OCZ Launches PCIe-Based HDD/SDD Hybrid Drive

[exfileme]

OCZ has launched the RevoDrive Hybrid, a PCI Express-based storage solution combining SDD and HDD drives on one PCIe card.

OCZ Launches PCIe-Based HDD/SDD Hybrid Drive : Read more

 

[Kamab]

SSD*

 

[amk-aka-Phantom]

I don't see a point of those.... you don't want extra devices in the PCI/PCI Express slots. Normally, GPUs cover everything; you're lucky if you can stuff in a sound card or a WLAN one...

 

[randomstar]

I can not see this as a bad thing. Similar devices have existed in the past, but perhaps this will be a better product?
still, about $150.00 too high..

 

[jackofhearts495]

great idea. no need for conventional hard drives or SSD's. This is definitely the epitome of convenience of speed - nearly 1gb/s. Nice.

 

[cadder]

600,000 hours MTBF? This IS OCZ that we're talking about here, I thought their MTBF was usually between 0 hours and 7 days. (At least according to the hundreds of people that post feedback on newegg.com.)

But about the technology itself- Seagate has hybrid drives too. IF the caching algorythm is good this would seem to be a decent technology. I would like to have drives such as these in all of my machines.

 

[utengineer]

[citation][nom]amk-aka-phantom[/nom]I don't see a point of those.... you don't want extra devices in the PCI/PCI Express slots. Normally, GPUs cover everything; you're lucky if you can stuff in a sound card or a WLAN one...[/citation]
You don't see the point because you are thinking like a gamer and not a professional. The drive is marketed for high performance computing and media content creation. These types of customers usually have one GPU in their workstation and none in their servers. This type of drive benefits them more so.

 

[Guest]

3 year warranty is that a joke? $50 Seagates have a 3 year warranty. A drive sporting that kind of price should be at least 5. At 500 bucks a pop you're well into enterprise level territory.

 

[JohnnyLucky]

SandForce based ssd's have had more than their fair share of problems and issues. I wonder how long before something goes wrong with this hybrid.

 

[aznshinobi]

Why can't we just start the R&D for tech like the Momentus XT. Something we consumers can afford w/o breaking bank.

 

[Ciuy]

500$ ... WTF !!!! Make `em cheaper so we can all have them.

 

[malphas]

[citation][nom]utengineer[/nom]You don't see the point because you are thinking like a gamer and not a professional. The drive is marketed for high performance computing and media content creation. These types of customers usually have one GPU in their workstation and none in their servers. This type of drive benefits them more so.[/citation]
And even most gamers aren't running crossfire/SLI.

 

[amk-aka-Phantom]

You don't see the point because you are thinking like a gamer and not a professional. The drive is marketed for high performance computing and media content creation. These types of customers usually have one GPU in their workstation and none in their servers. This type of drive benefits them more so.

Of course I'm thinking like a gamer. It'd be stupid to think my POV applies to "professional" stuff. Obviously I say what *I* think about it...

 

[Cryio]

I remember when I bought my video card. The 9600GT 512 was like 150 $ cheaper than 8800GT AND 9600GT 1GB. Good times

 

[thomasxstewart]

for money get faster than revo 3 pci-e3 @ $420 & 120 GB, clocking ~800 MB/s, Extra 1 TB flying around able to come to surface @ 900 MB/s, all integrated together, well, thats .45 cents GB or1/4 cost of pci-e SSD thats mere 1/4 faster & much smaller in data sttorage. Sure its 10X cost of TB HDD, yet super slow, also, so much legacy pci-e stuff exists, if be pci-e3 with 8 SF 2281 or other even faster controllers, Wow, talkin' 4 GB/s Potential DAT FAST. Need some pretty powerful main & cpu, memory & gpu discrete card, Call IT:Flipper, Faster than Lightening, Flipper King of Sea.....

Drashek Hopefulologists....

 

[jecastej]

Why OCZ included the 2.5 HD as the only option?

If they give us a card without HD we could use another HD or maybe one we already have. This will also lower the price. If they don't someone else will, please.

 

[kalidasa]

[citation][nom]amk-aka-phantom[/nom]Of course I'm thinking like a gamer. It'd be stupid to think my POV applies to "professional" stuff. Obviously I say what *I* think about it...[/citation]
Don't understand this response. Who here is a mind reader?

 

[christop]

after adding another 5850 I have no slots open for this. The price is kinda high also.

 

[dalethepcman]

What happens when you stick a $55 HDD and $170 SSD onto a $5 PCB?

OCZ think'a they can make an extra $250 appear.

 

[alextheblue]

[citation][nom]jecastej[/nom]Why OCZ included the 2.5 HD as the only option? If they give us a card without HD we could use another HD or maybe one we already have. This will also lower the price. If they don't someone else will, please.[/citation]Well that sounds nice, but I'd be happy enough if they just offered a couple of HDD options. A 7200RPM drive of some variety would be nice. Anyway, I understand their desire to avoid compatibility testing with every drive.[citation][nom]randomstar[/nom]I can not see this as a bad thing. Similar devices have existed in the past, but perhaps this will be a better product?still, about $150.00 too high..[/citation]This definitely seems better than similar products in the past, by design. If the caching software is good, it will probably be pretty darn good. But yes, it is a bit pricey. They should offer a slower model with 60-80GB of cache and a 750GB HDD. If it was half as expensive, it would still be a nice drop-in upgrade for a lot of machines. Simple to manage too, good for customers who don't want to juggle software and files between multiple drives.

 

[Guest]

Looks like an updated Hardcard; disk+controller in a card.

 

[legacy7955]

Why would they use a 5400 RPM HDD in this configuration. It should be at least 7200 RPM.

I've noticed that a lot of the OEMs are sneaking these slower drives into machines and you have to really look hard to find the specs or call the manufacturers . You can fool some but you can't ever fool the geek.

 

[clonazepam]

[citation][nom]cadder[/nom]600,000 hours MTBF? This IS OCZ that we're talking about here, I thought their MTBF was usually between 0 hours and 7 days. (At least according to the hundreds of people that post feedback on newegg.com.)But about the technology itself- Seagate has hybrid drives too. IF the caching algorythm is good this would seem to be a decent technology. I would like to have drives such as these in all of my machines.[/citation]

Had to thumbs you down for even suggesting that newegg comments have any real world relevance.

Anyway, Phantom's right, somewhat. Most everything is on board these days. Enthusiasts and professionals tend to go high-end. They like things like crossfire and SLI. They like big mean add-on sound cards or hardware raid cards.

If you have to choose to sacrifice a pcie slot to a hybrid drive, or just buy 2 SSDs for RAID 0 and only sacrifice 1 or 2 3.5" or 5.25" bay slots, its a no brainer.

2 SSDs in raid 0 and a 1 TB x2 in raid 1 is doable, or opt for a 2 TB drive, and only have to use those other bay slots... idk

 

[Dangerous Beans]

3 of OCZ's agility 3 60gb SSDs in raid 0 and a 2tb 5400 drive (or 1tb 7200) are about the same price, with more space and probably greater performance.

So while it is interesting, it seems to me that there are alternate solutions available that are better.

 

[palladin9479]

What some people are missing is that since this is integrated, the caching mechanism is in the hardware controller vs the other "hybrids" using software to do caching (specialized windows drivers and such). Since they have their own VCA type data abstraction similar to high end RAID cards it becomes trivial to remap access to HDD sectors. You see a 1TB HDD but the card will remap sectors to the SSD in a write-through caching technique. Your OS will never know the caching is happening and can't interfere.

Overall a good idea, if a bit pricey.