01-10-2025, 11:22 AM
To replace your Drobo 5D3, here are some excellent alternatives that meet your requirements:
Key Recommendations
OWC ThunderBay 4 RAID
Features: Thunderbolt 4, hardware RAID (via software utility), and support for RAID 5.
Pros: Reliable, hot-swappable bays, and good macOS compatibility.
Cons: Lacks BeyondRAID-like flexibility but compensates with traditional RAID functionality.
TerraMaster D5 Thunderbolt 3
Features: 5-bay DAS with hardware RAID support (RAID 5 included).
Pros: Hot-swappable bays, high-performance Thunderbolt 3, and competitive pricing.
Cons: Thunderbolt 3 instead of Thunderbolt 4, but still offers excellent speeds.
Promise Pegasus32 R4 or R6
Features: Thunderbolt 4/USB 3.2 combo, built-in hardware RAID (RAID 5 supported).
Pros: Enterprise-grade build, excellent macOS compatibility, and hot-swappable drives.
Cons: Higher price point.
QNAP TL-D800C
Features: USB 3.2 Gen 2, RAID support via external QNAP hardware/software.
Pros: Large capacity and flexible RAID configurations.
Cons: Not Thunderbolt-based; requires a USB-C connection.
Best Match for BeyondRAID
While no current DAS fully replicates BeyondRAID, Synology and QNAP NAS solutions with SHR (Synology Hybrid RAID) or similar features could be an option if you're open to switching from DAS to NAS. They provide RAID-like flexibility and hot-swappable bays but would connect via the network instead of Thunderbolt.
Key Recommendations
OWC ThunderBay 4 RAID
Features: Thunderbolt 4, hardware RAID (via software utility), and support for RAID 5.
Pros: Reliable, hot-swappable bays, and good macOS compatibility.
Cons: Lacks BeyondRAID-like flexibility but compensates with traditional RAID functionality.
TerraMaster D5 Thunderbolt 3
Features: 5-bay DAS with hardware RAID support (RAID 5 included).
Pros: Hot-swappable bays, high-performance Thunderbolt 3, and competitive pricing.
Cons: Thunderbolt 3 instead of Thunderbolt 4, but still offers excellent speeds.
Promise Pegasus32 R4 or R6
Features: Thunderbolt 4/USB 3.2 combo, built-in hardware RAID (RAID 5 supported).
Pros: Enterprise-grade build, excellent macOS compatibility, and hot-swappable drives.
Cons: Higher price point.
QNAP TL-D800C
Features: USB 3.2 Gen 2, RAID support via external QNAP hardware/software.
Pros: Large capacity and flexible RAID configurations.
Cons: Not Thunderbolt-based; requires a USB-C connection.
Best Match for BeyondRAID
While no current DAS fully replicates BeyondRAID, Synology and QNAP NAS solutions with SHR (Synology Hybrid RAID) or similar features could be an option if you're open to switching from DAS to NAS. They provide RAID-like flexibility and hot-swappable bays but would connect via the network instead of Thunderbolt.