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Looking for a DAS 5 or 6 bay array with hardware raid to handle minimum 24tb of data with ability to add/swap drives and expand as data grows. RAID options of 5, 6, 50 requirements. Primarily for photo and video editing and archiving. Looking to spend between $2000 to $3000 for the array and hard drives. Thoughts?
Thank you,
Joe
joe@joefornabaio.com
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Thanks for your message! Here are some solid DAS options within your budget that can handle your photo and video editing needs, with RAID options and the ability to expand storage over time:
Pegasus3 R8
Bays: 8
RAID: 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, 60, JBOD
Connection: 2x Thunderbolt 3 (TB3)
Noise: Relatively quiet, designed for professional use
Capacity: Supports up to 8 drives (expandable)
Price: Likely on the higher end of your budget, but great for performance and scalability.
TerraMaster D8 Thunderbolt 3
Bays: 8
RAID: 0, 1, 5, 6, 10
Connection: 2x Thunderbolt 3 (40Gb)
Capacity: Handles 3.5/2.5-inch SATA drives
Price: More affordable, with great features for a lower cost compared to higher-end options.
Lacie 6big Thunderbolt 3
Bays: 6
RAID: 0, 1, 5, 6, 10
Connection: 2x Thunderbolt 3, USB 3.1 combo
Capacity: Ideal for 6-bay configurations and scalable for future growth
Price: Slightly higher, but built for heavy workloads like video and photo editing.
OWC ThunderBay Flex 8
Bays: 8
RAID: 0, 1, 5, 6, 10
Connection: 2x Thunderbolt 3, PCIe upgrade slot
Capacity: SATA/SAS and U.2/M.2 NVMe drives supported
Expandable: The PCIe upgrade slot allows for more flexibility in the future.
These units all support RAID configurations and will allow you to swap or add drives as your data grows. Given your focus on photo and video editing, I recommend considering Thunderbolt 3 units like the Pegasus3 R8 or TerraMaster D8 Thunderbolt 3 for fast data access speeds, especially when editing large files.