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We recommend OWC Mercury Helios 3 Thunderbolt 3 Single Slot Expansion Chassis For PCIe Cards (Mfr P/N: HELIOS1TB3) from Other World Computing for $199.75 as a suitable alternative.

OWC Mercury Helios

Thunderbolt™ 2 Single Slot Expansion Chassis For PCIe Cards

Thunderbolt 2 / Mac / PC
  • Features an x16 PCIe 2.0 double width card slot*.
  • Daisy-chain support for up to five additional Thunderbolt peripherals
  • Near-silent operation
  • Plug and Play - no drivers needed.**
Tap Into the Power of PCIe and Thunderbolt 2
The OWC Mercury Helios PCIe expansion chassis gives users of Thunderbolt equipped Macs the ability to tap into a huge variety of pro-level performance PCIe cards, previously the sole domain of desktop workstations. Helios utilizes Thunderbolt 2 and PCIe 2.0 to deliver nearly unlimited expansion potential to your Mac. Get empowered with the flexibility to upgrade the capabilities of almost any workflow or workstation.
Expansion Comes Standard
Helios features one half-length (up to 7.75"), full-height, double-width x16 PCIe 2.0 slot to provide a vast array of expansion options. And two Thunderbolt 2 ports means that Helios will support up to an additional five daisy-chained Thunderbolt peripherals.

Helios is fast and flexible with phenomenal throughput up to 20Gb/s. The perfectly simple solution to add high-performance PCIe cards made for video production, transcoding, audio processing, data storage and much more. Finally the functionality and productivity gains of these PCIe cards are easily accessible through your ThunderBolt connection.

Helios supports a huge variety of PCIe cards, including:
  • Fibre Channel.
  • 10GbE Network Interface Controller.
  • Video capture.
  • Digital audio.
  • Solid State Drive.
  • SAS controllers such as the OWC Jupiter.
  • FireWire, USB 3.0, or eSATA host adapter cards.
Other Outstanding Features:
  • Automatically powers on/off with your computer.
  • Hot-pluggable - no need to power off to connect and disconnect devices.***
  • Bus-power support for one Thunderbolt device.****
  • Rugged yet lightweight aluminum housing goes anywhere your work takes you.
* Thunderbolt limits PCIe x8 and x16 cards to x4 data lanes.
** Thunderbolt-aware drivers may be needed for PCIe card.
*** If any devices are connected to the PCIe card, make sure to properly remove them before disconnecting Helios.
**** Thunderbolt bus-powered device must be the last device on the chain.

Includes

  • OWC Mercury Helios PCIe Thunderbolt Expansion Chassis
  • High-Quality, Certified, Double-Shielded 1 Meter Thunderbolt cable
  • External auto-switching 100/240v 50/60Hz power adapter 12V/10A
  • Mercury Helios Assembly Manual & User Guide (View PDF 4.4MB)
  • OWC 3 Year Solution Warranty with 48-Hour Turnaround Time

Gallery

Product Specifications:

System Requirements

  • Software
    • OS
      • OS X 10.9 or later
      • Windows 7 SP1 or later
      • Note: Boot Camp is not supported
    • Driver
      • Driver not required
  • Hardware
    • Minimum Requirements
      • Mac or PC featuring Thunderbolt interface
    • Recommended (Best performance)
      • Mac or PC featuring Thunderbolt 2 interface
  • Bootability
    • OS X (requires installed PCIe card be bootable)

Interface

  • (2) Thunderbolt 20Gb/s

Device Interface

  • PCIe (PCI Express)

PCIe Card Support

  • (1) PCIe 2.0 x16 (x4 mode) half-length (up to 7.75"), full-height, single- or double-width
  • Note: PCIe card must operate with no driver or have a Thunderbolt-aware driver. Please see the OWC PCIe Thunderbolt card compatibility chart for more information.

