connect a new HDD with no data saved inside to the same PC motherboard.
- Install a clean Windows 10 operating system onto the new HDD connected to the PC motherboard.
- After the clean Windows 10 installation is made to the new HDD connected to the PC motherboard, install NA255A’s host card in the PCIe 3.0 x16 slot on motherboard, and install only one VGA card in a PCIe slot on PC motherboard for screen output. Keep the rest PCIe slots on PC motherboard empty to allow maximum PCIe resources to be assigned to the GPU cards connected to the system.
- When the PC motherboard is with the new HDD with the clean Win10 operating system, all the GPU cards in NA255A will be recognized by the Windows 10, and then the user installs the latest Nvidia driver for the GPU cards in NA255A, and all the GPU cards in NA255A will work properly with the PC motherboard
[For example:]
We have a client who uses NA255A installed with two Nvidia cards to work with HP Z840 computer running Windows 10. Yesterday when he tried to use the above topology, after he powered on the HP Z840 and the NA255A, the HP Z840 couldn’t boot into Windows. At that time, our team thought the operating system and the Nvidia drivers at his HP Z840 had previous conflicts, so that his HP Z840 couldn’t boot into O.S. Therefore, the team had asked him to use a new HDD and do a clean Windows 10 installation on the new HDD connected to the same HP Z840. After the client followed the method, his HP Z840 with NA255A installed with two Nvidia cards could boot into Windows.
So for your fourth NA255A, please follow the following approach at your side to resolve the current issue:
- Disconnect the original HDD from the Asus X299 Sage motherboard. [Note that the NA255A is *NOT* connected to the Asus X299 Sage motherboard]
- Take a new HDD with no data saved on it, and connect the new HDD to the same Asus X299 Sage motherboard.
- Conduct a clean Windows 10 installation on the new HDD connected to the same Asus X299 Sage motherboard.
- After the clean Windows installation is done, when the PC is at the powered off status, install NA255A’s host card in the PCIe 3.0 x16 slot on motherboard, connect NA255A which is with two RTX 2060 cards installed inside to the Asus X299 Sage motherboard. Install only one VGA card in a PCIe slot on PC motherboard for screen output. Keep the rest PCIe slots on Asus X299 Sage motherboard empty to allow maximum PCIe resources to be assigned to the GPU cards connected to the system.
- Power on computer and NA255A, and verify at this time whether the Asus X299 Sage motherboard can boot into the Windows 10.
How to check if NA255A you purchased is function correctly?
Please refer to the following site for NA255A’s user manual:
https://www.netstor.com.tw/uploads/document/2017_na255a_um.pdf
Firstly, go to page 7 of the manual, and you will see that all the LED2 ~ LED6 on your host card and target card do show solid green light, meaning that the PCIe x16 [16 lanes] are connected correctly between your computer and NA255A.
Next, go to page 4 of the user manual. See point 7. Point 7 indicates that, for PCIe Gen3, the LED will show solid green light. This LED has exactly the same function as the LED4 on Netstor NP952AG3 backplane.
The LED4 on Netstor NP952AG3 backplane is showing solid blue light; therefore, the PCIe signal link between your computer and NA255A is now at PCIe Gen3.
If all your LED lights are indicated correctly, it means the PCIe signal connection between your computer and NA255A is the right PCIe signal connection. No issue at all.
Case study for customer running into issues with four GPUs installed on NA255A.
Currently this customer was running into an issue with the NA-255A with 4x RTX 2060 GPU’s connected to the host machine with the following specs:
- ASUS X299 Sage Motherboard
- i7-9800x CPU (44 PCIe Lane)
- 16GB RAM DDR4 (Also tried with 64GB)
- Internal GPU of computer is a GTX 1650
- No other PCIe cards connected, and no M.2 drives connected
After we followed your solutions, we still experience the issues.
[Customer:]
10/1/19
We had purchased another 4 GTX 980Ti GPU’s to see if there is an issue with the RTX cards, we were able to successfully boot into Windows with 3 of the GTX 980Ti GPU’s, once we place a 4th GTX 980Ti, the motherboard will no longer POST, and I proceed to get one of these motherboard Q-Codes for 62 and D4.
Code 62: Installation of PCH Runtime Services
Code D4: PCI Resource Allocation Error. Out Of Resources.
[Our response:]
10/1/19
After thorough internal discussion on all your data given, it’s concluded that the present issue lies in the BIOS of the Asus WS X299 SAGE motherboard that the fourth NA255A is connected to.
The reason that, with the fourth GTX 980 Ti card installed, the PC motherboard will no longer POST is because the computer system doesn’t have sufficient PCIe resources to be assigned to all the four GTX 980 Ti cards for work. That’s why the PC motherboard showed Code D4, meaning PCIe Resource out of resources.
Finally, please let us know the test result after the BIOS version between third PC motherboard and fourth PC motherboard has been kept at the same version.
[Customer:]
10/2/19
I have downgraded the BIOS to v0701, I can confirm that I can get 3 of the RTX 2060 GPU’s to work and successfully boot into Windows.
However, once I place the 4th RTX 2060 in, I proceed to get the D4 Q-Code for out of resources. (This also happens with the 4th GTX 980Ti)
I have a ticket with ASUS to see if they can find any information on why I am getting the D4 code.
I understand the D4 means out of resources, but even if I put in the most expensive i9 or i7 CPU, it is also only 44 PCIe lanes like the i7-9800X. So, if it runs out of resources, then is this unit not meant to work with a single i7 or i9 CPU machine? Though in the past we have gotten a CPU with only 28 PCIe lanes to work and run 4 GTX 1080 cards with no issues, I can only suspect it is the X299 Chipset possibly causing these issues, unless there also has been a design change with the Netstor255A within the past year or two.
I will see what ASUS comes back with and see what we can do about the D4 code.
[Our response:]
10/3/19
Four GPU cards in NA255A can work with the single Core i7 CPU host computer based on the condition that the host computer can provide enough PCIe resources for the four GPU cards connected to the computer system for work.
Take your GTX 1080 case for example. The reason that the four GTX 1080 GPU cards in NA255A can work properly with the Asus X99-E WS/USB 3.1 motherboard running Windows 10 is because the PCIe resources provided by the Asus X99-E WS/USB 3.1 motherboard plus the single Core i7-5820K CPU are sufficient for the four GTX 1080 GPU cards connected to the computer system for work.
So this is we mentioned before which is nothing related to NA255A. It’s about BIOS and system. Why the latest BIOS accept less GPU cards? And why each version of BIOS has different results?
[Customer:]
10/7/19
Just an update, we are working with ASUS to see why the difference in BIOS versions allows more or less GPU’s.
They have also wanted me to ask the following: “You may have to check with Netstor if the NA255A works okay with PCI slot with PCI PLX switch.”
I will keep you updated on what I hear from ASUS.
[Our response:]
10/7/19
You can tell Asus that NA255A is also using PLX switch and all signal connection well by LED display. NA255A works fine with Gigabyte, DELL,HP, and Ma Pro 5.1 tower.
When the same motherboard with different version of BIOS then getting different results, It’s obviously where is the issue.
I'm interested in purchasing the NA211A-GPU PCIe expansion chassis for my 2009 Mac Pro computer. I need it specifically for the DaVinci Resolve software, which relies heavily on GPU Cuda core processing. I plan to use the chassis for a second processing card, as well as a Red Rocket card. Is there any reason why the expansion chassis would not work with Resolve?
The DaVinci Resolve definitely works with the NA211A-GPU PCIe expansion chassis. However, you would not be able to install both the GPU card and a Red Rocket into the NA211A-GPU at the same time as the NA211A-GPU has only one open type PCIe x8 slot available for the PCIe x16 card. We would suggest that you install the GPU card and a PCIe x4 card (moved from your Mac Pro) in the NA211A-GPU, and keep the Red Rocket card in your Mac Pro for best performance. Please take note that either one of the following combinations of PCIe cards would work in the NA211A-GPU. a) 1 x GPU card 1 x low speed PCIe x4 card b) 1 x Red Rocket 1 x low speed PCIe x4 card We would recommend the NA250A-GPU (/product/pcie-expansion-enclosure-na250a/) should you need to install two or more PCIe x16 cards at the same time.
How to convert the NA211A to Thunderbolt PCIe expansion enclosure, NA211TB?
The following video link demo how to convert the NA211A to Thunderbolt PCIe expansion enclosure, NA211TB. http://www.netstor.com.tw/_05/video/NA211A%20into%20NA211TB.html
The description states that PCIe 3.0 x4 slots will be available when upstream port working under PCIe 3.0 x8 mode. Does this mean that if I am running at PCI-e 3.0 16x mode I will not have access to the PCIe x4 connectors?
If the upstream is running under PCIe 3.0 x16 mode then the two PCIe x4 connectors will not be available. The maximum bandwidth that host interface can support is up to 128 Gbps external PCIe 3.0 x16 between host and NA265A.
