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OWC Mercury Helios+E2
480GB Thunderbolt SSD with eSATA 6Gb/s Storage Expansion
Thunderbolt | eSATA | Mac | PC
OWC SSD Speed + Thunderbolt and eSATA Expansion Ports
Helios+E2 is the ultimate all-in-one drive. Experience hyper-fast SSD speeds with Thunderbolt enabled Macs. Connect multiple Thunderbolt devices. And add up to 32TB of external storage with two high-speed eSATA expansion ports. Three performance options in one!
From portables to desktop to rackmounts, connect ANY eSATA external drive to Helios+E2
From portables to desktop to rackmounts, connect ANY eSATA external drive to Helios+E2
Tap into OWC SSD Power
Inside the Helios lives the pure power of an OWC Accelsior_E2 SSD. Its breathtaking speeds, large capacities, and rugged durability put it in a class of its own. Plus, two eSATA expansion ports let you add more storage as needed.
Go faster than any internal drive can take you with up to 639MB/s and 100,000 IOPS. Helios+E2 is the perfect performance upgrade to any Thunderbolt enabled Mac.
Go faster than any internal drive can take you with up to 639MB/s and 100,000 IOPS. Helios+E2 is the perfect performance upgrade to any Thunderbolt enabled Mac.
Boost Your Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, and Avid Pro Tools Workflow.
Stop waiting on I/O intensive apps to render, capture or process. With up to 100,000 IOPS, business critical production apps are given an instant boost in speed, giving you more time to explore, experiment, and finish your projects.
Start working faster with near instantaneous boots and app launches. And save your work faster than ever before.
Start working faster with near instantaneous boots and app launches. And save your work faster than ever before.
Outstanding Features
Connect up to six Thunderbolt devices plus one display.
Cool: Ventilated cooling with a variable speed fan.
Mac Friendly: Accelsior_E2 is the only Mac bootable and Mac supported PCIe SSD available with eSATA ports.
Rugged: Go anywhere life takes you with the durable lightweight aluminum enclosure and OWC SSD durability.
Empowered:
Cool: Ventilated cooling with a variable speed fan.
Mac Friendly: Accelsior_E2 is the only Mac bootable and Mac supported PCIe SSD available with eSATA ports.
Rugged: Go anywhere life takes you with the durable lightweight aluminum enclosure and OWC SSD durability.
Empowered:
- Automatically powers on/off with the Thunderbolt connected computer.
- Hot-pluggable... connect and disconnect while the unit is on.*
- Bus-power one Thunderbolt device.**
Make That 240GB a 960GB
High capacity OWC Mercury SSD Blades for Accelsior let you upgrade as your storage needs grow – extending the useful life of your Helios+Accelsior_E2 investment.
Just need Helios for PCIe card expansion and flexibility? Add any half-length PCIe card to upgrade your workstation's capabilities. Here's but a sampling of the types of PCIe cards you can use with Helios:
- Fibre Channel Cards
- 10Gb Ethernet Cards
- USB 3.0 Cards
- SAS Controller Cards
- RAID Controller Cards
- Video Capture Cards
- Digital Audio Cards
- Solid State Drive Cards
- eSATA Cards
*If any devices are connected to the PCIe card, make sure to properly remove them before disconnecting Helios.
**Thunderbolt bus-powered device has to be the last device on the chain.
Temporary Tech Note:
When using an external eSATA drive via an Accelsior_E2 eSATA port, Sleep must be disabled at this time.
We are working to restore proper sleep/wake from sleep support for all connected eSATA drives and system configurations – but to prevent possibility of data loss, system sleep must be disabled when any external drive via eSATA is connected to the Accelsior_E2 solution.
This sleep restriction only applies if you have an external drive(s) that you are connecting via one or both of the Accelsior_E2 eSATA ports.
We are working to restore proper sleep/wake from sleep support for all connected eSATA drives and system configurations – but to prevent possibility of data loss, system sleep must be disabled when any external drive via eSATA is connected to the Accelsior_E2 solution.
This sleep restriction only applies if you have an external drive(s) that you are connecting via one or both of the Accelsior_E2 eSATA ports.
Includes
- OWC Mercury Helios External Enclosure
- External Auto-Switching 100/240v 50/60Hz Power Adapter
- Requires Thunderbolt Cable. NOT included – available separately.
- Requires 6Gb/s certified cables for connecting to eSATA drives – available separately.
- Helios Color User Manual (4.2MB PDF)
- Accelsior_E2 Guide (PDF 3.7MB)
- 3 Year OWC Helios Limited Warranty
3 Year OWC SSD Limited Warranty
Note about compatibility and throughput:
* Not compatible with port-multiplier enclosures.
