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OWC ThunderBay 4
Four-Bay Thunderbolt (40Gb/s) External Storage Enclosure for 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch SATA Drives
New | Open Box
Mfr P/N: TB3IVKIT000 OWC SKU: OWCTB3IVKIT000O
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Performance and Capacity Perfection for Individual to Studio Content Creators
- Work faster: up to 1527MB/s4 real-world speed to easily handle video editing, audio production, and photo editing, and other bandwidth demanding needs
- Work bigger: access, backup, and archive an enormous amount of irreplaceable footage, images, and files
- Built for RAID: just add your own RAID management software, like OWC SoftRAID; the fastest and most flexible RAID 0/1/4/5/1+0 (10) tool. Also supports Apple RAID and Microsoft Disk Manager.
- Expansive: daisy-chain up to five additional ThunderBay 4 or other Thunderbolt storage devices via the second Thunderbolt port
- Flexible: mix and match 3.5-inch or 2.5-inch HDDs and SSDs
- 1 Year OWC Limited Warranty
In Stock: Ships Same Day!
Overview
"When it comes to making sure years of content is easily accessible in a speedy manner, the ThunderBay provides that and much more."
“I use Thunderbay for storing all the data I took over the years. I take huge risk in taking the best possible images. I do not want to loose them at any price."
Perfect in All, for All
Speed, capacity, and configuration flexibility in a compact desktop footprint. ThunderBay 4 is perfection for a myriad of content creators and the reason it’s been one of the best-selling RAID storage solutions for the past decade.
Handle it all from everyday file storage and backup to running multi-stream compressed 4K video. Choose a preconfigured solution to start working immediately or add your own HDDs or SSDs to a DIY kit. Configure ThunderBay 4 with OWC SoftRAID or your own RAID software to achieve your optimum level of performance and data redundancy. Add additional ThunderBay 4 or other Thunderbolt storage devices to the second Thunderbolt port and flex bigger capacity muscle. In every imaginable way, ThunderBay 4 is perfect in all, for all.
How Much Content You Can Store
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RAID 0 (80TB) |
RAID 5 (60TB) |
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|---|---|---|
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Video: XAVCS/H.265 4K |
1,778 hours |
1,333 hours |
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Video: ProRes 422 HQ 4K |
202 hours |
152 hours |
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Video: BRAW 6K DCI |
125 hours |
94 hours |
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Audio: WAV 32bit 48Khz |
57,971 hours |
43,478 hours |
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Photo: 45 Megapixel RAW |
1.6 million images |
1.2 million images |
Speed to Create
Up to 1527MB/s real-world speed to easily handle video editing, audio production, and photo editing, and other bandwidth demanding needs.
Built for RAID
Just add your own RAID management software like just add your own RAID management software, like OWC SoftRAID; the fastest and most flexible RAID 0/1/4/5/1+0 (10) tool. Also supports Apple RAID and Microsoft Disk Manager.
Capacity to Dream
Access, backup, and push your creativity beyond your dreams with up to 80TB of either HDD or SSD storage.
Powerfully Expansive
Daisy-chain up to five additional ThunderBay 4 or other Thunderbolt storage devices via the second Thunderbolt port
The Difference-Maker for Creators Just Like You
Whether you want to blaze through viewing a huge Lightroom catalog, import and edit massive files faster, level up your editing capabilities, or want to unleash greater audio production capabilities, ThunderBay 4 is the difference maker for:
- Individual content creators and filmmakers
- Audio editors, musicians, producers, music studios
- Wedding, sports and high-volume photographers
- Small production companies and photography studios
- DIT setups with large data needs
- Anyone seeking consolidation of multiple external drives
Gone is the time-consuming frustration of dealing with your content spread across multiple different external drives. Just connect ThunderBay 4’s Thunderbolt cable to your notebook to access your files faster while simultaneously charging your notebook. And with SoftRAID equipped models, you’ll work more confidently knowing the health status of your drives.
“Using the ThunderBay 4 has been fantastic. I now have plenty of breathing room when it comes to storage, and the speed increase has had a noticeable effect on both my photo editing in Lightroom and editing in Final Cut Pro.”
"I’ve used it for ingesting footage and editing directly on the drives and it has worked flawlessly, absolutely brilliantly.”
Mac-Ready Across the Board
ThunderBay 4 checks all the functional boxes to make you a more efficient content creator: fast data access, enormous storage capacity, centralized (and hassle-free!) file location, and it works with Macs (Intel-based plus the latest Apple Silicon M1/M2/M3 machines) and Windows PCs. What makes ThunderBay 4 the best 4 bay storage solution available is its time-proven reputation of providing peace of mind your data will be safely protected today and tomorrow. Gone is the fear of a costly slow down or — gulp — losing irreplaceable data because you didn’t select the right RAID solution
We Never Rest.
Our Good is Better.
Our Better is Best.