Does NA221A-NB (Laptop Package) work with Lenovo T530 Laptops running Windows 7 64-bit?
NA221A-NB works with laptops that come with ExpressCard 34/ 54 slot. For older laptops that support only PCIe 1.0 ×1 spec, the bandwidth is up to 2.5 Gbps (2.5 Gbps from 1.0 × one lane = 2.5 Gbps) when NA221A-NB is connected with the laptop. However, for newer laptops with Intel Sandy Bridge micro-architecture (w/ PCIe 2.0 ×1 spec), the bandwidth will be 5 Gbps (5 Gbps from 2.0 × one lane = 5 Gbps) when you connect NA221A-NB to the laptop.
Will the NA211A-DT connect with a 2.0 x4 PCIe slot via a x4 Riser cable? The riser cable is shielded and about 10" in length
It depends on the signal quality of Riser card. If the signal is in a good quality then the host adapter from NA211A-DT still can convert the connection between host computer to NA211A.
Will the NA211A-DT TurboBox work connected to a 2.0 x4 PCIe slot via a x4 Riser cable?
It depends on the signal quality of the Riser card. If the signal is in a good quality then the host adapter from NA211A-DT still can convert the connection between host computer to NA211A.
Can I install the Elgato H60 PRO to the NA211A PCi Enclosure?
The Elgato HD60 PRO is completely compatible with the NA211A.
I have a Power EdgeR630. On the first powering up, PC had no problem to interface with devices in the NA211A box. If rebooting the PC afterwards without powering done NA211A, PC's BIOS hung on "Initializing PCIe" stage. The only solution is to power down NA211A first, and then, power up PC. Could the solution be on the BIOS setting?
- There are three PCIe slots as SLOT3, SLOT2 and SLOT1 on the board within the Netstor chassis as shown in the attached Image below.
- Now remove (uninstall) all the third-party PCIe cards originally installed on SLOT3, SLOT2 and SLOT1 on the board within NA211A. [The external PCIe x4 interface target card must be remained at SLOT4]
- Connect NA211A to Dell R630 server by the external PCIe x4 data cable.
- Power on NA211A first and then power on R630.
- After Dell R630 fully boots into operating system, reboot the R630 server. Then check if the original situation ‘PC’s BIOS hung on “Initializing PCIe” stage’ still occurs or no longer exist.
How to convert the NA211A to Thunderbolt PCIe expansion enclosure, NA211TB?
The following video link demo how to convert the NA211A to Thunderbolt PCIe expansion enclosure, NA211TB. http://www.netstor.com.tw/_05/video/NA211A%20into%20NA211TB.html
The description states that PCIe 3.0 x4 slots will be available when upstream port working under PCIe 3.0 x8 mode. Does this mean that if I am running at PCI-e 3.0 16x mode I will not have access to the PCIe x4 connectors?
If the upstream is running under PCIe 3.0 x16 mode then the two PCIe x4 connectors will not be available. The maximum bandwidth that host interface can support is up to 128 Gbps external PCIe 3.0 x16 between host and NA265A.
Does NA221A-NB (Laptop Package) work with Lenovo T530 Laptops running Windows 7 64-bit?
NA221A-NB works with laptops that come with ExpressCard 34/ 54 slot. For older laptops that support only PCIe 1.0 ×1 spec, the bandwidth is up to 2.5 Gbps (2.5 Gbps from 1.0 × one lane = 2.5 Gbps) when NA221A-NB is connected with the laptop. However, for newer laptops with Intel Sandy Bridge micro-architecture (w/ PCIe 2.0 ×1 spec), the bandwidth will be 5 Gbps (5 Gbps from 2.0 × one lane = 5 Gbps) when you connect NA221A-NB to the laptop.
Will the NA211A-DT connect with a 2.0 x4 PCIe slot via a x4 Riser cable? The riser cable is shielded and about 10" in length
It depends on the signal quality of Riser card. If the signal is in a good quality then the host adapter from NA211A-DT still can convert the connection between host computer to NA211A.
Will the NA211A-DT TurboBox work connected to a 2.0 x4 PCIe slot via a x4 Riser cable?
It depends on the signal quality of the Riser card. If the signal is in a good quality then the host adapter from NA211A-DT still can convert the connection between host computer to NA211A.
Can I install the Elgato H60 PRO to the NA211A PCi Enclosure?
The Elgato HD60 PRO is completely compatible with the NA211A.
I have a Power EdgeR630. On the first powering up, PC had no problem to interface with devices in the NA211A box. If rebooting the PC afterwards without powering done NA211A, PC's BIOS hung on "Initializing PCIe" stage. The only solution is to power down NA211A first, and then, power up PC. Could the solution be on the BIOS setting?
- There are three PCIe slots as SLOT3, SLOT2 and SLOT1 on the board within the Netstor chassis as shown in the attached Image below.
- Now remove (uninstall) all the third-party PCIe cards originally installed on SLOT3, SLOT2 and SLOT1 on the board within NA211A. [The external PCIe x4 interface target card must be remained at SLOT4]
- Connect NA211A to Dell R630 server by the external PCIe x4 data cable.
- Power on NA211A first and then power on R630.
- After Dell R630 fully boots into operating system, reboot the R630 server. Then check if the original situation ‘PC’s BIOS hung on “Initializing PCIe” stage’ still occurs or no longer exist.
I have a Power EdgeR630. On the first powering up, PC had no problem to interface with devices in the NA211A box. If rebooting the PC afterwards without powering done NA211A, PC's BIOS hung on "Initializing PCIe" stage. The only solution is to power down NA211A first, and then, power up PC. Could the solution be on the BIOS setting?
- There are three PCIe slots as SLOT3, SLOT2 and SLOT1 on the board within the Netstor chassis as shown in the attached Image below.
- Now remove (uninstall) all the third-party PCIe cards originally installed on SLOT3, SLOT2 and SLOT1 on the board within NA211A. [The external PCIe x4 interface target card must be remained at SLOT4]
- Connect NA211A to Dell R630 server by the external PCIe x4 data cable.
- Power on NA211A first and then power on R630.
- After Dell R630 fully boots into operating system, reboot the R630 server. Then check if the original situation ‘PC’s BIOS hung on “Initializing PCIe” stage’ still occurs or no longer exist.
Can NP942A-TB, this TB3 upgrade card work on NA211TB?
It will work but need to note that the 4-slot backplane in NA211TB chassis is an old backplane which only runs with PCIe 2.0 (5 Gbps) spec, not PCIe 3.0 (8 Gbps). So even if he has installed the new Netstor TB3 card in the Netstor chassis, the bandwidth between Netstor chassis and TB3 computer is only up to PCIe 2.0 x4, not PCIe 3.0 x4. Hence, even though the Netstor unit is installed with the TB3 card, the bandwidth between Netstor chassis and TB3 computer will still be limited to 1375 MB/s, and will not go further to 2750 MB/s because the 4-slot backplane within his Netsor chassis is an old backplane that only supports PCIe 2.0 (5 Gbps), not PCIe 3.0 (8 Gbps).To achieve 2750 MB/s bandwidth between Netstor unit and TB3 computer, in addition to using the Netstor TB3 card, new Netstor 4-slot backplane (NP951AG3) that supports PCIe 3.0 (8 Gbps) is also needed.The other solution is to use an Apple Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter ($ 49 USD), although the bandwidth between TB2 NA211TB and TB3 computer will still be 1375 MB/s, the cost will only be $ 49 USD.
Does NA211TB provide power back thru the cable to a laptop and if so, how many watts?
Yes, when NA211TB3’s internal 300W PSU is connected to power source (wall power outlet), and when both Thunderbolt 3 MacBook Pro and NA211TB3 are powered on and are connected by the Thunderbolt 3 cable, the NA211TB3 can provide power back through the Thunderbolt 3 cable to a Thunderbolt 3 laptop computer for power charging, and the power delivery is 15 watts.
I would like to use the NA381TB3 on a Linux Server IBM 3650. Is there any path that we can upgrade/reconfigure our existing box to use our disk storage array on our linux server?
You can change the Thunderbolt interface to external PCIe interface as the attached external PCIe storage.
You need to purchase the kits as the following three lists.
NA960AG3-H for Host
NA960AG3-T Installed for NA381TB enclosure to replace Thunderbolt card.
AAML6815 – PCIe cable for connection between NA960AG3-H and NA960AG3-T
I currently have 2 NA381TB3 and have found an issue when copying specific files form the raid. It crashes the Thunderbolt BUS on my host Macbook Pro.
This problem is caused from the Apple adapter firmware. Since Apple doesn’t provide new firmware. This can be solved by upgrading NA381TB3’s Firmware. Currently the firmware of Netstor Thunderbolt 3 card in the NA381TB3 should be an earlier version. Please contact us directly in order to give you instructions on reverting the NA381TB3 to an earlier version.
