LaCie 8big Pro5 review: I tested LaCie’s huge 256TB DAS solution, and it's ideal for 8K video editing but it comes with a price tag that's just as big
by https://www.techradar.com/uk/author/alastair-jennings · TechRadarTechRadar Verdict
The LaCie 8big Pro5 is an 8-bay DAS (Direct-Attached Storage) solution that features Thunderbolt 5, a RAID array, and, in my review unit, eight 32TB Seagate IronWolf Pro drives equalling a massive 256TB capacity. This all comes at a price, which makes this a purely professional solution, especially for video production and broadcast, with a design that will work equally well in the editing suite as well as out in the field. The design is solid, and once the initial setup is complete, the storage simply plugs in like any other desktop drive. However, real-world read speeds of 3,811 MB/s exceeded my expectations, and editing 4K and 8K video on both Mac and PC was exceptionally fast, with no fear of running out of space. However, at £14,711.99 for 256 TB, although can be found substantially cheaper, this is professional production equipment that is out of reach for most consumers and small businesses. But if you work in production, the portable design makes it a must-have and a great alternative to the usual rack systems or hire charges.
Pros
- +256TB with hot-swap RAID 5 and RAID 6
- +140W laptop charging
- +Carry handle
Cons
- -Price
- -Requires AC power
- -Backup software is Windows-only
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LaCie 8big Pro5: 30-second review
Specs
Drive bays: 8 × hot-swappable
Drives installed: 8 × Seagate IronWolf Pro 32TB
Raw capacity: 256TB
Ports: Thunderbolt 5 (120Gbps), 140W power delivery, 2 × Thunderbolt 5 (30W each), USB-C 20Gbps (15W)
Max transfer speeds: 2,800MB/s read (RAID 0), 2,500MB/s (RAID 5)
RAID modes: Hardware RAID 0/1/5/6/10/50/60, JBOD, multi-RAID
Software: LaCie RAID Manager, LaCie Toolkit
Warranty: 5 years + Rescue Data Recovery Services
Build: Aluminium enclosure with carry handle, Neil Poulton design
Power: AC mains
When I first plugged in the LaCie 8big Pro5 256TB, I realised that my workstation suddenly had access to 256TB of local storage, so the impact of this was immediate. I have tested a great deal of storage hardware, and the sense of scale when that volume of capacity mounts as a single directly-attached drive is genuinely striking and somewhat scary, especially the thought of it crashing or a drive going down when it has all that data held with. However, the point of the LaCie 8big Pro is the eight-drive RAID configuration.
The review unit I was sent houses eight Seagate IronWolf Pro 32TB drives in a full aluminium enclosure with Neil Poulton's characteristic minimalistic design. In looks and style, it’s closer in aesthetics to a NAS than the older LaCie Big drives with their bright blue power buttons and silver drawers. A feature that gives you some idea of the intended use is the large carry handle at the top: this handle shows that this is not just for the studio/edit suite, but also ready for use on-site as long as there’s AC power.
Like most desktop hard drives, the connection to my MacBook Pro M1 Max, or ASUS PZ14, is made through a single cable, in this case, a Thunderbolt 5. This cable, with its 140W power delivery, was also enough to power the MacBook Pro M1 Max, removing the need to carry a separate charger and helping to keep my work area relatively clean and tidy.
Both the MacBook Pro M1 Max (Thunderbolt 4) and the Asus ProArt PZ14 (USB4) were used through the test, and while neither has Thunderbolt 5, the 40Gbps limit of both connections didn’t dull down the performance with the RAID 0 array delivering 3,811MB/s in CrystalDiskMark, exceeding LaCie's stated 2,800MB/s specification.
While RAID 0 is great to see the full speed potential, I reformatted the system to a more secure RAID 5 for production work, giving 224TB of usable capacity with single-drive fault tolerance and hot-swap capability. When it came to using the 8big Pro5, it handled 4K and 8K video editing from the Canon EOS R5 C in Final Cut Pro X and Premiere Pro without a dropped frame or the spinning beach ball, across multiple days, essentially keeping up with the pace of editing without causing any data slowdown through the edit process.
With a high price-tag for the 256TB configuration that I’ve looked at, this is without doubt a professional piece of production equipment. But for that money, the LaCie 8big Pro5 delivers exactly what it promises, and in the intended environment, it’s actually cheaper than some rack-mounted systems or site storage hire.
LaCie 8big Pro5: Price & availability
The LaCie 8big Pro5 starts at $5,979 for the 32TB configuration from Seagate's US official site, while in the UK, prices begin at £5,419 for the 32TB model. The highest configuration is the 256TB configuration reviewed here, which is currently out of stock in North America, but £14,711.99 in the UK.
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