1-800-275-4576
2.0TB OWC ThunderBay 4 mini
Four-Drive Thunderbolt 2 (20Gb/s) External Storage Solution with Solid-State Drives and SoftRAID
Mfr P/N: TB4MSRSSD02T OWC SKU: OWCTB4MSRSSD02T
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The Perfect Combination of Speed, Size, and Convenience for Permanent Access to Your Data
- High capacity: pre-configured with four 2.5-inch solid-state drives
- Fast: Up to 1336MB/s peak performance (RAID 0)
- Expandable: Daisy-chain up to five additional Thunderbolt devices
- Includes SoftRAID: robust software for creating, monitoring, and managing advanced RAID sets
- Certified: Thunderbolt certified for Mac and Windows
- 3 Year OWC Limited Warranty
Big RAID System Performance in a Compact Design
The ThunderBay 4 mini SSD equipped solution is big on performance and flexibility yet sized about the length of a pencil. The rugged heat-dissipating aluminum enclosure features two Thunderbolt 2 (Thunderbolt 10Gb/s backward compatible) ports for up to 1346MB/s real-world speeds, so you have more than enough bandwidth to handle personal and business backups – all the way up to today's highest resolution audio, photo, and video formats. If you are seeking big RAID performance that's small enough to fit on a desk, in a rack, or on a DIT cart, your wish is now a reality.
Speed, size, and convenience — the OWC ThunderBay 4 mini provides everything a demanding workflow requires.
A New World of Drive Flexibility
With four SSD populated bays, you can use the drives independently or combine drives as a RAID with the included OWC SoftRAID setup and management software. The ThunderBay 4 mini is also perfect for repurposing or maximizing bare 2.5-inch HDDs and SSDs you already own.
Expand production capabilities in industry-leading creative platforms like Final Cut X, Avid Pro Tools, Apple Pro Logic, and Adobe Lightroom, edit large images, manage massive photo and audio libraries, store drone videos, use it as a transport drive…whatever the day or project demands, the ThunderBay 4 mini is the perfect workflow solution.
Install or Swap in Minutes
Want to access a drive or expand your storage capacity? Simply open the front panel security lock to access the four individual bays. Drives mount to a tray that slides back in and automatically plugs into a drive connector so you can get back to work in minutes.
Store More, Go Faster
With the ability to daisy-chain you can add up to five additional ThunderBay 4 mini solutions to create massive storage capacities. Merge them with SoftRAID for even more flexibility, capacity, and capability. Or if speed is what you're after, connect multiple ThunderBay 4 mini solutions to multiple Thunderbolt 2 ports on your Mac or PC to achieve exponential speed capabilities.
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
- 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
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.
Thunderbolt Made Easy
Have a newer Thunderbolt (USB-C) equipped Mac or iPad? Good news – the OWC ThunderBay 4 mini with Thunderbolt 2 is compatible with your device! You'll need a certified Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 (mDP) Adapter and a Thunderbolt 2 cable (not included).
A certified Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter is bi-directional – meaning it can connect a Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) device to a Thunderbolt 2 Mac and connect a Thunderbolt 2 device (like the OWC ThunderBay 4 mini) to a Thunderbolt (USB-C) Mac or iPad. This compatibility makes it easy to share a OWC ThunderBay 4 mini with both older Thunderbolt/Thunderbolt 2 (mDP) Mac models and the newest Thunderbolt (USB-C) computers and devices. That's Thunderbolt made easy!
Connect the adapter to one of the available Thunderbolt ports on your Thunderbolt (USB-C) Mac or iPad, then use the Thunderbolt 2 Cable between the adapter and the OWC ThunderBay 4 mini.
A certified Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 (mDP) Adapter can be used to connect a Thunderbolt/Thunderbolt 2 (mDP) device to a Thunderbolt 3/Thunderbolt 4/Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) Mac or iPad. Thunderbolt 4/Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) devices are not compatible with Thunderbolt/Thunderbolt 2 (mDP) Mac models.
Professional Grade = Ready to Work
We understand having confidence in gear reliability is paramount to creative professionals. That's why every ThunderBay 4 mini SSD solution a multi-step performance certification prior to shipping. This ensures your ThunderBay 4 mini arrives operating properly and immediately ready for demanding use.
Support You Can Trust
Like all OWC products, the ThunderBay 4 mini is fully backed by OWC's award-winning support team.
- When connected to a Thunderbolt (10Gb/s) host, data transfer will be limited to 10Gb/s.
- 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.