Do you have versions of the hard drive backplain board (looks like part number NS310SBP - see attached image) with pin 3 lifted, or do you have modification instructions for lifting pin 3 with the current boards? I only need to replace 2 hard drive back plains, not the full 5.
SAS 12Gb drives with SAS 3.0 standard and SATA 6Gb drives with SATA 3.3 standard define power connector pin3 as Power Disable Pin,but pin1-3 was defined for 3.3V input in older standards. If the backplane power connector provides 3.3V to pin3, it will disable the power of the hard drive and result drive not spin up. Our older backplane provides 3.3V, so these drives will not spin up. Two possible solutions for this case: 1. Paste a tape on the hard drive SAS connector (P1~P3) to block power down control feature, because we do not use this feature. 2. Modify the backplane to remove 3.3V power feature. you can contact with your original supplier for backplane rework assist.
What is the bandwidth provided when TurboBox NA210A is connected with a laptop or a desktop PC?
The TurboBox NA210A is PCIe 2.0 spec, providing throughput 5 Gbps per lane. For desktop PC users, since both host card and target card are PCIe 2.0 ×4 spec, when TurboBox NA210A is connected with desktop PC, the bandwidth provided is 20 Gbps (5 Gbps × 4 lanes = 20 Gbps). For laptop users, since current technology of laptop supports only PCIe 1.0 ×1 spec, when TurboBox NA210A is connected with laptop, the bandwidth is 2.5 Gbps (2.5 Gbps from PCIe 1.0 × one lane = 2.5 Gbps). However, after the release of laptop with PCIe 2.0 ×1 spec (Intel Sandy Bridge microarchitecture) in the first quarter of 2011, when TurboBox NA210A is connected with laptop, the bandwidth will be 5 Gbps (5 Gbps from PCIe 2.0 × one lane = 5 Gbps).
How do I know the third party PCIe cards plugged on TurboBox NA210A are recognized by computer?
For users of Windows operating system, please check “Device Manager” from Computer Management. As for users of Mac OS X, please check “About This Mac” under the Apple icon to see if the third party PCIe cards are recognized by computer. For detailed information about the verification of third party PCIe cards, please check the user manual and see the ninth section “Verify Installation” at the third page of the user manual.
After I connect the TurboBox NA210A to laptop/desktop PC, the TurboBox can not be recognized by computer. What can I do to solve this problem?
If the TurboBox NA210A is not recognized by computer, it can be BIOS’ problem. Please update your laptop/desktop PC to the latest BIOS from the Web site of your laptop/desktop PC manufacturer. After updating the laptop/desktop PC to the latest BIOS, the TurboBox can be recognized by computer.
Wondering if your Model# NA210A can support a KONA 3 and/or Red Rocket card(s)? I want to use this with a MacBook Pro.
Only MacBook Pro(Unibody Model ID 5,1) has problem on its ExpressCard interface compatibility; others models of MacBook Pro are working well with NA210A. The spec. of Red Rocket card(s) is no problem working with NA210A but the spec. of KONA seems to ask for PCIe x4 bandwidth. Since Laptop is only provide PCIe x1 bandwidth so when KONA 3 works with a Laptop then I suppose it cannot reach full performance. SD will work but I cannot make sure on HD.
My system is: Macpro (8-core) 2x2.8 Quad intel Xeon. I am using Protools Accel cards a total of three PCie cards are already installed and a video card a total of 4 slots. I need to use the video card inside the expansion box so i can use the slot for the host card. I will be using a UAD card inside the expansion box and one video card. Would this be possible?
Yes, NA210A is no problem working both Video and Audio cards and the bandwidth from DT will be fairly enough for handle those two cards together. UAD’s engineer has tested NA210A with their 2pcs of UAD-2 Duo and the result is workin well. UAS will announce this news after they finish their big project of new products.
I'm running a mac pro 2.66ghz quad core intel nehalem processor with 16gb of 1066mhz ddr3 ram. The mac OS is 10.6.6. I want to run the NA210A-L (DT) loaded with two UAD 2 quad cards and a Sonnet tango express card, or quite possibly, three of the UAD2 quad cards.
Yes, it is workable. UAD’s engineer has tested NA210A-L(DT) with 3* UAD2 Duo cards and the result will be announced on UAD’s website soon.
NA211A-G3 does not work with following lights. The host PCIE card is lighting red (in the computer). The target PCIE card is blue (in the GPU box). No card is lighting green (no connection). Graphic card gets power, NA211A-G3 fan and lights are on. What could be the issue?
Nowadays on the market, the vendors only sell CPUs supporting PCIe 3.0.
CPUs supporting only PCIe 2.0 have already been phased out on the market, so the customer can just select a new CPU which will support PCIe 3.0 and no need to worry about the CPU part.
Additionally, a PC motherboard has the PCIe 3.0 slots on it including manufacturers from Asus, ASRock, Gigabyte, and MSI…etc., and then the NA211A-G3 will work with the PC motherboard installed with the CPU which supports PCIe 3.0.
Assuming customer is using an AMD host computer, the Windows 10 operating system is running on AMD computer, then after he acquires the Intel CPU/motherboard host computer, he will also need to use Windows 10 operating system on the Intel computer due to drivers’ compatibility situation (the drivers for the third-party PCIe cards installed in his NA211A-G3 chassis).
What is the bandwidth provided when NA220A is connected with a laptop or a desktop PC?
The NA220A comes with PCIe 2.0, providing throughput of 5 Gbps per lane. For desktop PC users, since both host card and target card are PCIe 2.0 x4 spec, when NA220A is connected with desktop PC, the bandwidth provided is 20 Gbps (5 Gbps x 4 lanes = 20 Gbps). The older version of laptops only support PCIe 1.0 x1 spec, when NA220A is connected with laptop, the bandwidth is 2.5 Gbps (2.5 Gbps from PCIe 1.0 x one lane = 2.5 Gbps). However, after the release of laptop with PCIe 2.0 x1 spec (Intel Sandy Bridge micro architecture) in the first quarter of 2011, when NA220A is connected with laptop, the bandwidth will be 5 Gbps (5 Gbps from PCIe 2.0 x one lane = 5 Gbps).
Does the NA220A support the: UAD-2 QUAD DSP Accelerator?
Yes, NA220A works with UAD-2 QUAD. Moreover, UAD-2 QUAD only consumes 10W , and the NA220A is providing 80W output power which is sufficient.
Do the power supplies support PFC?
Yes, the power supply supports active PFC.
What temperatures do the GPUs and/or the system board reach when run for extended periods?
The maximum temperature depends on the type of GPU cards you are using.
Can a single host CPU system support more than one NA265A-XGPU-R?
The amount of GPU cards that can be recognized by the system is dependent on the host’s PCIe resources. For Windows, the amount may be around 4 or 5. In a Linux system, it can recognize more GPU cards.
Can I connect a server through a PCIe 3.0 Interface to 4 GTX 1080TI GPUs located in the NA265?
Most the motherboard systems can recognized over 4 GPUs but till have few cases that the PCIe resources design were shortage by the motherboard designer which only can recognize only 3 GPUs so it depends if the PCIe resources are sufficient or not. It means that it’s not related to NA265A.
What PCIe switch is used on the NA2654?
The PCIe switch used on NA265A is Broadcom PEX 8747.
What is the Connectivity (specifically PCIe switching) on the NA265A?
The PCIe connection between the computer and the Netstor NA265A is PCIe 3.0 x16 whose bandwidth is 128 Gbps (approximately equals to 12,800 MB/s). The PCIe switch that is used on the backplane within the NA265A enclosure is Broadcom PEX 8747 PCI Express Switch.
What is the Power supply per slot?
There are four downstream PCIe slots in NA265A for the users to install the third-party PCIe/GPU cards. Each downstream PCIe slot itself can provide the standard 75 watts to the third-party PCIe card. Additionally, there are four supplementary PCIe 8-pin power cables and four supplementary PCIe 6-pin power cables from NA265A’s PSU that the user can use to connect them to the GPU/third-party PCIe cards for the supplementary power.
What is the Sound pressure level and acoustic noise (fans)?
Test condition: NA265A’s internal fans running at the default fan speed, while no third-party PCIe/GPU card installed within the NA265A chassis.
When putting the Sound Level Meter in the front of the NA265A chassis with 1 centimeter, the noise level is 17.5 dBA.
When putting the Sound Level Meter in the rear of the NA265A chassis with 1 centimeter, the noise level is 17 dBA.
Does the NA221A have a built in AC plug or does it use an external PS brick?
The AC plug for NA221A uses an external PS brick.
What is the power capacity of the PSU?
The power supply is 300W.
Does the NA211A-G3 accept one or two 3.5" hard drives?
We no longer have a version that fits 3.5″ hard drives available since all of the PCIe 2.0 versions were discontinued.
