OWC ThunderBlade

Support Manual

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OWC ThunderBlade side view

Introduction

1.1 System Requirements

Operating System & Hardware:

  • Works with any Thunderbolt 3 or later equipped:
    • Mac: macOS 10.13 or later
    • PC: Windows 10 or later

1.2 Package Contents

  • (1) OWC ThunderBlade
  • (1) External power supply and cable
  • (1) Thunderbolt 3 cable
  • (1) Ballistic hard-shell case
  • (1) 3 Years of SoftRAID Premium Access (License located on bottom of device)

1.3 Front View

1. LED Indicator - Power & Data Connection = Solid Blue / Data Activity = Blinking Blue

OWC ThunderBlade front view

1.4 Back View

2. Thunderbolt 3 ports - Attach the included data cable

3. Power Port - Connect the power cable to power the device

4. Ambient light sensor

OWC ThunderBlade back view

Getting Started

2.1 Device Setup

  • This section describes the process of setting up the OWC ThunderBlade if purchased with pre-installed drives. The OWC ThunderBlade is available assembled with (8) NVMe SSDs configured as a SoftRAID XT RAID 0
    • Plug the power cable into the OWC ThunderBlade power port located on the back and into a power outlet. The LED indicator will illuminate a solid white.
    • Connect the included Thunderbolt cable into one of the Thunderbolt 3 ports located on the back of the OWC ThunderBlade and into a system. The LED indicator will illuminate a solid blue.
  • The OWC ThunderBlade is configured as an OWC SoftRAID RAID 0. Downloading and installing the latest version of SoftRAID is recommended to experience the best performance.
    • NOTE: OWC ThunderBlade devices come bundled with "3 Years of SoftRAID Premium Access". Please visit OWC SoftRAID Product Details for more information regarding SoftRAID and the bundled Premium Access.
    • NOTE: The OWC SoftRAID license is located on the bottom of the OWC ThunderBlade.

Mac OWC SoftRAID Setup

Windows OWC SoftRAID Setup

  • If you are using the OWC ThunderBlade with the Windows operating system, the pre-installed drives need to be reconfigured before they can be used. The following options will allow the Mac formatted OWC ThunderBlade to work as a Windows formatted device.

Device Management

3.1 OWC Disk Performance

As of Windows 10 v. 1809 the default Disk Removal Policy is ‘Quick removal’ instead of ‘Better performance’.

NOTE: OWC storage solutions that are experiencing slow read/write speeds should consider checking and changing the Windows disk removal policy. Changing from "Quick removal" to "Better performance" can increase disk performance. OWC offers the application OWC Disk Performance to help change the Disk Removal Policy. Changing from "Quick removal" to "Better performance" can also be changed manually.

Please review the support article Storage Solutions: OWC Disk Performance for more detail.

3.2 Manually Unmounting Volumes

To ensure no data is lost during normal use, always eject or unmount the corresponding volume(s) from the operating system before powering off and disconnecting the device. Unmounting options are provided below.

macOS

  1. Drag the icon for the device you wish to unmount to the trash can; OR
  2. Right-click the device icon on the desktop, then click “Eject”; OR
  3. Highlight the device on your Desktop and press Command-E.

Windows

  • Windows 10 build 1809 (October 2018) or later:
    • Eject the drive by clicking the ‘Show hidden items’ menu in the Taskbar, then clicking ‘Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media’, and last select the ‘Eject’ option for this volume.
  • Windows 10 build 1803 and earlier:
    • Go to the System Tray (located in the lower right corner of your screen). Click on the “Eject” icon (a small green arrow over a hardware image).
    • A message will appear, detailing the devices that the “Eject” icon controls, i.e., “Safely remove...” Click on this prompt.
    • You will then see a message that says, “Safe to Remove Hardware.” It is now safe to disconnect the device from the computer.

3.3 Using Multiple ThunderBlades

  • SoftRAID Pro is needed to RAID multiple ThunderBlades together.
  • If you need to stack two or more ThunderBlades, please use one or more ThunderBlade X Spacers to avoid exceeding the thermal limits of each device
  • Mac computers with Thunderbolt ports provide them in pairs; each pair shares a single data bus. Example: many MacBook Pros have 4 Thunderbolt ports, two on each side. This configuration has a total of two Thunderbolt buses. For optimal performance, please connect only one ThunderBlade or one RAIDed ThunderBlade group to each bus.

