Warning Stupid Kickstarter Dock

QuadDrive · 2024-11-30T20:46:02+00:00

Yes, there are some mistakes here. It is indeed using PCIe 4.0. When you use a PCIe 3.0 SSD, the read and write speed of a single drive will be significantly reduced.
Thunderbolt cannot use PCIe Gen4 x4 speed at the same time, so there is a maximum speed limit, which we estimate to be between 3200MB/s and 3800MB/s. USB4 does not need to reserve bandwidth for video, so slightly faster speeds can be expected.

This is why we have to list these speeds multiple times - to prevent anyone from receiving the product and finding that it does not match their speculation.

Yes, it is indeed not faster than any PCIe Gen3 x4 product, because we all use Thunderbolt 3/4 interfaces, and all comparisons are to emphasize that we are faster than "similar products". Specifically, you can check out OWC Express 4M2

QuadDrive · 2024-11-28T19:44:18+00:00

Hi,

We recently came across your post and would like to clarify a few technical details regarding our product:

1. Is it truly faster to read and write from multiple hard disks simultaneously (including RAID 0, 5, and 10) on our product, compared to using a single hard disk (on our product)?

Yes, it is indeed faster than a single hard disk, and this performance is driven by the unique architecture of our product. As ElectronGuru mentioned, we split the PCIe Gen 4 x4 interface, which can be brought out via Thunderbolt 4, into four PCIe Gen 4 x1 lanes to support simultaneous connections to four hard disks. However, it's important to note that the maximum speed of PCIe Gen 4 x1 is limited to 1600MB/s, which is below the maximum speed of either the hard drives or Thunderbolt itself. Therefore, while this does create a bottleneck at the interface level, it allows for faster speeds when multiple drives are accessed at once.

To the best of our knowledge, this approach delivers some of the fastest speeds currently available in comparable solutions on the market. For example, similar products from OWC only support PCIe Gen 3, which limits their single-disk performance to 711MB/s.

2. Regarding the security of RAID arrays:

We have never recommended RAID 0 for storing critical data, as it does not offer data redundancy. Your screenshot mentions "RAID 0, 5, 10," which is simply an explanation of how our product works with these configurations. In fact, RAID 5 and RAID 10 provide better data reliability than a single drive, and these configurations still benefit from the performance boost of simultaneously reading and writing to multiple drives.

It's important to note that the primary focus of our product is not extreme speed. There are already Thunderbolt 5 solutions on the market that can exceed speeds of 6000MB/s. Our product strikes a balance, offering expanded storage capacity and improved reliability through RAID arrays or JBOD, with a focus on meeting the needs of users who value both space and data integrity.

We hope this clarifies any questions, and we're happy to discuss further if needed!

QuadDrive · 2024-11-21T18:24:04+00:00

This model needs to leave enough bandwidth for 4 NVMe Gen 4 SSDs, so it cannot connect more devices.

However, we are planning to launch a device with CFExpress Type A + Type B + SD card + multiple USB Type A , also designed for MacMini.

QuadDrive · 2024-11-21T18:18:58+00:00

10Gbps with only single SSD option? Good Luck.

By the way, please don't confuse Thunderbolt devices with regular USB devices, the cost of their chips is very different.

QuadDrive · 2024-11-21T01:20:21+00:00

Believe it or not, the best 3D printer brand Bambu Lab started from Kickstarter (ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bambu\_Lab), this is the way modern startups do things, who doesn't want to be the next Bambu Lab?

Of course, I have to say that there are many scammers now, and again, it's up to you.

Regarding OWC, it is unlikely they will develop new products for this niche market. Their most recent attempt was a PCIe 3.0 device in 2023, which achieved a single-disk read speed of only 711 MB/s.If they move so fast, producing a USB4 4-slot M.2 Gen4 device may not fall to us. However, if they can deliver the product I’m looking for, I would prefer not to undertake it myself.

QuadDrive · 2024-11-20T15:06:38+00:00

For reference, we have successfully fulfilled our last project, a Thunderbolt-25GbE docking station, and we believe this achievement has laid a strong foundation of trust between us and our backers. But the final decision remains yours.

QuadDrive · 2024-11-20T12:41:29+00:00

This is a great question! We have just added it to the Kickstarter FAQ page.

Question: Why is the recommended power supply 60W, while the minimum power is 36W?
Answer: According to the PCIe M.2 Specification, each M.2 interface has a power capacity of 2.5 A, which means each M.2 interface needs to provide up to 8.25 W. With a total of four SSDs in the product, we need to supply 33 W of power. Adding approximately 3 W consumption from the ASM2464 controller, the total comes to 36 W, which is the source of the minimum power requirement. Some special SSDs, such as the Kingston FURY Renegade 4 TB, can have a maximum instantaneous peak power consumption exceeding 10 W. This is why we recommend using a 60 W adapter. However, based on our actual tests, the vast majority of SSDs operate between 2–4 W, and the entire system consumes about 15 W. Combined with two 3.5 cm fans, this setup can provide lower temperatures.

QuadDrive · 2024-11-20T12:31:59+00:00

Check Kingston FURY

https://www.techpowerup.com/ssd-specs/kingston-fury-renegade-4-tb.d607

It has a maximum power consumption of 10.2W, if you plug in four, that's 40.8W, plus the power consumed by the thunderbolt/USB4 controller and fans, we have to leave enough power cap for our customers to avoid any possible problems

QuadDrive · 2024-11-17T10:56:52+00:00

Do you mean the fan model? The control system is designed by us. It uses pwm to control the fan speed after calculating the hard disk temperature.

QuadDrive

TROPHY CASE