Performance

  • Thunderbolt 2 - 20Gb/sec
  • Note: Speeds will vary based on setup, configuration, and other environmental factors

Power

  • PCIe card minimum guaranteed power
    • 25W (slot)
  • Power Supply
    • External UL-listed, universal auto-switching
    • AC input: 100 ~ 240V, 2.0A, 50-60Hz
    • DC output: 12V, 10A
    • Adapter plugs for international use sold separately

Product Manual

Dimensions

  • Height: 2.9 in (7.4 cm)
  • Width: 5.7 in (11.5 cm)
  • Length: 9.2 in (23.4 cm)

Weight

  • 3.9 lb. (1.8 kg)

Operating Environment:

Environmental (Operating)

  • Temperature (°F) 32° to 95°
  • Temperature (°C) 0° to 35°

Environmental (Non-Operating)

  • Temperature (°F) -40° to 149°
  • Temperature (°C) -40° to 65°

Warranty

3 Year OWC Helios 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

  1. Windows requires a Thunderbolt 2 interface in the computer and in the expansion chassis to support more than two PCIe controllers. Note that some PCIe cards have a bridge to multiple controllers, so it is possible for a single dual-controller PCIe card to reach the limit if not connected via Thunderbolt 2. Not all Mac-compatible PCIe cards are also compatible with Windows. See the PCIe Card Thunderbolt Compatibility Chart for details.

Compatability:

