RAM instead HDD/SSD.

#1

Post by Sloven » Wed, Apr 13, 2011, 12:58 PM UTC

I don't pursue any promotional purposes, but never heard about such drive before.

RAM instead HDD/SSD.
hyperossystems.co.uk

Re: RAM instead HDD/SSD.

#2

Post by Sloven » Wed, Apr 13, 2011, 1:02 PM UTC

I'm looking for new config for my home pc. Before this article I thought to build RAID-0 with 4 sata drives, but now i would better buy this device.

Re: RAM instead HDD/SSD.

#3

Post by iwwr » Wed, Apr 13, 2011, 1:28 PM UTC

This may work if your server's RAM is already capped out. You can already use RAM as virtual disk space, so this looks more like a way to add more RAM to a system through the SATA bus (perhaps with some extra interface sugar). Although, the main memory throughput can easily overwhelm a SATA bus.

It's an intriguing piece of hardware, I am waiting for some reviews.

Re: RAM instead HDD/SSD.

#4

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Apr 13, 2011, 1:32 PM UTC

[deleted]

Re: RAM instead HDD/SSD.

#5

Post by lukev » Wed, Apr 13, 2011, 2:05 PM UTC

Very nice. But what happens when the power fails? RAM can't preserve state without power...

Re: RAM instead HDD/SSD.

#6

Post by zdw » Wed, Apr 13, 2011, 2:15 PM UTC

lukev wrote: post #5

Very nice. But what happens when the power fails? RAM can't preserve state without power...

Most of these units have an internal battery and CF card or other flash storage - when the power goes out, the battery lets them write the contents of their RAM to the permanent storage.

There are also other options than the one linked:

http://www.ddrdrive.com/ - pcie card, favored by many people running ZFS

http://us.test.giga-byte.com/Products/Storage/Products_Overv... - Gigabyte's i-RAM, very similar to what's linked.

Re: RAM instead HDD/SSD.

#7

Post by astrodust » Wed, Apr 13, 2011, 2:18 PM UTC

This is an interesting product, and there have been others like it before, but what a shady looking company to be selling it.

Re: RAM instead HDD/SSD.

#8

Post by binarray2000 » Wed, Apr 13, 2011, 2:23 PM UTC

SATA2 interface and DDR2 RAM... A major OUCH! That's like putting Bugatti Veyron Super Sport on a narrow and curvaceous country road: A pinhole that's just stopping it from literally flying (well, speed-wise, not altitude-wise).

On the top of my list as a consumer grade drive (thou, we're considering to put it into the Win2008/SQLServer server on our LAN ) is OCZ Revodrive X2 PCI-Express SSD (http://www.ocztechnology.com/ocz-revodrive-x2-pci-express-ss...).

Re: RAM instead HDD/SSD.

#9

Post by phamilton » Wed, Apr 13, 2011, 3:24 PM UTC

Aside from the seek times, this guy gets destroyed by the latest crucial SSD drive.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148...

If you want high speed ram-based drives, FusionIO is the way to go

http://www.fusionio.com/products/iodrive/

Re: RAM instead HDD/SSD.

#10

Post by orijing » Wed, Apr 13, 2011, 4:20 PM UTC

I was following until I got here:

It also offers 100% secure file deletion (disconnect both the external and the internal power!). Flash drives can't offer this. Hard disks suffer from magnetic remnance and so retain their data even after they have been overwritten several times! But the HyperDrive5 is forensically wiped every time the power is fully disconnected

Wait a minute, if the drive gets accessed quickly or if it's really cold, RAM actually retains its contents. You can't expect the charges to suddenly revert to randomness!

Plus, this presents a major issue if someone wanted to sabotage you... If it's really that easy to clear the contents, someone may just come and clear it for you while you aren't looking.