Computex 2014: Areca Technology displayed their newest high-performance RAID controller at Computex 2014, along with their expanding line of Thunderbolt products. This new 12Gb/s RAID controller, the ARC-1883ix-24, can handle up to 24 SATA or SATA drives but has a few new features that will distance it far from any other RAID controller on the market.
Most RAID controllers ship with only 1GB of DDR cache, and for years Areca has led the high-performance RAID realm with their adjustable DRAM modules that allow up to 4GB of cache. The new 1833ix series allows up to a whopping 16GB of DDR3 cache on one controller. This necessitates the addition of a 6-pin connection to help power the controller, another first.
There are currently only two prototypes of this controller, and TweakTown has one for a world record attempt during Computex 2014. Stay tuned for more information on that once we begin our tests!
Areca has also began diversifying thier product line and expanding into the Thunderbolt storage market. Areca has a long history of producing enterprise-class external enclosures, and the move to providing Thunderbolt 2 solutions is a natural fit.
One of the particular advantages of Thunderbolt 2 is the ability to daisy-chain, much like SAS. Look to these pages soon for a product evaluation of Arecas latest Thunderbolt 2 products from out resident Thunderbolt expert Tyler Bernath.
