MP 7,1 Promise Pegasus J2i Alternative？

[Krevnik]

DIY solution available. I suggest to read entire post from beginning.

That Pegasus J2i Cage - Internal HDD Mounting

Alright, well, the 4xSSD cage and 2x3.5" are done. The STL files are here https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4067905 From a printing service like MakeXYZ.com, The SSD cage is $85.90 to print and ship. Not bad when competing against $400. I haven't printed the 3.5" cage so do so at your own...

forums.macrumors.com

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2019 Mac Pro Drive Cage by bwinter88

This is an alternative drive cage to the Promise Pegasus J2i accessory meant to be mounted in the 2019 Mac Pro. There are two cage designs; one to hold 2 spinners, and one to hold 4 SSDs (in the event you have a PCI card to connect additional drives) The power connector for internal drives in...

www.thingiverse.com

And for anyone looking to print that, just make sure you use PETG or ABS for it. PLA isn’t going to handle the exhaust from the CPU heat sink all that well.

 

[lostinforums]

I’d like to ask, i have a 2009 Mac Pro and would like to take my 3 hdd internals out of it and use them as externals on a new Mac Pro 7,1. How could I do that? If I even can lol

thanks

 

[SayCheese]

I’d like to ask, i have a 2009 Mac Pro and would like to take my 3 hdd internals out of it and use them as externals on a new Mac Pro 7,1. How could I do that? If I even can lol

thanks

I'm not sure you can. The Mac Pro 7,1 only has 2x SATA connections to connect a HDD to.

 

[lostinforums]

Ah ok, I was thinking I could use my old internal hdd’s and put them in a caddy connected to the new Mac Pro via thunderbolt 3

 

[SayCheese]

Ah ok, I was thinking I could use my old internal hdd’s and put them in a caddy connected to the new Mac Pro via thunderbolt 3

Ah sorry. I misread your initial question as internal not external on the new 7,1.

For external there may be a solution via TB3 but I'm not aware of one.

 

[AidenShaw]

I’d like to ask, i have a 2009 Mac Pro and would like to take my 3 hdd internals out of it and use them as externals on a new Mac Pro 7,1. How could I do that? If I even can lol

thanks

Penny-wise, pound-foolish IMO.

Putting old, slow, probably end-of-life HDDs into a new system is asking for trouble. If the drives are from 2009, they're already past their shelf life and you should sing hosannas every time that they spin up after a power shutdown.

For $125 you could get a 6 TB USB 3.0 external drive that will probably far outperform your old spinners. Double that to $250, and you can find USB 3 dual-disk RAID-0/RAID-1 (12TB/6TB) externals.

New, faster, in-warranty USB drives will amount to a fraction of the sales tax on a 7,1.

 

[flowrider]

I’d like to ask, i have a 2009 Mac Pro and would like to take my 3 hdd internals out of it and use them as externals on a new Mac Pro 7,1. How could I do that? If I even can lol

thanks

Yes, put them in any properly sized USB enclosure and they will work fine as storage only devices. You will a USB C cable (0n one end) to the NcMP.

Lou

 

[bsbeamer]

Sonnet Fusion Flex J3i might be what some in this thread are looking for:

Fusion Flex J3i (2019 Mac Pro Drive Bracket) - SONNETTECH

3-drive mounting system for Mac Pro (2019). Install SATA 3.5-inch hard drives and 2.5-inch SSDs. Kit includes brackets, screws, and cables.

www.sonnettech.com

Sonnet's Fusion Flex J3i Mount Lets You Add Up to Three Internal Drives to Your Mac Pro

Sonnet today announced the upcoming launch of its Fusion Flex J3i internal drive mount for the 2019 Mac Pro, which lets users add up to three SATA...

www.macrumors.com

 

[flowrider]

^^^^GREAT - But

Looks like the J3i device will cost $200. The Promise J2i costs $380 - $400. An 8TB 3½" drive is about $150. So the promise device is around $230 sans drive (but NA). So maybe $200. is not far off ?

I'm down for one?

And maybe this will push Pegasus to offer the J2i without drives.

Lou

 

[ZombiePhysicist]

Sonnet Fusion Flex J3i might be what some in this thread are looking for:

Fusion Flex J3i (2019 Mac Pro Drive Bracket) - SONNETTECH

3-drive mounting system for Mac Pro (2019). Install SATA 3.5-inch hard drives and 2.5-inch SSDs. Kit includes brackets, screws, and cables.

www.sonnettech.com

Sonnet's Fusion Flex J3i Mount Lets You Add Up to Three Internal Drives to Your Mac Pro

Sonnet today announced the upcoming launch of its Fusion Flex J3i internal drive mount for the 2019 Mac Pro, which lets users add up to three SATA...

www.macrumors.com

Wow, that's so lame. On the one hand, at least you dont have to buy a drive you dont need. And I guess shaving a place for the small 2.5" drive is nice, but man, it's still so jank.

Instead of having some daisy chain SATA solution one connects as a USB drive? I guess that limitation is by apple only providing 2 ports, but I got to think one could add some kind of splitter controller or something. Also, it still uses the space inefficiently.

I'd like someone to make whatever is the maximum size cage in there, but provide options to put in like 5 2.5" drives, or one 3.5" drive and 3 2.5" drives.

