Mac Pro RAID Card

Mac Pro RAID Cards were released by Apple for the 1st-generation Mac Pro.

Description
The PCI Express card should be installed in slot 4 of the Mac Pro and enables SAS drives as well as SATA, supporting up to 4 drives in a mirrored or striped RAID configuration for security through redundancy, or for maximum performance, respectively.

2007 version
The first version of the card was released in August 2007 as a build-to-order option for the Mac Pro. It later became available separately and could support 2006 through 2008 models of the MacPro at 304MB/s with 256MB of cache memory. It requires the use of an iPASS cable to connect to the drive bays.

2009 version
A revised version was released in March 2009 to support 2009 through 2012 models at 553MB/s with 512MB of cache memory, along with the addition of a low power standby mode during sleep. This card no longer requires a separate iPASS cable and instead connects to the drive bays through the pins in the PCIe slot.

Criticism
The Mac Pro RAID Card Battery, also used in Apple's Xserve RAID, was criticized for its short life span and expensive replacement cost. Repair by end users was also noted for being difficult. The required replacement component is a 606168 rechargeable (Li-ion) cell, also referred to as  (LiPo). Mishandling of components containing such chemicals is very hazardous.

Neither RAID Card can recognize more than 2.2TB of a larger SATA drive, though larger SAS drives are not an issue.

System requirements

 * 2007 version — Mac OS X 10.4.10 or later.
 * 2009 version — Mac OS X 10.5.6 or later.