Can the case / power supply handle a full size GPU?
For the NA211A-G3, the maximum PCIe GPU card clearance is 315mm x 120mm.
Does the NA211-G3 need a software driver for Linux OS?
NA211A-G3 itself is a PCIe expansion chassis that extends PCIe 3.0 signal from one slot on computer to three PCIe 3.0 slots for use; therefore, NA211A-G3 itself doesn’t need any driver on any platform of Linux, Windows, and macOS.
As third-party PCIe cards installed in NA211A-G3 connecting to computer running Linux, only the third-party PCIe cards in NA211A-G3 will require the Linux driver for the Linux OS.
I want to expand the PCI slots on my Macbook Pro. What is the optimal setup for the Netstor NA211A-G3 in which to do so?
PCI 1: Nvidia Geforce GTX Titan X 12Gb
PCI 2: OWC Accelsior Pro Q 2T
PCI 3: Sonnet allegro pro usb 3.0 4-port
PCI 4: NETSTOR host Card
NETSTOR
SLOT1: Nvidia Geforce GTX Titan X 12Gb (will the PSU power be enough from NETSTOR?)
SLOT2: BM Decklink 4K monitor
SLOT3: OWC Accelsior + SSD Angelbird 500Gb
OPTION 2
PCI 1: Nvidia Geforce GTX Titan X 12Gb
PCI 2: Nvidia Geforce GTX Titan X 12Gb (external PSU, it’s already installed for the first GPU)
PCI 3: Sonnet allegro pro usb 3.0 4-port
PCI 4: NETSTOR host Card
NETSTOR
SLOT1: OWC Accelsior Pro Q 2T (not sure if transfer speed will be slowdown because PCI3.0 x4)
SLOT2: BM Decklink 4K monitor
SLOT3: OWC Accelsior + SSD Angelbird 500Gb
The “option 1” won’t be workable because when you install a GPU card with dual-width then it will be occupied two expansion slots. Therefore, NA211A-G3 can only install up to 2 cards. ‘Option 2’ would be the optimal choice to meet your demands. A third option can also be used, in which you would use the Netstor NA255A then you can get maximum performance and you don’t need to worry the power supply for GPU card as well. The following setup is the optimal layout for the NA255A should you choose to upgrade.
OPTION 3
PCI 1: Nvidia Geforce GTX Titan X 12Gb
PCI 2: Nvidia Geforce GTX Titan X 12Gb (external PSU, it’s already installed for the first GPU)
SLOT3: OWC Accelsior Pro Q 2T
PCI 4: NETSTOR host Card
NETSTOR
SLOT1: Sonnet allegro pro usb 3.0 4-port
SLOT2: BM Decklink 4K monitor
SLOT3: OWC Accelsior + SSD Angelbird 500Gb
Please contact us for further details regarding optimal setups.
Is NA211A-G3 backward compatible with a 2.0 x 4 PCIe slot on the motherboard. (motherboard is Jetway NAF93-Q77.)
Yes, NA211A-G3 is backward compatible with a PCIe 2.0 x4 slot on PC motherboard. If the PC motherboard has a PCIe 2.0 x4 slot, the user can install NA211A-G3’s host card in the PCIe 2.0 x4 slot on PC motherboard to have NA211A-G3 work with the computer.
NA211A-G3 does not work with following lights. The host PCIE card is lighting red (in the computer). The target PCIE card is blue (in the GPU box). No card is lighting green (no connection). Graphic card gets power, NA211A-G3 fan and lights are on. What could be the issue?
Nowadays on the market, the vendors only sell CPUs supporting PCIe 3.0.
CPUs supporting only PCIe 2.0 have already been phased out on the market, so the customer can just select a new CPU which will support PCIe 3.0 and no need to worry about the CPU part.
Additionally, a PC motherboard has the PCIe 3.0 slots on it including manufacturers from Asus, ASRock, Gigabyte, and MSI…etc., and then the NA211A-G3 will work with the PC motherboard installed with the CPU which supports PCIe 3.0.
Assuming customer is using an AMD host computer, the Windows 10 operating system is running on AMD computer, then after he acquires the Intel CPU/motherboard host computer, he will also need to use Windows 10 operating system on the Intel computer due to drivers’ compatibility situation (the drivers for the third-party PCIe cards installed in his NA211A-G3 chassis).
Is the 1350 watt redundant power supply the the sum of both power supplies?
Yes, it is the sum of both. However, if one module malfunctions, the other can support 1350 watts. While both modules are running it will still only support 1350 watts.
At what efficiency do the power supplies run and/or do they meet certain 80 Plus certification levels?
No. The power supply is not 80 Plus certified
We would like to check the compatibility between the NA381TB and the ARC-1264IL-16 RAID Controller card. We already have the RAID card on hand and we understand that it’s a 16 channel card while the enclosure has 24 drive bays.
ARC-1264IL-16 RAID card is compatible with NA381TB (24-bay Thunderbolt 2 JBOD) and work with Thunderbolt-enabled Mac. Please take note that ARC-1264IL-16 RAID card can only support 16 bays in the Netstor 4U 24-bay NA381TB enclosure. Please go to http://www.areca.com.tw/support/s_macos/macos.htm and download/ install the latest MRAID program on your Thunderbolt-enabled Mac in order for the ARC-1264IL-16 RAID card to work with NA381TB and Mac OS X.
What is the read/write benchmark information for either of these two units? What is the normal life span of using 2.5" drives in a RAID environment?.
We don’t have these information yet. But performance and life span will be different when using different host RAID card.
Is it possible to use this storage array on a Linux Server?
In order to use this on a Linux Server, you must change the Thunderbolt interface to external PCIe interface as the attached external PCIe storage.
You need to purchase the kits as the following three lists:
NA960AG3- H for Host
NA960AG3- T Installed for NA381TB enclosure to replace Thunderbolt card.
AAML6815- PCIe cable for connection between NA960AG3-H and NA960AG3-T
We use our NA381TB for data recovery and we have it's disks out of the enclosure. Since all the disks are numbered and the disks are running RAID 6, where are disk 1 and 2 supposed to be place in the order?
For the design of Thunderbolt 2 NA381TB storage, it allows users to choose their own RAID card to be installed in NA381TB storage enclosure for work.
As Thunderbolt 2 NA381TB is a 24-bay storage, users can choose the RAID card with six SFF-8087 mini-SAS ports such as HighPoint RocketRAID 2760A card, and Areca ARC-1882-ix-24 card…etc. for usage with the Netstor enclosure.
The disk order will be related to the RAID card that is chosen to be used with the NA381TB. There are six SFF-8087 mini-SAS ports on the RAID card. By each brand, model of RAID card, the order of the six SFF-8087 mini-SAS ports on the RAID card is different. For some brand, model of RAID card, the order is disk 1 through disk 24 from bottom SFF-8087 port to top SFF-8087 port while for some other brand, model of RAID card, the order is disk 1 ~ disk 24 from top SFF-8087 port to bottom SFF-8087 port. Therefore, now we have to verify which brand, model of RAID card the user uses inside his Thunderbolt 2 NA381TB storage.
Does the ARC-188ix-24-8NC work on the NA381TB3?
The ARC-1883ix-24 is usuable in the NA381TB3 but the internal cable should be changed to SFF8087 (for backplane) to SFF8643 (for RAID card).
Our system only supports PCIe-x4 speed on our host system's PCIe-x8 slot and I need a replacement for the NA332A. Is there any alternative for the NA332A?
We are currently upgrading all of our PCIe 2.0 expansion chassis to PCIe 3.0. Unfortunately, the NA332A is no longer supported. An alternative to this is the updated, NA333A system. Both the NA333A and NA332A’s host adapters come with a PCIe x8 speed. If your host computer only supports PCIe x4 speed on a PCIe x8 slot, as long as the host adapter card can fit the PCIe x8 slot in your system, it should work fine (just at reduced bandwidth).
Does data transfer speed depend on the type of SSD card being used?
NA611TB3 40Gbps bandwidth is including data and video. For data, the maximum bandwidth is 2600MB/s.
When through Thunderbolt, the Thunderbolt bottleneck will reduce the Write performance a lot. So, the manufacturer suggests an NVMe selection for Thunderbolt better choose the performance under the Thunderbolt bottleneck such as RD400 from OCZ or XG3 or 5 from Toshiba.
Is there any specification performance for the NA611TB3 with a new Samsung 970 PRO M.2 2280 1TB?
Firstly, please refer to the attached Image_1.jpg; the spec of Samsung 960 PRO NVMe M.2 2280 1TB SSD is read 3500 MB/s, and write 2100 MB/s.
