RAID Edition 5 ("RE5") series of rotating hard drives

MRFSYS · September 14, 2011, 3:51pm

We recently received a brand new Highpoint RocketRAID 2720SGL

and installed Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit version on the same

RAID 0 array, with 2 x WD2503ABYX HDDs formatted with a

“short-stroked” C: system partition of 30GB.

Here’s the ATTO Benchmark result for C:

i.e. very close to the result we obtained with XP/Pro SP3 and the

Highpoint RocketRAID 2322 (see above).

For those who are interested in evaluating the 2720SGL,

this is a stripped down version of the RR2720, but

the retail package does NOT include any manual, cable(s)

or software disc: drivers etc. must be downloaded first

from the Highpoint website and then written to some

medium that can be accessed by the Windows 7 Setup disc.

Highpoint’s README.TXT file explains how to load the driver

in various situations e.g. fresh OS install, or existing system:

we’ve archived that README.TXT file here:

Also, one or two “fan-out” cables must be purchased separately,

because the 2720SGL does not include cables either.

Here is the Highpoint cable that works with this controller:

Some people have understandably complained about the long 1 meter length

of this fan-out cable; however, identical 0.5 meter cables are available from

other vendors cf. “SFF-8087” aka “Internal Mini-SAS to SATA Cable”.

To ensure proper connections with that controller, we find it is

easier to connect the multi-lane end of the cable BEFORE installing

the controller in an available PCI-E slot: in this way, the connector

can be visually inspected to confirm that it is properly seated.

Other than that, the fan-out connectors are standard SATA style,

and we also have that same cable working fine in another workstation

with 4 x Hitachi 2.5" SAS HDDs.

Sincerely yours,
/s/ Paul A. Mitchell, B.A., M.S., Instructor,
Inventor and Systems Development Consultant