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OWC Mercury Helios 2
Dual-Slot Thunderbolt 2 PCIe Expansion Solution
Mfr P/N: HELIOS2TB2 OWC SKU: OWCHELIOS2TB2
Highlights
- Features one x16 PCIe 2.0 double width card slot, and one x8 PCIe 2.0 single width card slot
- Daisy-chain support for up to five additional Thunderbolt peripherals
- Plug and Play - no drivers needed.
- Near-silent operation
- 3 Year OWC Limited Warranty
Use PCIe Expansion Cards with any Thunderbolt Equipped Mac or PC
Helios 2 is the ideal way to access up to two PCIe cards and is perfect for video capturing, video editing, media transcoding, audio processing, ultra-fast networking, data storage, and more via its Thunderbolt interface. Get empowered with the flexibility to upgrade the capabilities of almost any workflow and workstation.
Install Two PCIe Cards + Daisy Chain
Helios 2 features one half-length (up to 7.75"), full-height, double-width x16 PCIe 2.0 slot and one half-length (up to 7.75"), full-height, single-width x8 PCIe 2.0 slot to provide a vast array of expansion options.
- Two PCIe card slots + daughter card support
- Two Thunderbolt 2 ports
- Thunderbolt daisy-chain six devices plus a display
Thunderbolt Performance Juggernaut
The Helios 2 is the perfect solution to enhance and expand the computing capabilities of any Thunderbolt or Thunderbolt 2 equipped Mac Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac laptop, or PC. Utilizing Thunderbolt high-performance technology, Helios 2 is a tour de force that provides the flexibility to use a multitude of PCIe cards with the bandwidth to support their capabilities.
- Up to 20Gb/s performance
- Perfect for HD/4K video workflows
- Perfect for 10Gb/s networking interfaces
- Perfect for Pro Audio workflows
- Perfect for Ultra-Fast Datasets + Storage
Durable, Cool, and at the Ready
A whisper quiet variable speed fan keeps the inside of the Helios 2's durable aluminum ventilated chassis running cool. It automatically powers on/off with your computer, so it's at the ready whenever you are.
Lock It Up
Let's face it, you have PCIe cards because they serve an important workflow need. Helios 2 comes with a Thunderbolt cable lock that prevents accidental cable pulls from stopping your work in progress - ensuring your PCIe cards and daisy-chained Thunderbolt devices stay connected.
- Thunderbolt limits PCIe x8 and x16 cards to x4 data lanes.
Includes
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- (1) OWC Mercury Helios 2 PCIe Expansion Solution
- (1) High-Quality, Certified, Double-Shielded 1.0M Thunderbolt Cable
- (1) OWC Helios 2 Locking Bracket for Thunderbolt Cable
- (1) Quick Start Guide for OWC Helios 2
- (1) Assembly Manual & User Guide for OWC Helios 2
- 3 Year OWC Limited Warranty
Specs
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Boot Support
- macOS (requires installed PCIe card be bootable and the Mercury Helios 3 must be connected to a compatible Mac host.)
Expansion Slots
- (1) PCIe 2.0 x16 (x4 mode) half-length (up to 7.75"), full-height, single- or double-width
- (1) PCIe 2.0 x8 (x4 mode) half-length (up to 7.75"), full-height, single-width
Device Ports
- (2) Thunderbolt 2 Ports
Transfer Rate
- up to 20.0Gb/s
Host Port Requirements
- Available Thunderbolt port
Mac OS Compatibility
- OS X 10.9 Mavericks
- OS X 10.10 Yosemite
- OS X 10.11 El Capitan
- macOS 10.12 Sierra
PC OS Compatibility
- Windows 7 32-bit Edition
- Windows 7 64-bit Edition
- Windows 8 32-bit Edition
- Windows 8 64-bit Edition
- Windows 8.1 32-bit Edition
- Windows 8.1 64-bit Edition
- Windows 10 32-bit Edition
- Windows 10 64-bit Edition
- Windows 11
Supported PCIe Cards
- (2) PCIe 2.0 x16 (x4 mode) half-length (up to 7.75"), full-height, single- or double-width
External Power Adapter
- Yes
Power Supply
- External UL-listed universal auto-switching power supply
AC Input
- 100-240V, 50-60Hz, 2.0A
DC Output
- +12V, 7A
Dimensions
- Height: 11.7 cm (4.6 in)
- Length: 27.9 cm (11.0 in)
- Width: 15.2 cm (6.0 in)
Weight
- 1.7 kg (3.75 lbs)
Certifications
- RoHS
RoHS Compliant
- Yes
Reach Certification
- Yes
Ambient Temperature
