HighPoint 3420X8 RocketCache – Too Much Cache is Better Than Too Little

Everyone is getting in on the SSD caching action these days. Through software, or a combination of software and hardware, using fast SSDs to speed up slower mechanical storage seems like a catchy idea.

Enter the HighPoint 3420X8 RocketCache which enables you to mix up to 4 devices for your caching pleasure.  Would you like to mix three SSDs and one HDD?

Two SSDs and two HDDs?  The RocketCache has you covered and allows you to create the configuration which best suits your performance or capacity needs.

In the consumer market, there are really just two caching solutions at the moment, though many more are on the way. NVELO’s Dataplex comes bundled with some SSDs, and of course, the Z68-style caching afforded by Intel’s chipsets (Some motherboards, like Asrock, do have their own caching).  Dataplex can only be used on the system drive, and Intel’s caching requires the right motherboard, and both are limited to one SSD and one HDD.

If the RocketCache can increase performance 3x as is claimed, the 3420X8 could be finding its way into more than a couple workstations. Media-editing and creation workstations could stand to benefit the most, but everyone could use a little more cache these days.  The PCIe 2.0 x8 card and software combo should be available within the next few weeks. Pricing wasn’t given, but Highpoint does claim it will be affordable.

See Highpoint RAID card Prices at Amazon.

2 comments

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    We tried SuperCache 5 from http://www.superspeed.com and their Tech Support
    wrote to say this about using that software to “cache” the C: partition:

    “Hello Paul,
    At this time we are not recommending caching boot volumes (usually C:). There appears to be an issue between SuperCache and the volsnap driver. We are currently investigating the problem. We have also communicating with Microsoft. There are no reported incidents of cache non-boot (i.e. data) volumes. I apologize for the inconvenience.”

    So, Highpoint’s RocketCache may be a very viable alternative, if one wants to “cache” the C: system partition.

    MRFS

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