What’s most important to you in a storage solution is likely entirely different than another content creator. That why we don’t rest on our laurels and continue to make sure ThunderBay 4 doesn’t make you compromise. Merge four drives in a RAID 0 for huge performance and capacity gains over using a single external drive. Combine the capacity of three drives and use the fourth for RAID 5 data protection that keeps you working even if one of the drives fails. Or choose a DIY kit and add your own SATA SSDs for ultimate speed. With ThunderBay 4, you’re in charge of what’s good, better, or best for your needs:
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RAID Level / Drive Type |
RAID 5 HDD |
RAID 0 HDD |
RAID 0 SSD |
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Configuration Attributes |
Best Safety / |
Best Capacity / |
Best Speed / |
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Maximum Capacity |
60TB |
80TB |
16TB |
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Maximum Speed |
Up to 770MB/s1 |
Over 1000MB/s2 |
Up to 1527MB/s3 |
The Most Powerful RAID Tool on the Planet.
SoftRAID is the world’s fastest and most flexible application to configure, maintain, and protect your RAID volumes on Mac and PC. OWC enclosures include 3 Years of SoftRAID Premium.
- High-Performance RAID 0/1/4/5/1+0 (10) volumes
- Predictive Health Monitoring proactively notifies of Volume and Disk issues well before failure — provided on your computer and remotely
- Seamless Cross-Platform Sharing with support for Apple-formatted APFS and HFS+ SoftRAID volumes between Mac and Windows at no additional cost
- 35+ Years of Experience of Pro Support to provide peace-of-mind with setup help, ongoing questions, or urgent disk issues
- And many more unique features.
- Learn more about SoftRAID
M1 Macs require macOS 11.3 or later. SoftRAID is licensed per computer.
The Cool Quiet Type
External drives for content production need to offer more than just speed and capacity for massive files. They also need to offer quiet and secure reliability. You’ll work confidently and free of distraction with ThunderBay 4’s unique design. Its heat dissipating aluminum housing utilizes “flow-thru” venting, a low-turbulence fan, and a drive-isolating design coupled with vibration-absorbing feet that reduces sonic resonance. And you’ll always keep your data safe and secure with the locking faceplate and backside security slot.
Daisy-Chain Possibilities
ThunderBay 4 goes beyond offering the perfect balance of performance and capacity. With an extra Thunderbolt port, you have an unlimited world of workflow options. Attach a 5K Thunderbolt display or two 4K displays. Place a USB-C device at the end of a daisy chain. With an extra Thunderbolt port, you have the flexibility to add to your daisy-chain and master any task at hand.
Pre-Tested = Ready to Work
We understand having confidence in gear reliability is paramount to creative professionals. That’s why every ThunderBay 4 undergoes OWC's multi-hour "burn-in" performance certification prior to shipping. This ensures your ThunderBay 4 arrives operating properly and immediately ready for demanding use.
OWC Thunderbolt Cable Included
OWC Thunderbolt Pro Dock comes with a certified 0.7M OWC Thunderbolt Cable. But if your workflow demands a different length to make the connection, OWC Thunderbolt (USB-C) Cables are the perfect choice.
Stabilize Thunderbolt and USB-C Cables
Active workspaces expose gear to bumps, shoves, or even the random tail wag from a pet. OWC ClingOn custom cable stabilizers (sold separately) screw into the OWC Dock or OWC Drive housing to reduce – if not completely eliminate – cable strain on Thunderbolt and USB-C connections so you can work with confidence even in the highest traffic environments.
- Up to 770MB/s real world peak performance in AJA System 4K Test with 4 x 20TB HDDs in RAID 5 connected to either a MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019, MacBookPro16,1) with 2.4GHz processor and 64GB RAM or a MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2021, MacBookPro18,1) with Apple M1 Pro processor and 16GB RAM.
- Over 1000MB/s read/write real world peak performance in AJA System 4K Test and Blackmagic Disk Speed Test with 4 x 20TB HDDs in RAID 0 connected to a MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019, MacBookPro16,1) with 2.4GHz processor and 64GB RAM.
- Up to 1527MB/s sequential read/write real world performance in AJA System Test (4K-Full resolution, 64GB file size, 10bit RGB codec, single file test) with 4 x 4.0TB OWC Mercury Extreme Pro 6G SSDs in RAID 0 connected to iMac Pro Late 2017 (iMacPro1,1) with 32GB RAM and 3.2GHz processor.
Includes
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- (1) OWC ThunderBay 4 External Storage Enclosure
- (1) 0.7M (28") Thunderbolt Cable
- (1) US Power Cable
- (2) Security Keys for Front Panel Lock
- (1) Quick Start Guide for OWC ThunderBay 4 with Thunderbolt 3
- (1) Assembly Manual & User Guide for OWC ThunderBay 4 with Thunderbolt 3
- 1 Year OWC Limited Warranty
Specs
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Drive Bays
- 4 bays supporting: 2.5-inch SATA drives, 3.5-inch SATA drives
Plug and Play
- Yes
Hot Swap Support
- Yes
Boot Support
- Boot Camp is not supported.