For dual Samsung 960 PRO NVMe M.2 2280 1TB SSDs (RAID 0) in NA611TB3 working with the Thunderbolt 3 computer, the read performance is about 2400 MB/s and the write performance is around 1250 MB/s; the data are in the below weblink:
http://www.netstor.com.tw/faq_info.aspx?page=1&id=7
On the other hand, please refer to the attached Image_2.jpg, for the spec of Samsung 970 PRO NVMe M.2 2280 1TB SSD, the read is the same as 960 PRO as 3500 MB/s, and the write is 2700 MB/s which is 600 MB/s more than 960 PRO.
Therefore, it could be speculated for dual Samsung 970 PRO NVMe M.2 2280 1TB SSDs (RAID 0) in NA611TB3 working with the Thunderbolt 3 computer, the read performance might still be identical as around 2400 MB/s and the write performance should be higher than 1250 MB/s because single 970 PRO’s write is higher than single 960 PRO’s write.
So far we haven’t got the chance to test Samsung 970 PRO NVMe M.2 2280 1TB SSDs in NA611TB3 working with TB3 computer, but once we or our partners have got the chance and have tested 970 PRO M.2 SSDs in NA611TB3 working with Thunderbolt 3 computer in the future and have the test performance result, we will let you know the information immediately.
I have two M.2 NVMe 1TB cards I would need to format as RAID 0 in order to have 2TB, will High Sierra do that and use APFS?
Yes, you can use macOS High Sierra’s Disk Utility to format the two M.2 NVMe 1TB cards as RAID 0 in order to have 2TB and use the RAID 0 as APFS.
Click download tab, click on User Manual, then go to page 11 of the user’s manual for the instruction.
On the TB611TB3, how do the two or four channels of PCIe work?
Each M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD within NA611TB3 is given with PCIe 3.0 x2 bandwidth, and, yes, it is correct that it will significantly increase the speed benefit of RAID 0. The RAID 0 speed can be seen at the following site (the last row in the chart):
I am using an "OWC Mercury Accelsior E2 PCI Express SSD" with two M.2 blades in my 2009 Mac Pro and will be replacing with a new iMac Pro. Are the M.2 Blades compatible with the Netstor NA611TB3?
The two M.2 blades on your OWC Mercury Accelsior E2 PCIe SSD card are M.2 SATA interface and not M.2 PCIe NVMe interface.
NA611TB3 storage only accepts M.2 PCIe NVMe interface SSD, and is not compatible with M.2 SATA interface SSD. Therefore, if you move the OWC M.2 SATA blades from your Mercury Accelsior E2 PCIe SSD card into NA611TB3, those M.2 SATA blades will not work with the NA611TB3.
Please refer our Compatibility list to find the M.2 PCIe NVMe SSDs that are compatible with NA611TB3 in your Thunderbolt 3 iMac Pro.
Will the Samsung 860 EVO Series M.2 2280 2TB work with the NA611TB3?
The Samsung 860 EVO SATA M.2 2TB SSD is an M.2 SATA SSD.
Please refer to the attached image from NA611TB3 site’s specifications. It shows only M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD can be used with the NA611TB3 storage, therefore, the Samsung 860 EVO SATA M.2 2TB SSD will not work with NA611TB3 storage because 860 EVO is an M.2 SATA SSD rather than M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD.
Please visit the following site for more information:
Click on the ‘Compatibility’ tab, and you can see the current M.2 PCIe NVMe SSDs for Netstor Thunderbolt 3 NA611TB3 storage.
Can NA611TB3 retrieve data off a M.2 NVMe SSD (Item# “SD9PN9U-512G-1012”)?
Yes, the NA611TB3 storage will allow you to retrieve the data off the SanDisk SD9PN9U-512G-1012 M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD in NA611TB3 over Thunderbolt 3 interface similar to the process on a thumb drive based on the condition that your SanDisk SD9PN9U-512G-1012 SSD is with NTFS format.
Since the SSD M.2 PCIe NVMe was run with Windows 10 Pro within the Dell XPS laptop, the file system of the SSD should be NTFS (New Technology File System) format. You can help double check whether the file system of your SSD is with NTFS format.
Based on the information described above, if your SSD is confirmed to be with NTFS format, when installed in NA611TB3 and connected to Dell XPS laptop running Windows 10, the SSD [SD9PN9U-512G-1012] in NA611TB3 should be able to work and retrieve data
The working theory is: any M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD can work within inside one laptop or desktop computer, the same as an SSD will also work with a Thunderbolt 3 laptop/desktop computer via the Thunderbolt 3 interface.
Unless the SSD is old (year 2016) or in bad condition (wore out or damaged), It will work with TB3 computer via TB3 port.
Can you confirm the power consumption (Watts) at idle would be low with no Data activity or fan is this correct if the power consumtion states DC Output:+12V/5A, 60W in specs?
Yes, when the NA611TB3 is at idle, the power consumption will be low with no data activity and fan. As the NA611TB3 is at idle, the power consumption will only come from the two installed M.2 NVMe SSDs at idle status, the backplane and the Netstor unit’s internal low power 2×2 cm fan.
I will connect your NA611TB3 - Thunderbolt™ 3 NVMe SSD Storage to the Mac Mini thru the Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) port. I had read the unit uses 2 pci lanes. What transfer speed could I expect for one card installed?
When only one Samsung 970 EVO M.2 1TB SSD is installed within the NA611TB3 storage, the maximum transfer speed will be up to 15XX ~ 1600 MB/s between NA611TB3 and the Thunderbolt 3 Mac because it is PCIe 3.0 x2 for one M.2 SSD within the Netstor unit.
Would NA611TB3 be bootable or need a Driver installed on the Mac. I may install the computers operating system on NA611TB3
A driver is not required. You can install the macOS operating system on one M.2 SSD within NA611TB3 unit, and the one M.2 SSD in NA611TB3 can be the bootable drive for the Mac.
Does the NA611TB3 support Trim?
Trim is a technology from SSD. As long as the M.2 SSD itself does support the Trim feature, the NA611TB3 supports it.
Does the NA611TB3 support UASP?
NA611TB3’s internal Alpine Ridge controller does support downstream USB 3.1 Gen2 (10Gbps) protocol and the Alpine Ridge is fully compliant with USB 3.1 Gen2 (10Gbps) protocol that supports UASP.
NA611TB3 is compatible with the 1tb intel 760p. any problem with the new 2.048tb intel 760p?
Because Intel 760P 1TB M.2 SSD uses SMI SM2262 controller, that’s why the Intel 760P 1TB M.2 SSD is supported by macOS, and the Intel 760P 1TB M.2 SSD is listed on the NA611TB3 M.2 SSD compatible list for macOS.
[macOS has the Mac driver for SMI SM2262 controller.]
As for Intel 760P 2TB M.2 SSD, presently we still can’t verify if SMI SM2262 controller is utilized on 760P 2TB M.2 SSD, so Intel 760P 2TB M.2 SSD was not listed on the NA611TB3 M.2 SSD compatible list for macOS.
Why NA611TB3 front power status LED turned from blue to solid amber light when connecting to iMac Pro?
The reason that the NA611TB3’s front power status LED will turn from blue light to solid amber light is because initially the Thunderbolt 3 signal between iMac Pro and Netstor unit is linked successfully (so it showed blue light), and then later the Thunderbolt 3 signal between iMac Pro and Netstor unit is NOT linked (so it showed solid amber light).
The factors to let Thunderbolt 3 signal between iMac Pro and Netstor be disconnected include: Thunderbolt 3 ports on Netstor unit and iMac Pro, Thunderbolt 3 cable connector side A and side B, and the Thunderbolt 3 cable itself.
Note that the NA611TB3 can be hot plugged to iMac Pro’s Thunderbolt 3 port. So in the following tests, the customer can hot plug the Netstor to iMac Pro’s Thunderbolt 3 port to verify the test result.
There are two Thunderbolt ports at rear of NA611TB3. One is Port A, and the other is Port B.
Following are the procedures to test the connections between iMac Pro and NA611TB3.
[Test 1]
When iMac Pro is at the powered on status, connect iMac Pro’s Thunderbolt 3 cable to NA611TB3’s Port A with Thunderbolt 3 cable connector Side A.
Check if NA611TB3’s front power status LED will turn from blue light to solid amber light? Or NA611TB3’s front power status LED will always show blue light?
[Test 2]
When iMac Pro is at the powered on status, connect iMac Pro’s Thunderbolt 3 cable to NA611TB3’s Port A with Thunderbolt 3 cable connector Side B.
Check if NA611TB3’s front power status LED will turn from blue light to solid amber light? Or NA611TB3’s front power status LED will always show blue light?
[Test 3]
When iMac Pro is at the powered on status, connect iMac Pro’s Thunderbolt 3 cable to NA611TB3’s Port B with Thunderbolt 3 cable connector Side A.
Check if NA611TB3’s front power status LED will turn from blue light to solid amber light? Or NA611TB3’s front power status LED will always show blue light?
