LaCie 2big Quadra 2 TB 2-Disk RAID Hard Drive 301352U

by LaCie

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 9.2 x 10 inches ; 6 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 10.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B001KFH6HY
• Item model number: 301352U
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (62 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 10, 2009

Product Description

Size: 2 TB

From the Manufacturer

The LaCie 2 TB 2big Quadra is a complete two-disk RAID solution for creative workstations that need added storage, backup, speed, and data protection. The 2big Quadra is easy to use and comes with two extractable, lockable, and hot-swappable disks. It also offers lower energy consumption and quieter operation than traditional RAID towers, making it a green addition to any workspace. And designed by Neil Poulton, the 2big Quadra's is both functional and fashionable; it sleek look offers excellent heat dissipation and adds style to any computer system.

The 2big Quadra 2 TB offers: 2 TB of total disk space. 4 RAID modes give you options for for higher capacity or greater security. Innovative cooling system that keeps noise low. eSATA 3Gb/s, Hi-Speed USB 2.0, and FireWire 400/800 interfaces. Lower energy consumption than traditional RAID towers.

The 2big Quadra can be rack mounted for space efficiency. View larger.

1. The blue orb on the front lets you monitor performance. 2. Installing new drives are easy with easy-to-use drive trays.

Dual Drive Bays and Multiple Configurations
Offering two terabyte of capacity, this hard drive offers plenty of space to store all your important data, digital media files, and more. Each included drive features an extremely fast speed of 7,200 rpm and has up to 32 megabytes of cache for optimal performance. In addition to this 2 TB version, the 2big Quadra also comes in 3 TB and 1 TB versions.

The 2big Quadra gives you the option of four different RAID modes. Depending on the RAID mode you choose, you can have either faster performance and higher storage space or more protection (please note that depending on the RAID configuration you choose, the usable amount of space might be less than one terabyte). The ability to hot-swap drives in some RAID modes is an especially useful feature--you can remove and replace drives even while the 2big Quadra is running.

The 2big Quadra is expandable and scalable for even greater storage and faster transfer rates. Installing new drives is a cinch: simply put the new disk on a drive tray and insert it into an empty drive bay. An included tool lets you lock and unlock the drives.

Four Interfaces to Fit Your Setup
The drive features USB 2.0, FireWire 400, FireWire 800, and eSATA interfaces, ensuring universal compatibility with any Mac or PC. USB 2.0 offers up to a 480-Mbps transfer rate, while eSATA provides superior transfer speeds of up to 3,000 Mbps--perfect for digital media applications such as photography, animation, A/V projects, and HD postproduction. And the two FireWire ports let you daisy-chain a second drive easily.

For speed-critical work such as video editing, eSATA provides the performance you need to work directly onto the drive, while the other interfaces ensure that you'll be able to connect your drive to any computer no matter where you are, and access your files.

Designed by Neil Poulton, the 2big Quadra looks good in any office. View larger.

Striking Looks That Fit Any System
Styled by renowned product designer Neil Poulton, the 2big Quadra has a striking, minimalist design that features an illuminated blue hemisphere in the center. Both fashionable and functional, the hemisphere is a one-touch button for backing up data and sharing files. It also lets you easily monitor your system's performance, so you'll know when RAID is rebuilding, when the drive's temperature is getting too high, and more. An added bonus, the drive is stackable for easy expandability and is designed to enhance any work environment.

Save Energy and Minimize Noise
The 2big Quadra is made with energy savings in mind; compared to traditional RAID towers, it can reduce energy consumption by 30 to 80 percent. The 2big Quadra also features a revolutionary, ultra-reliable cooling system that promotes system longevity and keeps it almost 50 percent more quiet than the competition.

Backup Software Included
LaCie comes with Genie Backup Manager Pro for PCs and Intego Backup Manager Pro for Macs, making backup and computer recovery easy. In addition, it is compatible with Apple's Time Machine.

The LaCie 2big Quadra is backed by a three-year limited warranty.

About LaCie
Established in France in 1989, LaCie is a leading manufacturer of computer peripherals for Windows, Apple, and Linux users. With offices and plants in the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, Europe, Singapore, and Hong Kong, LaCie develops and manufactures external storage solutions and color monitors that help professionals and everyday people easily manage their digital lives. LaCie has distinguished its products through original designs and leading-edge technology.

What's in the Box
LaCie 2big Quadra, eSATA-to-eSATA cable, FireWire 800 cable (9-to-9 pin), FireWire 400 cable (6-to-6 pin), high-speed USB 2.0 cable, power supply kit, LaCie utilities CD-ROM with user's manual, and quick-install guide.

