Starline Computer: Availability of Areca ARC-1689 Series NVMe RAID Adapters

Starline Computer GmbH announced the availability of Areca’s ARC-1689 series which includes 2 new NVMe hardware RAID adapters, ARC-1689-8N and ARC-1689-32I, specifically designed to meet the needs of high-performance computing, AI/ML, enterprise storage and demanding workloads, offering PCIe Gen 5.0 performance, RAID protection and extensive management features.

Areca ARC-1689-8N – For compact high-performance systems

As an NVMe RAID adapter, the ARC-1689-8N offers space for up to 8 directly plugged-in M.2 SSDs, whereby 4x2280 and 4x22110 modules can be used. It itself uses a PCIe Gen 5 x16 interface. At its heart is the Broadcom PEX89048 PCIe Gen 5 switch chip with 48 PCIe lanes and high-performance hardware engine.

With a typical bandwidth of up to 60GB/s and true hardware RAID processing (RAID-0, 1, 10, JBOD), the 8N is particularly suitable for edge computing, workstations and compact servers with high I/O requirements.

Security functions such as SED encryption (AES-128/256), power loss protection (optional via ARC-1886-CBM) and UEFI Secure Boot ensure maximum data integrity. The typical power consumption is just 14 watts.

Management is carried out via ArcHTTP, ArcSAP, CLI or via the BIOS/UEFI setup. The ARC-1689 NVMe RAID adapter works with all standard NVMe drivers for Windows (10 or higher), Linux (kernel 3.10 or higher), FreeBSD or VMware. So user do not need a special driver to install the OS or data on the ARC-1689.

Areca ARC-1689-8N specs
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Areca ARC-1689-32I – For scalable enterprise storage infrastructures

The ARC-1689-32I is designed for large storage applications. 4xMCIO x8 ports enable the connection of up to 32 NVMe SSDs via mid- or backplane. The Broadcom PEX89048 switch also offers 48 PCIe Gen 5 lanes, which are connected to the host via a PCIe Gen 5 x16 interface.

With a maximum bandwidth of 60GB/s and hardware RAID support (RAID-0, 1, 10, JBOD), the 32I delivers consistent performance and low latency, ideal for AI/ML clusters, HPC systems and mission-critical data processing. Functions such as SED encryption, optional power loss protection and secure boot are also integrated here.

The typical power consumption is 18 watts (max. 23.7W). Management is identical to the 8N model.

Areca ARC-1689-32I specs
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Application scenarios:

• AI/ML and Deep Learning: High parallelism and low overhead thanks to hardware RAID
• HPC and Scientific Computing: Maximum IOs and throughput with low latency
• Enterprise Storage: High data security, simple management, flexible integration
• Edge Computing and Industry: Compact, energy-efficient and robust in continuous operation

Availability
With the ARC-1689 series, Areca delivers RAID adapters for NVMe SSDs that serve both compact and highly scalable systems. Thanks to PCIe Gen 5.0, dedicated RAID logic, security features and comprehensive management, both models set new standards for professional storage solutions. The ARC-1689 models are available from Starline Computer GmbH. The street price is currently €1,825.- for both models.