[Test 4]
When iMac Pro is at the powered on status, connect iMac Pro’s Thunderbolt 3 cable to NA611TB3’s Port B with Thunderbolt 3 cable connector Side B.
Check if NA611TB3’s front power status LED will turn from blue light to solid amber light? Or NA611TB3’s front power status LED will always show blue light?
[Test 5]
There are four Thunderbolt 3 ports on the iMac Pro. One of the Thunderbolt 3 ports on iMac Pro had already been tested.
Please connect NA611TB3’s Thunderbolt 3 cable to each of the rest three Thunderbolt 3 ports on iMac Pro, and check if NA611TB3’s front power status LED will turn from blue light to solid amber light? Or NA611TB3’s front power status LED will always show blue light?
[Test 6]
Does the customer have the other Thunderbolt 3 cable? If so, please use the other Thunderbolt 3 cable to connect between iMac Pro and Netstor unit, and check if NA611TB3’s front power status LED will turn from blue light to solid amber light? Or NA611TB3’s front power status LED will always show blue light?
If all the tests not able to identify the issue, then the pins inside port of NA611TB3 need to be cleaned.
The pin cleaning approach to the Thunderbolt 3 port of NA611TB3 is given as follows:
(1) Prepare several cotton swabs as shown in the attached Picture. And prepare a bottle of ethyl alcohol (ethanol / industrial alcohol).
(2) The hole of the Thunderbolt 3 port of NA611TB3 is small; the cotton of the cotton swab can be squeezed. Wet the cotton swab with ethyl alcohol. Then use the cotton swab to swipe and clean the pins within the Thunderbolt 3 port of NA611TB3. Note the hole of the Thunderbolt 3 port of Netstor unit is small, so just try to clean the pins as much as possible.
(3) After it is cleaned, try connecting Netstor unit to the powered on Thunderbolt 3 Mac by Thunderbolt 3 cable, and see if Netstor unit’s front power status LED can show blue light?
Can Samsung 970 EVO Plus series - 2tb pcie nvme - m.2 internal ssd (mz-v7s2t0b/am) work with NA611TB3?
It’s always suggested to use the M.2 SSDs listed on the NA611TB3 M.2 SSD compatibility page for the NA611TB3 storage. For the M.2 SSD compatibility page, please go to:
https://www.netstor.com.tw/product_info.aspx?PID=PID_171026055872595
And then click on the ‘Compatibility’ tab. Currently the Samsung 970 EVO Plus M.2 SSD is not listed on the page.
If you go to the forum
https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/do-the-samsung-970-evo-plus-drives-work-new-firmware-available-for-testing-5-20-19.270757/
you will see that there have been many worldwide users who have expressed that the Samsung 970 EVO Plus M.2 SSD does *NOT* work with macOS Mojave and mac OS High Sierra. They have stated that:
“They have tried Samsung 970 EVO Plus NVMe M.2 SSD with Mac computer running macOS Mojave 10.14.x and High Sierra; unfortunately, the Samsung 970 EVO Plus NVMe M.2 SSD is unstable, crashed their system during initialization (APFS, HFS), no boot. But when they have replaced the Samsung 970 EVO Plus NVMe M.2 SSD with Samsung 970 EVO M.2 SSD, then no issue occurs; the Samsung 970 EVO M.2 SSD can work with their Mac computer properly.”
On the other hand, please go to the same forum:
https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/do-the-samsung-970-evo-plus-drives-work-new-firmware-available-for-testing-5-20-19.270757/
And then go to page 14 on the forum webpage. You can see the message posted by the user “bootpcanon”. He has given the 970 EVO Plus M.2 SSD firmware update solution to resolve the issue of 970 EVO Plus M.2 SSD not working with macOS Mojave and mac OS High Sierra:
Quick instructions on how to upgrade your Samsung 970 EVO Plus M.2 SSD firmware:
- Download the new firmware on samsung site https://s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/global.semi.static/SAMSUNG_SSD_970EVO_Plus_ISO_190513/7ES357322A6707A720E1A71EF11A3BE1EED819E011D317626415F0281A78151C/Samsung_SSD_970_EVO_Plus_2B2QEXM7.iso
2-Write it on the USB drive (I burned through Rufus on Windows 7)
3-Boot the system from the flash drive, you will fall into the installer for updating the firmware
4-Follow the instructions, after a successful upgrade, restart the computer
5-You can install the system on 970 evo plus
So from the above info, it looks like the Samsung 970 EVO Plus M.2 SSD needs to be conducted with the firmware update through the method given by the user “bootpcanon” at the forum in order to resolve the problem of 970 EVO Plus M.2 SSD not working with macOS Mojave and mac OS High Sierra.
How to read the temperature of NVMe inside of NA611TB3/NA622TB3 for Mac OS?
If you would like to know the temperature of NVMe inside of NA611TB3/NA622TB3 for Mac OS, the third-party monitor tool such as iStat Menus can be downloaded and be used for monitoring the temperature of the M.2 NVMe SSDs in Netstor NA611TB3/NA622TB3 storage.
Can Thunderbolt 3 external M.2 NVMe SSD become a boot disk for the Mac computer?
Yes, the M.2 NVMe SSD in Netstor Thunderbolt 3 NA611TB3 / NA622TB3 storage can be used as the macOS boot disk for the Mac computer. The standard operating procedure for installing macOS on external Thunderbolt 3 M.2 NVMe SSD is as follows:
- At macOS’s Disk Utility, format the external Thunderbolt 3 NVMe SSD as APFS format.
- Go to macOS’s App Store. Key in macOS in the search bar, and press enter. Then you will see the macOS installer (free of charge) from the App Store. Click on the download button to download the macOS installer at App Store to your Mac computer.
- After the downloading finishes, execute the macOS installer, select the SSD (the external Thunderbolt 3 NVMe SSD) as the target installation drive [see the image below], and click on Install button to continue with the macOS installation on the external NVMe SSD.
- As the macOS installation on the external NVMe SSD completes, the Mac computer will boot into the macOS on the external Thunderbolt 3 NVMe SSD automatically. At this time, click on the Apple icon at the top left position of the screen, select About This Mac, and then you will see that the Startup Disk for the system now becomes SSD [the external NVMe SSD] meaning that at the present your system is currently booting with the macOS on the external Thunderbolt 3 NVMe SSD for work.
Can NA611TB3 cause damage to Thunderbolt card?
Based on the experience, it is not likely to be happen.
Why does NA622TB3 need to built-in PCIe Switch? What’s the benefit?
Compared with competitor’s solution such as OWC Express 4M2, each of the M.2 PCIe slots only provides PCIe 3.0 ×1 bandwidth. But for Netstor NA622TB3, because it has a built-in PCIe switch, each of the M.2 PCIe slots is able to provide PCIe 3.0 ×2 bandwidth for doubled performance when reading one single M.2 NVMe SSD.
For example:
new macOS Mojave can only use single disk/SSD as a boot drive, so when you use one of the single NVMe SSDs as bootable drive from macOS, you can get doubled speed from Netstor’s solution.
How to read the temperature of NVMe inside of NA611TB3/NA622TB3 for Mac OS?
If you would like to know the temperature of NVMe inside of NA611TB3/NA622TB3 for Mac OS, the third-party monitor tool such as iStat Menus can be downloaded and be used for monitoring the temperature of the M.2 NVMe SSDs in Netstor NA611TB3/NA622TB3 storage.
Can Thunderbolt 3 external M.2 NVMe SSD become a boot disk for the Mac computer?
Yes, the M.2 NVMe SSD in Netstor Thunderbolt 3 NA611TB3 / NA622TB3 storage can be used as the macOS boot disk for the Mac computer. The standard operating procedure for installing macOS on external Thunderbolt 3 M.2 NVMe SSD is as follows:
- At macOS’s Disk Utility, format the external Thunderbolt 3 NVMe SSD as APFS format.
- Go to macOS’s App Store. Key in macOS in the search bar, and press enter. Then you will see the macOS installer (free of charge) from the App Store. Click on the download button to download the macOS installer at App Store to your Mac computer.
- After the downloading finishes, execute the macOS installer, select the SSD (the external Thunderbolt 3 NVMe SSD) as the target installation drive [see the image below], and click on Install button to continue with the macOS installation on the external NVMe SSD.
- As the macOS installation on the external NVMe SSD completes, the Mac computer will boot into the macOS on the external Thunderbolt 3 NVMe SSD automatically. At this time, click on the Apple icon at the top left position of the screen, select About This Mac, and then you will see that the Startup Disk for the system now becomes SSD [the external NVMe SSD] meaning that at the present your system is currently booting with the macOS on the external Thunderbolt 3 NVMe SSD for work.
Why may external M.2 NVMe SSD be slower than M.2 NVMe SSD installed within the host computer?
There will be two factors which affect the different performances:
First, spec of M.2 NVMe within computer and spec of Thunderbolt™ 3.