Compatible with the following Thunderbolt and Thunderbolt 2 equipped computers:
Learn how to find your Mac's model ID
Mac Pro
Mac Pro
(December, 2013)
Model ID: MacPro6,1
2.7GHz 3.0GHz, 3.5GHz, 3.7GHz
iMac Intel
iMac w/Retina 5K display
(27-inch Mid 2015)
(May 2015)
Model ID: iMac15,1
3.3GHz i5, 3.5GHz i5, 4.0GHz i7
iMac Intel
iMac with Retina 5K display (27-inch Late 2014)
(October 2014)
Model ID: iMac15,1
3.5GHz i5, 4.0GHz i7
iMac Intel
iMac (27-inch Late 2013)
(September, 2013)
Model ID: iMac14,2
3.2GHz i5, 3.4GHz i5, 3.5GHz i7
iMac Intel
iMac (21.5-inch Late 2013)
(September, 2013)
Model ID: iMac14,1; iMac14,3
2.7GHz i5, 2.9GHz i5, 3.1GHz i7
iMac Intel
iMac (27-inch Late 2012)
(November, 2012)
Model ID: iMac13,2
2.9GHz i5, 3.2GHz i5, 3.4GHz i7
iMac Intel
iMac (21.5-inch Late 2012)
(November, 2012)
Model ID: iMac13,1
2.7GHz i5, 2.9GHz i5, 3.1GHz i7
iMac Intel
iMac (21.5-inch Late 2011)
(August, 2011)
Model ID: iMac12,1
3.1GHz i3
iMac Intel
iMac (27-inch Mid 2011)
(May, 2011)
Model ID: iMac12,2
2.7GHz i5, 3.1GHz i5, 3.4GHz i7
iMac Intel
iMac (21.5-inch Mid 2011)
(May, 2011)
Model ID: iMac12,1
2.5GHz i5, 2.7GHz i5, 2.8GHz i7
MacBook Pro Retina
MacBook Pro (15-inch Retina Display 2013)
(October, 2013)
Model ID: MacBookPro11,2
2.0GHz
MacBook Pro Retina
MacBook Pro (13-inch Retina Display 2013)
(October, 2013)
Model ID: MacBookPro11,1
2.4GHz, 2.6GHz, 2.9GHz
MacBook Pro Retina
MacBook Pro (15-inch Retina Display 2013)
(January, 2013)
Model ID: MacBookPro10,1
2.4GHz, 2.7GHz, 2.8GHz
MacBook Pro Retina
MacBook Pro (13-inch Retina Display 2013)
(January, 2013)
Model ID: MacBookPro10,2
2.5GHz, 2.6GHz, 2.9GHz, 3.0GHz
MacBook Pro Retina
MacBook Pro (13-inch Retina Display 2012-2013)
(October, 2012)
Model ID: MacBookPro10,2
2.5GHz, 2.9GHz
MacBook Pro Retina
MacBook Pro (15-inch Retina Display 2012)
(June, 2012)
Model ID: MacBookPro10,1
2.3GHz, 2.6GHz, 2.7GHz
MacBook Pro Unibody
MacBook Pro (17-inch 2011)
(October, 2011)
Model ID: MacBookPro8,3
2.4GHz, 2.5GHz
MacBook Pro Unibody
MacBook Pro (17-inch Early 2011)
(February, 2011)
Model ID: MacBookPro8,3
2.2GHz, 2.3GHz
MacBook Pro Unibody
MacBook Pro (15-inch 2012)
(June, 2012)
Model ID: MacBookPro9,1
2.3GHz, 2.6GHz, 2.7GHz
MacBook Pro Unibody
MacBook Pro (15-inch 2011)
(October, 2011)
Model ID: MacBookPro8,2
2.2GHz, 2.4GHz, 2.5GHz
MacBook Pro Unibody
MacBook Pro (15-inch Early 2011)
(February, 2011)
Model ID: MacBookPro8,2
2.0GHz, 2.2GHz, 2.3GHz
MacBook Pro Unibody
MacBook Pro (13-inch 2012)
(June, 2012)
Model ID: MacBookPro9,2
2.5GHz, 2.9GHz
MacBook Pro Unibody
MacBook Pro (13-inch 2011)
(October, 2011)
Model ID: MacBookPro8,1
2.4GHz, 2.8GHz
MacBook Pro Unibody
MacBook Pro (13-inch Early 2011)
(February, 2011)
Model ID: MacBookPro8,1
2.3GHz, 2.7GHz
MacBook Air
MacBook Air (13-inch Mid 2013)
(June, 2013)
Model ID: MacBookAir6,2
1.3GHz, 1.7GHz
MacBook Air
MacBook Air (11-inch Mid 2013)
(June, 2013)
Model ID: MacBookAir6,1
1.3GHz, 1.7GHz
MacBook Air
MacBook Air (13-inch Mid 2012)
(June, 2012)
Model ID: MacBookAir5,2
1.8GHz, 2.0GHz
MacBook Air
MacBook Air (11-inch Mid 2012)
(June, 2012)
Model ID: MacBookAir5,1
1.7GHz, 2.0GHz
MacBook Air
MacBook Air (13-inch Mid 2011)
(July, 2011)
Model ID: MacBookAir4,2
1.7GHz, 1.8GHz
MacBook Air
MacBook Air (11-inch Mid 2011)
(July, 2011)
Model ID: MacBookAir4,1
1.6GHz, 1.8GHz
Mac mini Intel
Mac mini (Late 2014)
(October, 2014)
Model ID: Macmini7,1
1.4GHz, 2.6GHz, 2.8GHz, 3.0GHz
Mac mini Intel
Mac mini (Late 2012)
(October, 2012)
Model ID: Macmini6,1 & Macmini6,2
2.3GHz, 2.5GHz, 2.6GHz
Mac mini Intel
Mac mini (Late 2012 Server)
(October, 2012)
Model ID: Macmini6,2
2.3GHz, 2.6GHz
Mac mini Intel
Mac mini (Mid 2011)
(July, 2011)
Model ID: Macmini5,1 & Macmini5,2
2.3GHz, 2.5GHz, 2.7GHz
Mac mini Intel
Mac mini (Mid 2011 Server)
(July, 2011)
Model ID: Macmini5,3
2.0GHz
PC Desktop
PC Desktops
Compatible with Intel / AMD Process based PCs capable with the specifications listed above.
OWC Mercury Helios Mfr P/N: HELIOS1TB2 OWC SKU: OWCHELIOS1TB2 Thunderbolt™ 2 Single Slot Expansion Chassis For PCIe Cards with Dual Thunderbolt™ 2 Ports. 1M High Quality Thunderbolt™ 2 Cable Included. 3 Year OWC Limited Warranty