G-Technology G-SPEED Studio 4-bay Review
Storage Review by Tucker Mindrum
The new G-SPEED Studio 4-bay, along with the G-SPEED Studio XL 8-bay and G-RAID Studio 2-bay, characterizes HGST G-Technology's new Studio line of customizable media-oriented attached storage devices. The G-SPEED Studio, with its maximum capacity of 24TB (using four 6TB 7200RPM HGST HDDs), delivers a reported transfer speed of 700MB/s and can handle multi-stream compressed 4K and 2K workflows in both pre- and post-production. The entire Studio line is designed to embody the minimalism commonly found in Apple products, closely aligned with Mac Pro design. The line exclusively features Thunderbolt 2 connectivity and comes pre-configured for Mac OS.
In addition to Mac compatibility and rapid transfer speeds, the Thunderbolt 2 connectivity brings easy daisy chaining to the Studio line, allowing for up to six daisy-chained devices. G-Technology has also placed particular emphasis on the plug-and-play functionality of this line, which spares lots of time during setup and excessive wiring. However, if a Windows setup is used, then this advantage goes out the window; the system must first be reformatted and the connectivity modulated. G-Technology also emphasizes that all of the products in the Studio line have built-in RAID controllers, and are not confined to any one workstation. This combined with the easy plug-and-play setup greatly enhances the mobility of the line (although the nearly 20lb G-SPEED Studio XL will realistically be staying at the same workstation most of the time).
The Studio line offers a wide range of capacities and transfer speeds (with a wide range of prices) and will not only meet the demands of any use-case (from straightforward media storage to 4K video-editing), it will also follow the user through their career, allowing for virtually unlimited expansion capabilities. The G-RAID Studio 2-bay (the entry level and most compact installment of the Studio line) starts at a capacity of 6TB ($699.95) and maxes out at a capacity of 12TB ($1,299.95), and can be configured in RAID0, RAID1, or JBOD. The G-SPEED Studio 4-bay offers capacities of 12TB, 16TB, and 24TB ($2,199.95, $2,699.95, and $3,599.95, respectively), and can be configured in RAID0, RAID1, RAID5, and RAID10. The most recent and largest installment of the Studio line (the G-SPEED Studio XL 8-bay) ranges from 24TB ($3,599.95) to 64TB ($6,999.95), the latter of which reportedly provides up to 1350MB/s. The G-SPEED Studio XL has a desktop form factor and can be configured in RAID0, RAID1, RAID5, RAID6, RAID10, RAID50, and RAID60. Additional 2TB, 3TB, 4TB, and 6TB HGST HDDs can be purchased from G-Technology to serve as expansion or backup drives, which are essential in media-based professions ($249.95, $349.95, $449.95, and $699.95, respectively).
The G-RAID Studio and G-SPEED Studio XL represent the two poles of the Studio line. The G-RAID Studio could serve a new professional or enthusiast through the beginning of their career at a lower price point, and the G-SPEED Studio XL will serve professionals that require top-quality performance and maximal capacity (and can handle the price tag). However, the G-SPEED Studio remains the most applicable and versatile member of the Studio family, and will probably be sufficient for the majority of customers. read more...
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G-Technology G-SPEED Studio RAID Thunderbolt The G-SPEED Studio with hardware RAID is a four-bay Thunderbolt 2 storage solution that supports user selectable RAID 0, 1, 5 and 10 for ultimate flexibility and speed. With its built-in RAID controller, the G-SPEED Studio is not tied to a single workstation and can be easily transported and used on a Mac? laptop or desktop in the studio, edit bay or on the road. The G-SPEED Studio boasts sustained transfer rates of up to 660MB/sec in RAID 0 and can be daisy-chained via dual Thunderbolt 2 ports. This G-SPEED Studio solution ships with four removable enterprise-class hard drives, designed to support multi-stream compressed 4K and 2K workflows. In a RAID 5 (data redundant) configuration, the G-SPEED Studio RAID can easily handle up to 30 hours of 4K footage in ProRes 4444 and can seamlessly edit three streams of compressed 4K. Starting at $2,199.95 |
G-SPEED? Studio XL ? A hardware RAID 8-Bay Thunderbolt? 2 solution offers professional content creators colossal capacity and high definition performance. This Enterprise-class Storage Solution with Thunderbolt 2 technology for ultimate speed is configurable in RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, & 60. Designed to support multi-stream compressed 4K workflows with extremely large volumes of data at transfer rates of up to 1350MB/sec and has the ability to daisy-chain via dual Thunderbolt 2 ports. The G-SPEED Studio XL features a sleek black enclosure, smart fan technology, Enterprise Class hard drives and a 3-Year warranty - providing the ultimate storage solution for demanding Video and Photography based workflows. Starting at $3,599.95 |
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