Second, different M.2 NVMe SSDs’ specs.
1 Comparison of internal M.2 PCIe NVMe and Thunderbolt 3 spec.
The spec of internal M.2 NVMe is PCIe 3.0 ×4: 32 Gbps (~3200 MB/s)
Although, for the external Thunderbolt 3 interface, the throughput is 40 Gbps, the bandwidth still includes video signal transmission, so in fact, for the data transmission part, the actual performance is only up to 2750 MB/s.
2 Comparison of different M.2 NVMe SSDs’ spec.
Samsung 960 PRO- read: 3500 MB/s , write: 2100 MB/s
OCZ RD400- read: 2600 MB/s , write: 1550 MB/s
As single OCZ M.2 SSD module has lower performance in spec which is below Thunderbolt 3’s bottleneck, when dual OCZ M.2 SSD modules are set with RAID 0, it will have better performance.
As single Samsung M.2 SSD module has much higher performance in spec which is far above Thunderbolt 3’s bottleneck, when dual Samsung M.2 SSD modules are set with RAID 0, it will result in a reduction to RAID 0’s read/write performance over Thunderbolt 3; both read/write will have the same reduction ratio.
How to Make Thunderbolt 3 Storages in Double Performance?
When two Netstor Thunderbolt 3 storage units (model: NA611TB3, NA622TB3, and NA762TB3…etc.) are connected to the same Thunderbolt 3 Mac computer/laptop, you can just use the following connection to get the Doubled Capacity and the Doubled Performance for up to 4200 MB/s between storages and the Thunderbolt 3 Mac.
Equipment Requirement:
。 Two units of Thunderbolt 3 storage
。 A Mac computer with 4 ports Thunderbolt 3
* [Note: 4 ports Thunderbolt 3 ports mean there are two Thunderbolt chips used by a computer; each Thunderbolt 3 chip (two ports) can provide bandwidth up to 2750 MB/s]
Scheme One
Two NA622TB3 present double performance under iMac Thunderbolt 3 ports
* Testing by: NA622TB3 *2, Gloway 2TB NVMe SSD *8, iMac 27”(Mid-2017) *1
Scheme Two
Here is the way to verify which Thunderbolt 3 Mac computer/laptop contains two separate TB3 controllers in support of the above doubled performance.
Can Netstor’s NA622TB3 work with Sabrent M.2?
We can’t guarantee the M.2 SSD in Thunderbolt 3 enclosure can work with macOS if the M.2 SSD is not listed in NA622TB3’s compatibility list chart.
Please go to:
/product/na622tb3-thunderbolt-3-four-slot-m-2-nvme-ssd-storage/
And click on the ‘Compatibility’ tab.
All we know so far is:
On February 6, we have been reported by a user who uses Thunderbolt 3 NA611TB3 installed with Sabrent M.2 SSD to work with macOS, and the user reports that there is an issue for the Sabrent M.2 SSD to work with the macOS operating system.
The issue is not solved yet.
Does either Thunderbolt port on NA622TB3 can be used to connect to PC /Mac?
Yes, either Thunderbolt 3 port shown in your picture can be used to be connected to a Thunderbolt 3 Mac or a Thunderbolt 3 PC computer.
Why does NA622TB3 come with 2 ports and what connection that Netstor suggests?
Two thunderbolt ports are designed for connecting computer and downstream devices.
Which port is for connecting to a downstream device to transfer data and supply 15w. power to a downstream device? And the other lower type c is for connecting to upstream device (which is a computer)?
The user can choose to use the upper Thunderbolt 3 port or the lower Thunderbolt 3 port in the picture for connecting to a Thunderbolt 3 host computer. If the connected host computer is a laptop, then the NA622TB3 can provide 15W power charging to the TB3 laptop for charging.
When the upper Thunderbolt 3 port is connected to TB3 computer, then the lower Thunderbolt 3 port is used to be connected to a downstream device for data transferring and the NA622TB3 can also provide 15W power charging to the downstream device.
Vice versa, as the lower Thunderbolt 3 port is connected to TB3 computer, then the upper Thunderbolt 3 port is used to be connected to a downstream device for data transferring and the NA622TB3 can also provide 15W power charging to the downstream device.
Can a Samsung mz1lw1t9hmls-00003 SSD be used on NA622TB3?
When Samsung SM963 M.2 PCIe NVMe SSDs [MZ1LW1T9HMLS] are installed in NA622TB3 storage connected to Thunderbolt 3 Windows PC laptop (for example: https://www.fujitsu.com/fts/products/computing/pc/notebooks/lifebook-u729/index.html ), or Thunderbolt 3 Windows PC desktop computer, the Samsung SM963 M.2 PCIe NVMe SSDs [MZ1LW1T9HMLS] will work properly with the Thunderbolt 3 Windows PC laptop / TB3 Windows PC desktop computer because Samsung SM963 M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD’s firmware is 100% compatible with the Windows PC and has the correct Windows 10 driver.
However, when Samsung SM963 M.2 PCIe NVMe SSDs [MZ1LW1T9HMLS] are installed in NA622TB3 storage connected to Thunderbolt 3 Mac computer, we don’t know if the Samsung SM963 M.2 PCIe NVMe SSDs [MZ1LW1T9HMLS] will work with macOS operating system as we don’t know if Samsung SM963 M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD’s firmware is compatible with the macOS.
Please visit the following site:
Click on the ‘Compatibility’ tab. And you will see the M.2 NVMe SSDs that are confirmed to work with the macOS. Please use the M.2 NVMe SSDs listed in the compatibility list for NA622TB3 if the user’s host is Thunderbolt 3 Mac computer.
Does NA622TB3’s power supply need to be plugged in to operate?
Yes, the NA622TB3’s power supply needs to be plugged in for power source to operate because there is a built-in 120W PSU inside the NA622TB3 enclosure.
If the power source is NOT plugged into the NA622TB3, the NA622TB3 won’t operate.
Does Netstor’s NA622TB3 work with Sabrent M.2?
The principle is we can’t guarantee the M.2 SSD in Thunderbolt 3 enclosure can work with macOS if the M.2 SSD is not listed in NA622TB3’s compatibility list chart.
Because for the M.2 SSD in Thunderbolt 3 enclosure to be able to work with macOS, it requires that it must have the macOS driver for the M.2 SSD’s controller to be able to let the M.2 SSD in TB3 enclosure work with macOS.
Please go to:
And click on the ‘Compatibility’ tab.
All we know so far is:
On February 6, we have been reported by a user who uses Thunderbolt 3 NA611TB3 installed with Sabrent M.2 SSD to work with macOS, and the user reports that there is an issue for the Sabrent M.2 SSD to work with the macOS operating system.
What are the best SAS drives to pair with NS370TB3?
The NS370TB3 uses the Areca ARC-1214 RAID card inside to connect with the hard drives for work. Therefore, please go to:
https://www.areca.com.tw/support/downloads.html
Select SAS/SATA RAID adapters for component type, ARC-1214 for model name, Compatibility for Item Type. Then download the latest HDD compatibility list PDF (2019/06/03) for the ARC-1214 RAID card.
Open the HDD compatibility list PDF (2019/06/03). Go to page 4; it has stated “The following table is the list of current qualified SAS drives”.
Then you will see four Hitachi (HGST) SAS hard drive models from 6TB through 12TB that are the recommended HGST SAS drives. It has listed:
HUH728080AL5200 (HGST Ultrastar He8):
HUH721010AL5200 (HGST Ultrastar HE10):
https://www.amazon.com/Ultrastar-HUH721010AL5200-0F27352-Platform-Enterprise/dp/B01GXUR98G
Do the NS370TB3 controllers use Areca Webgui software? I have an older Areca Model; will I be able to swap out the existing 4 HDD into this new unit?
Yes, you will be able to use your old HDD in the newest unit.
For testing, we used a mac mini(TB2) ==> Deivce(TB2) ==> Apple TB2 to TB3 converter ==> NS370TB3, and the result shows it works.
Therefore, you will need an Apple TB2 to TB3 converter as well.
Which slot of Mac Pro 2019 is recommended to be installed with Host adapter card of NS780S-G3?
We recommend slot 6 or slot 7 as shown in the following:
Mac Pro 2019 has eight PCIe x16* sized slots that accept many different types of PCIe cards:
- Slot 1: up to x16 lanes (double-wide)
- Slot 2: up to x8 lanes (double-wide)
- Slot 3: up to x16 lanes (double-wide)
- Slot 4: up to x16 lanes (double-wide)
- Slot 5: up to x16 lanes (single-wide)
- Slot 6: up to x8 lanes (single-wide)
- Slot 7: up to x8 lanes (single-wide)
- Slot 8: up to x4 lanes (half-length)
For more information about slot layout of Mac Pro 2019, please visit:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210104
Regarding the NS 780 G3, what is the setup for achieving 6400 MB/sec please. Is a PCIe 3.0 raid controller card need to set it up as a RAID, along with Hard drives or SSD’s?