Includes
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- (1) OWC ThunderBay 4 mini External Storage Solution
- (1) 1.0M (39") Thunderbolt 2 Cable
- (1) External Power Supply
- (1) US Power Cable
- (2) Security Keys for Front Panel Lock
- (1) Quick Start Guide for OWC ThunderBay 4 mini with Thunderbolt 2
- (1) Assembly Manual & User Guide for OWC ThunderBay 4 mini with Thunderbolt 2
- (1) 3 Years of SoftRAID Premium Access (License located on device)
- (1) Quick Start Guide for OWC SoftRAID (Digital)
- 3 Year OWC Limited Warranty
Specs
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Drive Bays
- 4 bays
Total Capacity
- 1920GB Useable Capacity
- Total Capacity: 2048GB
- 128GB Allocated to real-time data redundancy and error correction
Drive Mechanism
- (4) 480GB OWC Mercury Extreme Pro 6G 2.5-inch 7mm SATA 6.0Gb/s Solid-State Drive
- *OWC reserves the right to replace or upgrade to equivalent or better components.
Boot Support
- Independent volumes bootable in macOS. Boot Camp is not supported.
Storage Interface
- SATA
RAID Capable
- Yes
Default RAID Level
- RAID 4
RAID Levels Supported
- RAID 0
- RAID 1
- RAID 4
- RAID 5
- RAID 10
- JBOD
RAID Features
- Software RAID
Device Ports
- (1) Host Port - Thunderbolt 2 up to 20Gb/s (2500MB/s) - Thunderbolt 1 backwards compatible
- (1) Thunderbolt 2 Port
Data Transfer Rate (Maximum)
- Thunderbolt 2 : Up to 20Gb/s (or 2500MB/s)
- Thunderbolt : Up to 10Gb/s (or (1250MB/s)
Benchmark Speed, Read (Max)
- Up to 1336 MB/s
Benchmark Speed, Write (Max)
- Up to 1269 MB/s
Chipset / Controller
- Thunderbolt 2: Intel JHL5520
- SATA Controller: ASMedia ASM-1062
Host Interface Requirements
- Thunderbolt 2 (mDP) port (backwards compatible with Thunderbolt1)
Mac OS Compatibility
- macOS 10.12 Sierra
- macOS 10.13 High Sierra
- 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 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 Server 2012
- Windows 10 32-bit Edition
- Windows 10 64-bit Edition
- Windows Server 2019
- Windows Server 2016
- Windows Server 2022
- Windows 11
Driver Required
- SoftRAID Only
Other Requirements
- Requires macOS 10.12.6 or later.
- Will work with Thunderbolt (10Gb/s) Mac models, but data transfer will be limited to 10Gb/s.
- SoftRAID works with macOS 10.14 or later and Windows 10 or later. SoftRAID is licensed per computer. The SoftRAID serial number will work with both Mac and Windows but can only be active on one computer at a time. Additional seats can be purchased. RAID 4/1+0 (10) are currently Mac only at this time.
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, 6A
Wattage
- 72W
Cooling
- (1) 60mm cooling fan
Security Slot
- Yes
Power/Activity LED
- Yes
Housing Color
- Black
Housing Material
- Aluminum
Dimensions
- Height: 11.7 cm (4.6 in)
- Length: 19.1 cm (7.5 in)
- Width: 9.6 cm (3.8 in)
Weight
- 1.4 kg (3.19 lbs)
Certifications
- CE
- FCC
- VCCI
- RCM
- BSMI
Country of Origin
- China
TAA Compliance
- No
Ambient Temperature
- Operating: 41°F to 95°F (5°C to 35°C)
- Non-Operating: -4°F to 140°F (-20°C to 60°C)
Altitude
- Operating: -304.8 m to 3,048.0 m (-1,000 ft to 10,000 ft)
- Non-Operating: -304.8 m to 12,192.0 m (-1,000 ft to 40,000 ft)
Humidity
- Operating: 8% to 90% non-condensing
- Non-Operating: 5% to 95% non-condensing
- When connected to a Thunderbolt (10Gb/s) host, data transfer will be limited to 10Gb/s.
Benchmarks
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Truth in Numbers: Another OWC Difference
There are many attributes that define “The OWC Difference.” By listing real-world performance tests of OWC solutions, we’re confident you’ll be completely satisfied with your technology investment.