I think maybe the solution is getting some 3D printer folks to spec out some variations.

I welcome the alternative, but $200 for a bracket and some cables still seems very price gougey.

 

[flowrider]

Also I find it odd that Sonnet doesn't know what a NcMP looks like from the outside ?



Lou

 

[SayCheese]

Also I find it odd that Sonnet doesn't know what a NcMP looks like from the outside ?

View attachment 919243

Lou

You would have thought they would be able to get a stock image of the right version of Mac Pro. ?

 

[AidenShaw]

You would have thought they would be able to get a stock image of the right version of Mac Pro. ?

Marketing people need to have engineers approve the work.

 

[alzatron]

I have a Pegasus J2i still in the box as I have not installed it yet.
When I purchased it, I had no desire for the 8 TB rotating drive. I had assumed I could take it out and replace it with a solid-state drive. Will that not work?
I have a number of 2012 Mac Pros with solid-state drives that slide right in with a OWC adapter.

What stops a person from installing a SSD using a 2.5 inch to 3.5 inch drive adapter?

 

[flowrider]

^^^^It certainly should work. A 2½" drive with the proper 3½" adapter should work just fine. A have a couple of Samsung 2½" SSDs that I pulled from my 5,1 cMP before I sold it that I'm planning on installing in the J3i when it's released by Sonnet. I use this adapter:

SSD adapters for Mac Pro 2010 trays

I used a WD VelociRaptor heatsink mount on my 5,1. Nice heatsink and worked very well for me. https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/recommended-drive-sled-adapter-for-2-5.2161639/?post=26933074#post-26933074 Lou

forums.macrumors.com

Post #8

Lou

 

[Matrix1776]

So I just buy this and pop in two 16TB drives? The 8 being a toss away.
Can I buy their raid 4 drive and do the same? Put 4 16TB drives? I already have the drives so that’s not a cost factor.

 

[flowrider]

^^^^

Question 1 - Yes

Question 2 - Sure, but the R4 is external. The beauty of the J2i and J3i is that's they're internal ?

Lou

 

[MatrixRabbit]

Sorry I meant the Pegasus R4i 32TB that is internal. Swapping the drives doubles that...and especially since 20TB's will be out later this year.

I do have a Lacie 6big 60TB that I'm debating selling so the drives can be internal. That'll pay for the R4i easily.

 

[macfanboy]

Also I find it odd that Sonnet doesn't know what a NcMP looks like from the outside ?

View attachment 919243

Lou

This isn't Sonnet getting the Mac Pro exterior wrong. They are marketing the ability to migrate drives from your old 5,1 Mac Pro into your 7,1.

 

[flowrider]

^^^^Hmm - Maybe ❓ that's what they meant

Sorry I meant the Pegasus R4i 32TB that is internal. Swapping the drives doubles that...and especially since 20TB's will be out later this year.

Oh, I had forgotten about that one That means throwing away 4 HDDs

Lou

 

[flowrider]

Looks like Promise is now selling the cable separately:

SATA & eSATA Cables Adapters | B&H Photo Video

See B&H's vast selection of SATA & eSATA Cables Adapters from top brands like StarTech, Rocstor, C2G and Comprehensive, all at unbelievable prices.

www.bhphotovideo.com

Wont why they are not selling the cage w/o drives ❓

Lou

 

[LEOMODE]

It looks like Sonnet Fusion J3i offers 3 drives with 2.5" option too which is way better and flexible than Promise J2i, but the cables are not black so it does look a bit messier. Would there be any advantages still going with Promise other than the fact that it's sold on Apple Store (probably endorsed by Apple) which can also mean stability on the hardware itself?

 

[flowrider]

^^^^See this thread:

SSD and spinning drives for Fusion Flex J3i?

I just threw my money down on the Fusion Flex J3i (3-drive Mounting System for 2019 Mac Pro). I'm thinking of either 2 SSD 4TB and one spinning 4 TB for back up, or 2 spinning drives and one SSD. Suggestions for which drives best to get or stay away from with the 2019 Mac Pro?

forums.macrumors.com

I have the J3I, running three 2½" SSDs. Some folks are reporting a "Disk Not Ejected Properly" message for the SSD connected by USB. Attributed to a bad cable. I have not had the issue. A couple things I like about the J3I over the J2I are:

1. Holds a third drive.

2. All the devices are mounted right side up. On the J2i one of the drives is mounted upside down and the other right side up.

I see no advantage with the Promise J2I and one big disadvantage - YOU HAVE TO BUY IT WITH AN HDD ?

Lou

 

[Matrix1776]

That would be perfect :/ What do you think I can do with my practically NIB 60TB Lacie 6Big? Toss it on eBay? Maybe pull the drives and use it for these adapters? I'm not sure it's any easier to sell an empty shell. I hate to mess with any warranties. PM if you want to know more about it. Is there any big HDD adapters?

 

[Stephen.R]

That would be perfect :/ What do you think I can do with my practically NIB 60TB Lacie 6Big? Toss it on eBay? Maybe pull the drives and use it for these adapters? I'm not sure it's any easier to sell an empty shell. I hate to mess with any warranties. PM if you want to know more about it. Is there any big HDD adapters?

Why not just... use it? If you need the space it seems odd to shuck the drives and then futz about to get an adapter for them