Please visit NS780S-G3’s site at:
https://www.netstor.com.tw/product_info.aspx?SerID=3&Title=Desktop&ArID=4&PID=PID_170302485021353
Then click on the ‘Specs’ tab. At the bottom of the specification webpage, it has indicated it needs an ARC-1883ix-16 RAID card to be installed inside the NS780S-G3 storage enclosure, and then you can set up a RAID 5 or a RAID 6 volume over the HDDs/SSDs that are installed within the NS780S-G3 storage.
Because one HDD (hard disk drive)’s max transfer speed is about 200 MB/s, if sixteen HDDs are in NS780S-G3 and are set up with a RAID 5 volume, the top data transfer speed of the RAID 5 volume will be up to 3000 MB/s between the NS780S-G3 and the host computer.
NS780S-G3’s host interface is PCIe 3.0 x8, so its top bandwidth is 64 Gbps (6400 MB/s)] between Netstor storage and the host computer.
One 2.5” SSD’s max transfer speed is about 550 MB/s, so if sixteen 2.5” SSDs are in NS780S-G3 and are set up with a RAID 5 volume, the top data transfer speed of the RAID 5 volume will be up to NS780S-G3’s max bandwidth of 6400 MB/s between NS780S-G3 and host computer.
Is there a model like the NS780G3 but with lower capacity, fewer drive bays? Can partial bays used on NS780G3 to have the system work?
Yes, although the NS780S-G3 storage is designed to have 16 bays, users can decide on their own how many HDDs they wish to install in the NS780S-G3 for use and work.
For example, you can just install 10 hard disk drives in the NS780S-G3 storage enclosure and set the 10 hard drives in Netstor unit as a RAID 5 or a RAID 6 volume to work with the host computer.
Currently, when you visit the Netstor official site >> Products section >> Desktop, there’s only one NS780S-G3 model. But as visiting Netstor official site >> Products section >> Thunderbolt, although there is fewer drive bays storage, its interface is Thunderbolt 3.
What RAID controller card can be used in NS780S-G3 to create a Raid 6 or 5 volume?
Areca ARC-1883ix-16, internal 16 port SAS/SATA RAID Adapter, Dual Core RAID-on-Chip 1.2GHz processor, Supports RAID level 0, 1, 10(1E), 3, 5, 6, 30, 50, 60, Single Disk or JBOD
or
HighPoint SSD7110 PCI-Express 3.0 x16 3 x dedicated M.2 Ports & 4 x SFF-8643 SAS / SATA ports to PCIe 3.0 x16 RAID Controller
Can Samsung 4TB 860 EVO SATA III 2.5" Internal SSD be use on NS780S-G3?
Because drive compatibility is directly determined by the RAID card itself, not the enclosure.
The attached PDF is the latest SSD compatibility list for ARC-1883ix-16 RAID card obtained from Areca’s official website. On page 2 and page 3 of the attached PDF, it has listed ARC-1883ix-16 RAID card’s compatible Samsung SSDs. Although among the list, we couldn’t see the Samsung 4TB 860 EVO is listed, you could send the e-mail to Areca’s support team at support@areca.com.tw to double-check with Areca team if Samsung 4TB 860 EVO SSD is supported by ARC-1883ix-16 RAID card.
Or you can use the suggested SSDs listed in the attached PDF; the recommended SSDs in the attached PDF file are all guaranteed to work with the ARC-1883ix-16 RAID card.
What SSD is campatibile with ARC-1883ix-16 RAID card?
For getting the drive compatibility list for ARC-1883ix-16 RAID card, please visit:
https://www.areca.com.tw/support/downloads.html
Select ‘SAS/SATA RAID’ adapter for Component type, ‘ARC-1883 series’ for Model name, and ‘Compatibility’ for Item Type.
And then you will get two PDF files. One is the PDF for HDD compatibility list for ARC-1883ix-16; the other is the PDF for SSD compatibility list for ARC-1883ix-16 card.
Can Seagate IronWolf Pro NAS 16TB SATA work on NS780-G3? What controller card is recommended?
NS780S-G3 recommends the use of ARC-1883ix-16 RAID card as can see from NS780S-G3’s official webpage >> Specs tab >> bottom part of the Specs webpage.
NS780S-G3 itself is a storage enclosure; regarding what HDDs can work with the storage enclosure, it depends on the RAID controller card. Since the NS780S-G3 will utilize the ARC-1883ix-16 RAID controller card, then for the HDD compatibility, we will need to check the HDD compatibility list released by the Areca Technology Corporation.
Therefore, please go to:
https://www.areca.com.tw/support/downloads.html
Select SAS/SATA RAID adapters for ‘Component Type’, select ARC-1883 series for ‘Model name’, and select Compatibility for ‘Item Type’. Then download the latest HDD compatibility list PDF (2019/12/31) for the ARC-1883ix-16 RAID card.
The model number of Seagate IronWolf Pro NAS 16TB SATA hard drive is: ST16000NE000 which is not listed on the compatibility list for ARC-1883ix-16 RAID card. So at the present we cannot confirm if Seagate IronWolf Pro NAS 16TB SATA HDD (ST16000NE000) can work with ARC-1883ix-16 RAID card.
Here is to let you know provided that the ARC-1883ix-16 RAID card does not support ST16000NE000 hard drive, then even if the ST16000NE000 hard drives are installed in NS780S-G3 with ARC-1883ix-16 RAID card, then eventually the ST16000NE000 HDDs will not work with NS780S-G3 with ARC-1883ix-16 because the ARC-1883ix-16 RAID card does not support the hard drive model of ST16000NE000.
Since the ST16000NE000 drive is not listed in the Areca’s HDD compatibility PDF, please ask the customer to contact Areca Technology Corporation’s Support team at their e-mail address at support@areca.com.tw
The Areca’s support team will tell him whether the ST16000NE000 drive can work with ARC-1883ix-16 RAID card or not.
Can any Netstor’s Expansion chassis support both 1 PCI card and 1 PCIe x1 card? Or any suggestion?
None of Netstor’s expansion chassis supports conventional PCI slot.
All of Netstor’s expansion products have adopted PCIe (PCI Express) slots many years ago, so it’s not impossible to have a Netstor expansion chassis that supports both one PCI card and one PCIe ×1 card.
Provided that the client just needs to use one PCIe ×1 card, depending on his application, he can decide to use any of the following Netstor PCIe expansion chassis products to work with his host computer:
[1]
https://www.netstor.com.tw/product_sublist.aspx?SerID=6&Title=TurboBox
[for the TurboBox Pro and the TurboBox Rac series, since they have four PCIe slots inside, it’s better to utilize multiple third-party PCIe cards and one PCIe ×1 card in favor of the best cost-effective solution]
[2]
https://www.netstor.com.tw/product_info.aspx?PID=PID_170427401346986
[provided the user wants to use Thunderbolt 3 port connection to his host computer with TB3 port]
Automatic eGPU Configuration Guide (For macOS High Sierra Thunderbolt Mac computers with Nvidia GPU card)
* The backup of all your data is recommended before eGPU configuration.
Note before proceeding to the eGPU setting:
(A) The HL23T-PRO / NA211TB3 with GPU card installed should NOT be connected to Mac at the beginning.
(B) macOS’s SIP (System Integrity Protection) must be disabled first.
(C) The Mac computer needs to be connected to Internet via Ethernet port or Wi-Fi because program will download GPU card driver automatically during the configuration.
Steps:
- Make sure the operating system of the Mac computer that is to be used with the eGPU is macOS High Sierra 10.13.x ~ 10.13.6 (build ver. 17G65).
- Open Terminal. Execute the following command:
bash <(curl -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/learex/macOS-eGPU/master/macOS-eGPU.sh) - At this time, the Mac computer will link to the Internet automatically. Within the Terminal pane, when the text appears to “preparing secure eGPU connection”, please connect the Thunderbolt eGPU to the Mac computer.
- Within the Terminal pane, when the text appears to “waiting 20 seconds for user to disconnect eGPU”, please disconnect the Thunderbolt eGPU with the Mac computer.
- After the eGPU enabling process is completed, shut down Mac computer, and then connect the Thunderbolt eGPU to Mac again. Power on Mac computer; as it boots into macOS operating system, the eGPU will work with computer.
CUDA Driver Installation:
- If you will need to use CUDA computing with eGPU, visit: https://www.nvidia.com/object/mac-driver-archive.html, download and install the latest Mac CUDA driver. After CUDA driver installation, restart Mac, and then the CUDA driver and its computing will be enabled.
- If you don’t need to use CUDA computing, just restart Mac directly after the steps are completed, and then the eGPU will work properly with Mac.
* Data source: https://github.com/learex/macOS-eGPU/tree/master#macos-egpush