3.4 Usage Notes

  • The LED has four segments, one for each M.2 SSD. When one or more of the SSDs are accessed for read/write operations, the corresponding segments will blink blue.
  • While it is possible to connect a DisplayPort 1.2 display to the spare Thunderbolt 3 port by using the appropriate cable or adapter, HDMI and other types of displays require an active display adapter with a USB-C connector.
  • Software RAID volumes cannot be used as boot drives in macOS 10.13 and later. In order to boot to this device, do the following: break down the RAID, format one of the drives as an independent volume, then install macOS on that drive. The remaining drives can be reconfigured as a RAID 0 volume if necessary. For more details, please see: www.owcdigital.com/thunderblade-boot

Support Resources

4.1 Troubleshooting

  • If your computer does not recognize the drive when it is connected, make sure the cable is attached securely. You can also try plugging the cable into a different Thunderbolt 3 port on your computer and/or trying a different Thunderbolt 3 cable.

4.2 Online Resources

4.3 About Data Backup

To ensure your files are protected and to prevent data loss, we strongly suggest that you keep two copies of your data: one copy on your OWC ThunderBlade and a second copy on either your internal drive or another storage medium, such as an optical backup, or on another external storage unit. Any data loss or corruption while using the ThunderBlade (including with SoftRAID) is the sole responsibility of the user, and under no circumstances may OWC, its parent, partners, affiliates, officers, employees, or agents be held liable for loss of the use of data including compensation of any kind or recovery of the data.

4.4 Contacting Support

4.5 About This Manual

The images and descriptions may vary slightly between this manual and the unit shipped. Functions and features may change depending on the firmware version. The latest product details and warranty information can be found on the product web page. OWC’s Limited Warranty is not transferable and

General Use Precautions

  • To avoid damage, do not expose the device to temperatures outside the following ranges:
    • Environmental (Operating)
      • Temperature (ºF): 41º — 95º
      • Temperature (ºC): 5º — 35º
    • Environmental (Non-Operating)
      • Temperature (ºF): -4º — 140º
      • Temperature (ºC): -20º — 60º
  • Always unplug the device from the electrical outlet if there is a risk of lightning or if it will be unused for an extended period-of-time. Otherwise, there is an increased risk of electrical shock, short-circuiting, or fire.
  • Protect your device from excessive exposure to dust during use or storage. Dust can build up inside the device, increasing the risk of electrical shock, short-circuiting, or fire.
  • Do not block any ventilation openings on the device. These help to keep the device cool during operation. Blocking the ventilation openings may increase the risk of electrical shock, short-circuiting, or fire.

Safety Precautions

  • Use proper anti-static precautions when handling this device. Failure to do so can increase the risk of electrical shock or short-circuiting.
  • Never expose your device to rain, or use it near water, or in damp wet conditions. Never place objects containing liquids on the device, as they may spill everywhere and into the openings. This will increase the risk of electrical shock, short-circuiting, fire, or personal injury.
  • To avoid any risk of electrical shock, short-circuiting, fire, or dangerous emissions, never insert any metallic object into the device.
  • Please cease use of the device and contact OWC Support if it appears to be malfunctioning.

Terms & Conditions of Sale

Warranty

The ThunderBlade has a 3 Year OWC Limited Warranty. For up-to-date product and warranty information, please visit the product web page.

Changes

The material in this document is for information purposes only and subject to change without notice. While reasonable efforts have been made in the preparation of this document to assure its accuracy, OWC, its parent, partners, affiliates, officers, employees, and agents assume no liability resulting from errors or omissions in this document, or from the use of the information contained herein. OWC reserves the right to make changes or revisions in the product design or the product manual without reservation and without obligation to notify any person of such revisions and changes.

FCC Statement

Warning! Modifications not authorized by the manufacturer may void the user’s authority to operate this device.

NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference with radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

  • Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
  • Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
  • Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.

Copyrights And Trademarks

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consent of OWC.

© 2021 Other World Computing, Inc. All rights reserved. OWC, the OWC logo, SoftRAID, and the SoftRAID logo are trademarks of New Concepts Development Corporation, registered in the U.S. and/or other countries. ThunderBlade is a trademark of Other World Computing, Inc. Mac and macOS are trademarks of Apple Inc. registered in the U.S. and in other countries. Thunderbolt and the Thunderbolt logo are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and/or other countries. Microsoft and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Other marks may be the trademark or registered trademark property of their owners.

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