* A sleep conflict may be encountered when using certain eSATA chipsets via the eSATA ports when booted to the Accelsior_E2. See the specifications tab for affected solutions where System Sleep mode MUST be disabled in order to ensure reliable operation. Allowing system sleep to occur while one of the affected external drives is connected via the Accelsior_E2 eSATA ports could result in loss of data following wake from sleep. Although the above are our general recommendations for use, wake from sleep has been determined to only be an issue when the Accelsior PCIe is used for startup (SSD or eSATA connected device). We are working with our partners to see that the sleep/wake function is fully supported with all solutions and startup scenarios.
- Thunderbolt Daisy-chain capable: OWC Mercury Helios can daisy-chain up to six Thunderbolt devices, plus one display.
- eSATA Compatibility:
OWC Mercury Accelsior_E2 is compatible with SATA 1.5Gb/s, 3Gb/s, and 6Gb/s eSATA equipped storage solutions.* - eSATA Expansion Ports:
OWC Mercury Accelsior_E2 is compatible with all eSATA equipped storage solutions.*
Compatible with the following Thunderbolt enabled computers:Learn how to find your Mac's model ID
Mac Pro
(December, 2013)
Model ID: MacPro6,1
2.7GHz 3.0GHz, 3.5GHz, 3.7GHz
iMac (27-inch Late 2012)
(November, 2012)
Model ID: iMac13,2
2.9GHz i5, 3.2GHz i5, 3.4GHz i7
iMac (21.5-inch Late 2012)
(November, 2012)
Model ID: iMac13,1
2.7GHz i5, 2.9GHz i5, 3.1GHz i7
iMac (21.5-inch Late 2011)
(August, 2011)
Model ID: iMac12,1
3.1GHz i3
iMac (27-inch Mid 2011)
(May, 2011)
Model ID: iMac12,2
2.7GHz i5, 3.1GHz i5, 3.4GHz i7
iMac (21.5-inch Mid 2011)
(May, 2011)
Model ID: iMac12,1
2.5GHz i5, 2.7GHz i5, 2.8GHz i7
MacBook Pro (15-inch Retina Display 2013)
(January, 2013)
Model ID: MacBookPro10,1
2.4GHz, 2.7GHz, 2.8GHz
MacBook Pro (13-inch Retina Display 2013)
(January, 2013)
Model ID: MacBookPro10,2
2.5GHz, 2.6GHz, 2.9GHz, 3.0GHz
MacBook Pro (13-inch Retina Display 2012-2013)
(October, 2012)
Model ID: MacBookPro10,2
2.5GHz, 2.9GHz
MacBook Pro (15-inch Retina Display 2012)
(June, 2012)
Model ID: MacBookPro10,1
2.3GHz, 2.6GHz, 2.7GHz
MacBook Pro (17-inch Early 2011)
(February, 2011)
Model ID: MacBookPro8,3
2.2GHz, 2.3GHz
MacBook Pro (15-inch 2012)
(June, 2012)
Model ID: MacBookPro9,1
2.3GHz, 2.6GHz, 2.7GHz
MacBook Pro (15-inch 2011)
(October, 2011)
Model ID: MacBookPro8,2
2.2GHz, 2.4GHz, 2.5GHz
MacBook Pro (15-inch Early 2011)
(February, 2011)
Model ID: MacBookPro8,2
2.0GHz, 2.2GHz, 2.3GHz
MacBook Pro (13-inch 2011)
(October, 2011)
Model ID: MacBookPro8,1
2.4GHz, 2.8GHz
MacBook Pro (13-inch Early 2011)
(February, 2011)
Model ID: MacBookPro8,1
2.3GHz, 2.7GHz
MacBook Air (13-inch Mid 2012)
(June, 2012)
Model ID: MacBookAir5,2
1.8GHz, 2.0GHz
MacBook Air (11-inch Mid 2012)
(June, 2012)
Model ID: MacBookAir5,1
1.7GHz, 2.0GHz
MacBook Air (13-inch Mid 2011)
(July, 2011)
Model ID: MacBookAir4,2
1.7GHz, 1.8GHz
MacBook Air (11-inch Mid 2011)
(July, 2011)
Model ID: MacBookAir4,1
1.6GHz, 1.8GHz
Mac mini (Late 2012)
(October, 2012)
Model ID: Macmini6,1 & Macmini6,2
2.3GHz, 2.5GHz, 2.6GHz
Mac mini (Late 2012 Server)
(October, 2012)
Model ID: Macmini6,2
2.3GHz, 2.6GHz
Mac mini (Mid 2011)
(July, 2011)
Model ID: Macmini5,1 & Macmini5,2
2.3GHz, 2.5GHz, 2.7GHz
PC Desktops
Compatible with Intel / AMD Process based PCs capable with
the specifications listed above.