RAID Capable
- Yes
RAID Levels Supported
- JBOD
RAID Features
- Software RAID Capable
Device Ports
- (1) Host Port - Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) up to 40Gb/s (5000MB/s)
- (1) Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) Port
- Either Thunderbolt (USB-C) port can be used as the host port
Power Delivery
- Thunderbolt 3 ports each provide up to 15W of power to the host computer or attached device.1
Data Transfer Rate (Maximum)
- Thunderbolt 3 : Up to 40Gb/s (or 5000MB/s)
Chipset / Controller
- SATA Controller: (1) ASM-1164
- Thunderbolt 3: (1) Intel DSL6540
Host Interface Requirements
- Thunderbolt (USB-C) port (backward compatible with Thunderbolt 2/Thunderbolt1)
Mac OS Compatibility
- macOS 10.14 Mojave
- macOS 10.15 Catalina
- macOS 11.x Big Sur
- macOS 12.x Monterey
- macOS 13.x Ventura
- macOS 14.x Sonoma
- macOS 15.x Sequoia
PC OS Compatibility
- Windows 10 64-bit Edition
- Windows Server 2022
- Windows 11
External Power Adapter
- No
Power Supply
- Internal UL-listed universal auto-switching power supply
- Need an additional power supply? Secondary/replacement power supplies are also available.
AC Input
- 100-230V
Cooling
- (1) 92mm cooling fan
Security Slot
- Yes
Power Button
- Yes
Power/Activity LED
- Yes
Housing Color
- Black
Housing Material
- Aluminum
Dimensions
- Height: 17.7 cm (7.0 in)
- Length: 24.5 cm (9.6 in)
- Width: 13.5 cm (5.3 in)
Weight
- 3.9 kg (8.60 lbs)
Reach Certification
- Yes
Country of Origin
- Taiwan
TAA Compliance
- Yes
Ambient Temperature
- Operating: 50°F to 95°F (10°C to 35°C)
- Non-Operating: -40°F to 149°F (-40°C to 65°C)
Humidity
- Operating: 8% to 90% non-condensing
- Non-Operating: 5% to 95% non-condensing
- Thunderbolt 2/Thunderbolt compatibility requires a certified Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 (mDP) adapter and a Thunderbolt 2 cable (not included). This configuration provides data transfer at up to 20Gb/s but does not support notebook charging.
- SoftRAID works with macOS 10.14+, Windows 10+, and Windows Server 2019/2022. M1 Macs require macOS 11.3 or later.
- SoftRAID is licensed per computer.
- Not compatible with select Enterprise ‘E’ Class Toshiba 3.5" HDDs. 6TB Toshiba 3.5” Enterprise HDD (MG08AD600E) and 8TB Toshiba 3.5” Enterprise HDD (MG08AD800E). Users may experience these drives not being recognized when connected to a system.
- For units purchased prior to December 24, 2018, please see the OWC ThunderBay 4 Support Page for instructions on how to update your ThunderBay's firmware.
Videos
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Hard Drive / SSD Install Video
Learn More
Customer Reviews
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This is a solid piece of kit. It's my second. Greedy for more storage space. Setting it up was easy - super love the included screws; a kindness. SoftRaid could be a little easier to use and better documented - not sure how to replace a drive that's not failing but just that I want to upgrade size. I'm sure I'll figure it out. It's super weird that the software key was on the bottom of the case - and there was nothing in the purchase email or the docs or in the package to point me to it being there. Weird. I accidentally bought the enclosure as a guest, and wanted customer service to add it in to my account, which even though it's using the same email they "couldn't" do. Lame. In general, OWC's customer service seems to have declined, which is a bummer.
I would recommend this product to a friend!
Verified Purchase.- Reviewer:SuccessfulMarlin-88067
Thank you so much for your thoughtful review! We're thrilled to hear that you love the quality of our product and appreciate the easy setup, especially the included screws! Your feedback about SoftRAID is invaluable, and we're always looking to improve our documentation and user experience. We're here to help, so if you have any questions about replacing your drive or anything else, don’t hesitate to reach out. We'll make sure you have everything you need to make the most of your storage! Excited to support you further! Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions, comments, or concerns. https://eshop.macsales.com/Service/
I got it in the mail and was able to fully set it up in 30 minutes, it’s just amazing! I’ve got a 12TB raid 5 hooked directly to my 2013 Mac Pro! It’s super quick and very quiet, 20 out of 10, would recommend!
I would recommend this product to a friend!
Verified Purchase.- Reviewer:MacMan42
Wow! We're thrilled to hear about your experience! Setting everything up in just 30 minutes is fantastic, and it sounds like your 12TB RAID 5 is performing beautifully with your Mac Pro. We love that you find it quick and quiet—those are some of the best features! Your recommendation means a lot to us, and we're so grateful for your enthusiastic feedback! Enjoy your awesome setup!
Setup was easy and it's working perfectly!!!
I would recommend this product to a friend!
Verified Purchase.- Reviewer:kmarxmail
Thank you so much for your fantastic review! We're thrilled to hear that everything is working perfectly and that the setup was a breeze! Your satisfaction means the world to us, and we're excited to have you as part of our MacSales family!
