Sans Digital is the first brand to incorporate SuperSpeed USB 3.0 technology into its hardware RAID storage units. The new TowerRAID TR4UTP / TR4UT-BP (4-bay) and TR5UTP / TR5UT-BP (5-bay) are the world’s first SuperSpeed USB 3.0 and eSATA multi-bay hardware RAID 5 enclosures, expanding the award winning TowerRAID product line by offering enterprise-class features with affordable pricing. The units are also bundled with free 2-port eSATA 6 Gbps PCIe 2.0 x1 host bus adapters for computers without eSATA ports.

The latest SuperSpeed USB 3.0 provides 10x more bandwidth in comparison to the existing HighSpeed USB 2.0. By incorporating this brand new technology, the TR4UT(-B)P and TR5UT(-B)P are capable of reaching performance speeds 5x faster than the previous models. For computers not equipped with USB 3.0, the units’ backward compatibility with USB 2.0 allows flexible deployment. USB 3.0 PCIe host bus adapters (HA-SAN-2U3PCIE) are also available for easy USB 3.0 interface integration.

Both packages also includes an USB 3.0 Turbo Mode software (Windows based only) to further boost the USB 3.0 performance by approximately 30%, allowing the units to reach over 200MB/s in read and write performance. With the superior USB 3.0 bandwidth and dedicated RAID engines that help reduce CPU utilization of the host computer, the TR4UT(-B)P and TR5UT(-B)P are capable of running RAID 0, 1/10, 3, 5, CLONE (N-Way Mirror) and JBOD with over 200MB/s of data transfer rate.

In addition to the performance increase and the bundled 6Gbps eSATA PCIe controller, the TR4UT(-B)P and TR5UT(-B)P are designed with various advanced features such as the instant RAID availability that allows immediate access to the units without the need to wait for RAID initialization. A physical RAID mode configuration switch located on the back of the unit enables quick RAID setup without the need to use a software utility. A new RAID mode, CLONE / N-Way Mirror is also introduced to replicate the saved data throughout each installed hard drive for maximum protection. Status LEDs in the front of the unit provide RAID health status while detailed event log and E-mail notification are available via the included software utility.

With eSATA and USB 3.0 interfaces as well as backward compatibility with USB 2.0, the new hardware RAID TowerRAID Plus series is extremely versatile and should work with any computer. “Bundled with a free 6Gbps HBA, the TR4UT(-B)P and TR5UT(-B)P are proven to be the best hardware RAID solutions in both value and performance.” said Stanley Chan, Sans Digital’s Director of Business Development. The TR4UT(-B)P and TR5UT(-B)P are priced at $289 and $349 respectively.