If you are looking for more cost-effective storage options for the 2019 Mac Pro then 9to5 Mac has reviewed a Sonnet M.2 4×4 PCIe Card, which when combined with four M.2 SSDs can produce incredible performance inside the new Mac Pro. It's perfect for storing files, media and anything else that requires super-fast storage. We have all the details.
Using the Blackmagic Disk Speed Test utility, Jeff Benjamin from 9to5 Mac was experiencing write speeds in excess of 6,000 MB/s, and read speeds that eclipsed 7000 MB/s.
To give you a reference point, Apple’s fastest 8 TB SSD, for the new Mac Pro, produces speeds up to 3400 MB/s, so this setup is nearly twice as fast as the Mac Pro’s fastest built-in SSD for less money. For example, according to Jeff at 9to5 Mac, an 8 TB setup with the Sonnet M.2 4×4 PCIe Card costs around $2,000, which comes in $600 below Apple’s 8 TB Mac Pro build-to-order configuration.
The M.2 4×4 PCIe Card features four slots for four single-sided M.2 blades and allocates four PCIe lanes per card. Sonnet pre-filled four Samsung EVO 970 M.2 SSDs for Jeff to test, which offer sequential read and write performance levels of up to 3,500 MB/s and 2,500 MB/s, respectively. Jeff used the macOS built-in software RAID Assistant to set up the four drives in a RAID 0 configuration for peak performance.
Be aware that Sonnet advises that that only SSDs with memory components on the top side of the module are compatible with this card. Consequently, double-sided memory component M.2 SSD media is not recommended. See Sonnet’s tech specs for additional details.
You can learn more by reading Jeff’s article in full on the 9to5 Mac Blog.
Mike Thornton has been involved in the broadcast audio industry for all his working life, some 45 years. Mike has worked with Pro Tools since the mid-1990s recording, editing and mixing documentaries, comedy and drama for both radio and TV as well as doing the occasional music project. He was the co-founder of Pro Tools Expert and has now retired and has taken up the role of Chairman of Production Expert Ltd.