- Operating: 32°F to 95°F (0°C to 35°C)
- Non-Operating: -40°F to 149°F (-40°C to 65°C)
Compatibility & Installation Videos
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MacBook Pro
MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Late 2013)
Late 2013
Model ID: MacBookPro11,3 & MacBookPro11,2
2.3GHz & 2.6GHz & 2.0GHz Core i7
MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2013)
Early 2013
Model ID: MacBookPro10,2
2.6GHz Core i5 & 3.0GHz Core i7
MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Early 2013)
Early 2013
Model ID: MacBookPro10,1
2.4GHz & 2.7GHz & 2.8GHz Core i7
MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2012)
Late 2012
Model ID: MacBookPro10,2
2.5GHz Core i5 & 2.9GHz Core i7
MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2012)
Mid 2012
Model ID: MacBookPro9,2
2.5GHz Core i5 & 2.9GHz Core i7
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2012)
Mid 2012
Model ID: MacBookPro9,1
2.3GHz & 2.6GHz & 2.7GHz Core i7
MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2012)
Mid 2012
Model ID: MacBookPro10,1
2.3GHz & 2.6GHz & 2.7GHz Core i7
MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2011)
Late 2011
Model ID: MacBookPro8,3
2.4GHz & 2.5GHz Core i7
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2011)
Late 2011
Model ID: MacBookPro8,2
2.2GHz & 2.4GHz & 2.5GHz Core i7
MacBook Pro (13-inch, Late 2011)
Late 2011
Model ID: MacBookPro8,1
2.4GHz Core i5 & 2.8GHz Core i7
MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2011)
Early 2011
Model ID: MacBookPro8,3
2.2GHz & 2.3GHz Core i7
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2011)
Early 2011
Model ID: MacBookPro8,2
2.0GHz & 2.2GHz & 2.3GHz Core i7
MacBook Pro (13-inch, Early 2011)
Early 2011
Model ID: MacBookPro8,1
2.3GHz Core i5 & 2.7GHz Core i7
MacBook Air
MacBook Air (13-inch, Mid 2013)
Mid 2013
Model ID: MacBookAir6,2
1.3GHz Core i5 & 1.7GHz Core i7
MacBook Air (11-inch, Mid 2013)
Mid 2013
Model ID: MacBookAir6,1
1.3GHz Core i5 & 1.7GHz Core i7
MacBook Air (13-inch, Mid 2012)
Mid 2012
Model ID: MacBookAir5,2
1.8GHz Core i5 & 2.0GHz Core i7
MacBook Air (11-inch, Mid 2012)
Mid 2012
Model ID: MacBookAir5,1
1.7GHz Core i5 & 2.0GHz Core i7
MacBook Air (13-inch, Mid 2011)
Mid 2011
Model ID: MacBookAir4,2
1.7GHz Core i5 & 1.8GHz Core i7
MacBook Air (11-inch, Mid 2011)
Mid 2011
Model ID: MacBookAir4,1
1.6GHz Core i5 & 1.8GHz Core i7
iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Mid 2015)
Mid 2015
Model ID: iMac15,1
3.3GHz Core i5
iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014)
Late 2014
Model ID: iMac15,1
3.5GHz Core i5 & 4.0GHz Core i7
iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2013)
Late 2013
Model ID: iMac14,3
2.9GHz Core i5 & 3.1GHz Core i7
iMac (27-inch, Late 2013)
Late 2013
Model ID: iMac14,2
3.2GHz & 3.4GHz Core i5 & 3.5GHz Core i7
iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2013)
Late 2013
Model ID: iMac14,1
2.7GHz Core i5
iMac (27-inch, Late 2012)
Late 2012
Model ID: iMac13,2
2.9GHz & 3.2GHz Core i5 & 3.4GHz Core i7
iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2012)
Late 2012
Model ID: iMac13,1
2.7GHz & 2.9GHz Core i5 & 3.1GHz Core i7
iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2011)
Late 2011
Model ID: iMac12,1
3.1GHz Core i3
iMac (27-inch, Mid 2011)
Mid 2011
Model ID: iMac12,2
2.7GHz & 3.1GHz Core i5 & 3.4GHz Core i7
iMac (21.5-inch, Mid 2011)
Mid 2011
Model ID: iMac12,1
2.5GHz & 2.7GHz Core i5 & 2.8GHz Core i7
Mac Pro
Mac Pro (Late 2013)
Late 2013
Model ID: MacPro6,1
3.7GHz 4-Core Xeon & 3.5GHz 6-Core Xeon & 3.0GHz 8-Core Xeon & 2.7GHz 12-Core Xeon
Mac mini
Mac mini (Late 2014)
Late 2014
Model ID: Macmini7,1
1.4GHz & 2.6GHz & 2.8GHz Core i5 & 3.0GHz Core i7
Mac mini Server (Late 2012)
Late 2012
Model ID: Macmini6,2
2.3GHz Core i7
Mac mini Server (Late 2012)
Late 2012
Model ID: Macmini6,2
2.6GHz Core i7
Mac mini Server (Mid 2011)
Mid 2011
Model ID: Macmini5,3
2.0GHz Core i7
Mac mini (Mid 2011)
Mid 2011
Model ID: Macmini5,2 & Macmini5,1
2.5GHz & 2.7GHz Core i7 & 2.3GHz Core i5
PC Compatible
PC Compatible
Videos
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