Product Description

The LaCie 2big quadruple interface professional 2-disk RAID delivers fast speed, large capacity and data security. With eSATA 3Gbits, FireWire 800, FireWire 400 & Hi-Speed USB 2.0, it provides complete universal compatibility with any PC or Mac. The easy-to-use 2big Quadra comes with two extractable, lockable and hot-swappable disks for a user-controlled solution. With four RAID levels, it meets your storage needs, whether it¿s security, capacity, speed or a combination. With burst transfer rates as high as 165MB/s** (eSATA), it¿s ideal for audio/video projects (DV and SD video playback or 2D/3D imaging). The sturdy heat sink metal design provides 60% more surface area for natural heat dissipation. The 2big Quadra comes with Genie Backup Manager Pro software with disaster recovery for Windows users and Intego Backup Manager Pro software with disaster recovery for Mac users. It also features Triple Power Management and the LaCie Shortcut Button, which can launch any application you choose in one push. Box Contents: LaCie 2big Quadra, eSATA-to-eSATA (3Gbits) cable, FireWire 800 (9-to-9 pin) cable, FireWire 400 (6-to-6 pin) cable, Hi-Speed USB 2.0 cable, Power supply kit, Quick Install Guide, LaCie Utilities and User Manual on CD-ROM. System Requirements: eSATA, FireWire 800, FireWire 400 or USB ports, Windows 2000/XP or Vista, Mac OS X 10.3 or higher, Minimum free disk space: 600 MB recommended

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great RAID Drive - Better than described, February 6, 2010

By 

JBK - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: LaCie 2big Quadra 4 TB 2-Disk RAID Hard Drive 301432U (Personal Computers)

I have been carefully studying purchasing a RAID drive in order to edit/store my HD family home videos. I have had many hard drives in my time, and purchased the WD My Book Studio Edition II just prior to ordering this model, and had to return it immediately as it didn't perform as promised (daisy chaining cut speeds in half due in adequate power supply, let alone the overall "cheapness" of the WD drive).

This LaCie drive though, has has been reading/writing at 65-70MB/sec in Raid 1 Mode, no matter how many devices are attached (via FireWire 800). Very easy to change RAID modes, there is no need to infect your computer with Adware (such as WD "Drive Manager"). As far as performance is concerned, the drive has gone beyond exceeding my expectations.

The enclosure is very good looking, very well built, and fits perfectly next to any Aluminum Mac. The only down side is the self adjusting "smart fan" typically runs on the louder side. I don't mind, as I believe in cooling when it comes to HDs....

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid External RAID Hard Drive, June 21, 2009

By 

K. Anderson (Centreville, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: LaCie 2big Quadra 2 TB 2-Disk RAID Hard Drive 301352U (Personal Computers)

I bought this drive to replace a Maxtor 2-disk RAID drive that recently stopped working after one of the disks failed. The RAID did it's job though - I was able to recover all the data from the good disk after I had to take apart the enclosure to remove it. This new drive has quite a few advantages over my old Maxtor. In addition to more disk space, it has a fast eSATA interface, a cool "mixed" RAID mode that gives you one "safe" partition and one "big" partition if you don't want to use the whole drive in "safe" (mirrored) mode, and removable drives so I don't have to take the whole thing apart (and replace the unit) if one of the drives fails. The "auto" power on/off mode is also very nice if you use the USB connection. The enclosure itself looks very nice and is built very solid (in a good way). Both the fan and the drives themselves (Hitachi in mine) are definitely on the noisy side at times, but I'm hoping the extra airflow will help the drives last longer than the Maxtor. The printed "manual" is also extremely short and unhelpful, but I didn't have any problems setting up the drive on my PC (I am a computer professional).

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a high-class external storage, December 23, 2009

By 

Nikolay V. Semenov (Denver, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: LaCie 2big Quadra 2 TB 2-Disk RAID Hard Drive 301352U (Personal Computers)

Pro's:
* Easy to switch between RAID modes.
* Presence of special "mixed" mode with combination of RAID1 and RAID0 partitions for people who need just small protected space and a lot of general unprotected storage.
* Aluminum heatsink body design + fan seem to help to keep the device cooled. The body doesn't feel warm, and the stream of air from the fan doesn't either, although I operate it in quite warm conditions.
* Bundled with pro versions of backup software for MacOS (Intego) and Windows (Genie). Haven't tried the Intego, but Genie is good.
* Comes with data transfer cables for all the available types of ports.
* Presence of power saving mode of operation.
* Just looks great and sturdy.
* I like the 3-year default warranty, because my previous external HDD (from WD) broke down just after the 1-year warranty expired. I hope the 3-year one means it was built to live at least about that time.

Con's:
* The weblinks that are embedded in the backup software for Windows don't work, so you'll have to search them online yourself. (the website is [...])
* eSATA cable that comes with the drive is rather short (about 1m).
* Printed manual is very short and covers only the two basic operations - installation and changing of the RAID mode. It wasn't a problem for me, but for other people it might be confusing if they get the package, open it, change the RAID mode to "safe" (RAID1), connect to the computer - and the drive won't show up, because you need to initialize it and format. If you encounter this situation - online or CD manual covers the steps you need to take.

Other thoughts:
* Fan is not completely silent, although I wouldn't call it loud at all.
* The tradeoff for having aluminum sturdy+heatsinking design is the weight of the device. Two hard drives also add to it, making it quite significant. But it is to be expected.
* The manufacturer's cardboard box was slightly damaged (a crack hole in the surface), although the shipping cardboard box wasn't at all. I haven't noticed any damage on the device, but it is just something to leave a note about.

Resume: I did quite a bit of research of similar devices available for purchase, and I think this one is the best option - warranty, interfaces, convenience, design, etc. Although it costs slightly more than some others, but it appears to be worth it.

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