* A sleep conflict may be encountered when using certain eSATA chipsets via the eSATA ports when booted to the Accelsior_E2. See the specifications tab for affected solutions where System Sleep mode MUST be disabled in order to ensure reliable operation. Allowing system sleep to occur while one of the affected external drives is connected via the Accelsior_E2 eSATA ports could result in loss of data following wake from sleep. Although the above are our general recommendations for use, wake from sleep has been determined to only be an issue when the Accelsior PCIe is used for startup (SSD or eSATA connected device). We are working with our partners to see that the sleep/wake function is fully supported with all solutions and startup scenarios.
Gallery
Product Specifications:
Standard Mechanism
- 480GB* Mercury Accelsior_E2 PCI Express SSD**
-
*1GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes. Total accessible capacity varies depending upon operating environment (typically 5-10% less).
The actual total capacity will depend on your own defined file settings/preferences.
**OWC reserves the right to replace or upgrade to equivalent or better components.
Expansion slot
- One PCIe 2.0 x8 (x4 mode)
PCIe cards supported
- By removing the Accelsior_E2, Helios can also use a variety of single half-length (up to 6.5" long), single width, full-height PCIe cards such as:
- Fibre Channel Cards
- 10Gb Ethernet Cards
- USB 3.0 Cards
- SAS Controllers Cards
- RAID Controller Cards
- Video Capture Cards
- Digital Audio Cards
- Solid State Drive Cards
- eSATA Cards
Device Interface
- PCIe (PCI Express)
Port Configuration
- Thunderbolt – (2) 20 pin port
- eSATA – (2) 6Gb/s (not hot-pluggable)*
*Requires 6Gb/s certified cables for connecting to eSATA drives – available separately.
Max Data Transfer Rate
- Thunderbolt – 10Gbit/s (or 1250MB/sec)
- eSATA – 6Gb/s (or 600MB/s)
Port/Interface Bootability
-
Bootable as long as the specific PCIe card installed is bootable
- Thunderbolt: Supported on Macs meeting minimum requirements.
Format
- Included Drive Guide Software will format drive for either OS X, or Windows Using the OWC Drive Guide
Macintosh System Requirements
- Mac OS X 10.6.8 or later. Including 'Mavericks' 10.9.x
- Available Thunderbolt port.
External Case Dimensions
- 5.7 in (W) x 8.8 in (D) x 2.9 in (H)
- 114.78mm x 223.52mm x 73.66mm
Enclosure Weight (without card)
- Approximately 2.4 pounds (1.08kg)
Product Manual
Operating Environment:
Temperature
- (operating) 0°C – 35°C (32°F – 95°F)
- (non-operating) -40°C – 65°C (-40°F – 149°F)
Shock
- 65G 2mS; (non-operating) 175G 2mS
Warranty
3 Year OWC Helios Limited Warranty
3 Year OWC SSD Limited Warranty
The best warranty is one you never have to use – but should the need occur – we're proud to provide a superior level of support and service coverage to our customers. OWC and NewerTech storage solutions come fully backed by an Industry-leading 48-hour turnaround time, for complete peace of mind ownership confidence.
View more information about the 3 Year OWC Helios Limited Warranty and 3 Year OWC SSD Limited Warranty
Reviews/Awards
-
"...the OWC Helios + Mercury Accelsior combination handily outperforms the internal Apple 512GB SSD by a very large margin..."
— Lloyd Chambers, DigLloyd Mac Performance Guide
-
"...we were very impressed with the speeds... ...Helios and Thunderbolt come together like fish in water. ...deserving of our Innovation Award!"
— Les Tokar, The SSD Review
-
"The combo of the Helios and the Accelsior was "lethal." It matched the speed of the fastest Thunderbolt storage devices we've tested."
— Rob Art Morgan, Bare Feats – 120GB
-
"The Best of Thunderbolt's Potential ...the benefit of the unit is priceless."
— Jim Tanous, The Mac Observer
-
"...very impressive... robust... enabled us to achieve data transfer rates as fast as an internally-mounted SSD..."
— Justin King, MacNN
-
"...brought our MacBook Pro to performance levels we've never seen before. ...well constructed... well designed..."
— Tom Nelson, About.com
-
"...robust performance..."
— Josh Shaman, Storage Review
Benchmarks
Click any of the benchmarks below to view the results.
OWC
480GB
Mercury Helios+E2
Mfr P/N: HELIOS1AE480
OWC SKU: OWCHELIOS1AE480
Thunderbolt™ SSD with eSATA 6Gb/s Storage Expansion
3 Year OWC Helios Limited Warranty
3 Year OWC SSD Limited Warranty
3 Year OWC SSD Limited Warranty
