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TerraMaster D8 Thunderbolt 3 in the test: RAID housing for 8 drives achieves almost 1,600 MB/s

Jul 30, 2021

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With the external storage enclosure TerraMaster D8 Thunderbolt 3, users can connect up to eight SSDs or HDDs in RAID to the computer via Thunderbolt in order to transfer data at more than 1,500 MB/s. The expensive model impressed in the test with its stability and smoothness. Another Thunderbolt and DisplayPort offer flexibility.

Table of contents

1 RAID housing for 8 drives reaches almost 1,600 MB/s
1. RocketRAID 3740 and Intel JHL6540
2. Heavy housing with handles and fans
3. DisplayPort and 2 × Thunderbolt 3
4. Two fans can be controlled by a switch
5. 8 drives for a maximum of 144 TB in 7 RAID Modes
6. Internal 250 watt power supply
7. Setup via browser and system administration
8. The D8-331 is very quiet
2 Test setup, benchmarks and conclusion
1. Test system: desktop PC and notebook
2. Transfer a file with the desktop PC
3. Transfer a folder with the desktop PC
4. Transfer with the notebook and desktop with HDDs
5. Transfer with the notebook and desktop with SSDs
6. All measurements in direct comparison
7. Conclusion

The TerraMaster D8 Thunderbolt 3 (D8-331) is a high-performance storage extension that can accommodate up to eight drives and operate in a RAID array. As “Direct Attached Storage” (DAS), like the TerraMaster D5 Thunderbolt 3 (test), it provides external storage that can also be used via Thunderbolt 3 for projects with large amounts of data or for editing videos. In an updated version of the D8 Thunderbolt 3 with a new RAID controller, TerraMaster has redesigned the external housing and promises an improved speed of up to 2,100 MB/s. With a DAS, the device is connected directly to a computer and not integrated into the network, so that the data on the drives is only accessible via the connected computer and not potentially to all users in the network. Once configured, the DAS volumes are automatically integrated as hard drives in the operating system when connecting via Thunderbolt 3.

The new version of the TerraMaster D8 Thunderbolt 3 has an unchanged recommended price of 1,599.99 euros, which means that as a Thunderbolt accessory, it is once again a proud price. The D8 Thunderbolt 3 is available from Amazon directly from the TerraMaster Store *.

The D8 Thunderbolt 3 comes with a power and a Thunderbolt 3 cable as well as a quick guide and Screws for fastening 3.5 and 2.5 inch drives with.

RocketRAID 3740 and Intel JHL6540 and Intel JHL6540

Internally, the TerraMaster D8-331 relies on the SAS RAID controller Highpoint RocketRAID 3740, while the Intel JHL6540 controller (Alpine Ridge ) is used instead of the newer JHL754 alias Titan Ridge. Both controllers are passively cooled again.

Heavy housing with handles and fans

With dimensions of 266 x 184 x 315 mm, the D8 Thunderbolt 3 has an empty weight of 5.3 kg. In contrast to the D5-330, TerraMaster has therefore attached two handles to the top of the aluminum housing. The drives are also not aligned vertically next to each other, but horizontally one above the other. The lowest installation slot is assigned to drive 1, the topmost drive 8. Unlike the D5-330, however, the drive frames are not equipped with rubber buffers, so that vibrations are less absorbed by HDDs. The drives used must be screwed onto the frame; screw-free and tool-free assembly is not provided. The test will show whether this has a negative effect on the volume. In addition to the drive slots that can be pulled out quickly, the front of the D8 Thunderbolt 3 has the status LEDs for the system and the eight drives, as well as the power button.