macOS RAID 0 Test Results
AJA System Test
Thunderbolt 2
iMac (Late 2015; iMac17,1) with 3.3GHz processor and 16GB RAM
macOS RAID 4 Test Results
Blackmagic Disk Speed Test
Thunderbolt 2
iMac (Late 2015; iMac17,1) with 3.3GHz processor and 16GB RAM
Blackmagic Disk Speed Test
Thunderbolt 2
iMac (Late 2015; iMac17,1) with 3.3GHz processor and 16GB RAM
AJA System Test
Thunderbolt 2
iMac (Late 2015; iMac17,1) with 3.3GHz processor and 16GB RAM
Compatibility & Installation Videos
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MacBook Pro
MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015)
Mid 2015
Model ID: MacBookPro11,5 & MacBookPro11,4
2.5GHz & 2.8GHz & 2.2GHz Core i7
MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015)
Early 2015
Model ID: MacBookPro12,1
2.7GHz & 2.9GHz Core i5 & 3.1GHz Core i7
MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014)
Mid 2014
Model ID: MacBookPro11,3 & MacBookPro11,2
2.5GHz & 2.8GHz & 2.2GHz Core i7
MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Mid 2014)
Mid 2014
Model ID: MacBookPro11,1
2.6GHz & 2.8GHz Core i5 & 3.0GHz Core i7
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, Late 2013)
Late 2013
Model ID: MacBookPro11,1
2.4GHz & 2.6GHz Core i5 & 2.8GHz 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 2017)
Mid 2017
Model ID: MacBookAir7,2
1.8GHz Core i5 & 2.2GHz Core i7
MacBook Air (13-inch, Early 2015)
Early 2015
Model ID: MacBookAir7,2
1.6GHz Core i5 & 2.2GHz Core i7
MacBook Air (11-inch, Early 2015)
Early 2015
Model ID: MacBookAir7,1
1.6GHz Core i5 & 2.2GHz Core i7
MacBook Air (13-inch, Early 2014)
Early 2014
Model ID: MacBookAir6,2
1.4GHz Core i5 & 1.7GHz Core i7
MacBook Air (11-inch, Early 2014)
Early 2014
Model ID: MacBookAir6,1
1.4GHz Core i5 & 1.7GHz Core i7
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 (11-inch, Mid 2012)
Mid 2012
Model ID: MacBookAir5,2
1.7GHz Core i5
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 & 1.6GHz 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, Late 2015)
Late 2015
Model ID: iMac17,1
3.2GHz & 3.3GHz Core i5 & 4.0GHz Core i7
iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2015)
Late 2015
Model ID: iMac16,2
2.8GHz Core i5
iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, Late 2015)
Late 2015
Model ID: iMac16,2
3.1GHz Core i5 & 3.3GHz Core i7
iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2015)
Late 2015
Model ID: iMac16,1
1.6GHz Core i5
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
3.4GHz & 3.2GHz 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
2.7GHz & 2.5GHz 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 & 3.7GHz 6-Core Xeon & 3.0GHz 8-Core Xeon & 3.0GHz 10-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 (Late 2012)
Late 2012
Model ID: Macmini6,2
2.3GHz & 2.6GHz Core i7
Mac mini Server (Late 2012)
Late 2012
Model ID: Macmini6,2
2.3GHz & 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
Videos
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Learn More
Customer Reviews
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This product has the old apple display type Thunderbolt ports....adapter cables should be provided.
During September purchase of an OWC 14-Port Thunderbolt Dock, OWCTB3DK14PSG, to use with my MacBook M3 and a ThunderBay 4 Mini, OWCTB4MJB000, for long-term and safe storage my 300+ ripped DVD movie collection (among other things, backups etc…) My knowledge of Thunderbolt connectors and drive enclosures was very limited. So a considerable amount of time was spent on the OWC website researching both. What I did grasp, along with my budget and storage needs, led me to the ThunderBay 4 Mini. After looking at the photos and watching the video on its product page, I decided to purchase it. I’ve just recently procured the SATA SSD drives for the enclosure, installed them to begin transferring my DVD collection only to find that the Thunderbolt connectors and cable that came with my ThunderBay 4 Mini are not compatible with my new Thunderbolt 14 Dock or MacBook Pro. They certainly weren’t the connectors in the ThunderBay 4 Mini video I watched on its product page. I’m disappointed to learn the ports on my new ThunderBay 4 Mini are not the Thunderbolt C ports shown in the video but older technology Thunderbolt ports, known to me as Apple display ports. To use my new ThunderBay I’ll need to purchase two adapters, although the website is unclear so I’m not sure if I need the ones that are $47.88 each or $64.99 each. I purchased a new drive bay with old technology and now have to spend an additional $100 to $150 for adapters because the information on the OWC website is unclear. This was a bad purchase so I’m forced to look for a different enclosure and take the loss. I was accustomed to better from OWC.
Verified Purchase.JerryGia,
Mar, 23 2025
- Reviewer:JerryGia
Beware Thunderbolt 2
This unit works fine, but beware connectivity hassles. Unless you're quite familiar with Thunderbolt form factors, you may not realize that Thunderbolt 2 cables are physically incompatible with later versions of Thunderbolt. You will almost certainly need a Thunderbolt 2 -> 3 (USB-C) adapter, which will cost you about $50 from Apple. It's not clear to me why OWC is selling units with this connection type, as Thunderbolt 3 came out in 2016, but here we are.
I would recommend this product to a friend!
Verified Purchase.info-99525,
Feb, 17 2025
- Reviewer:info-99525
Response from OWC, Support
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts! We're thrilled to hear that the unit is working well for you. We completely understand the confusion around Thunderbolt cables, and we appreciate you bringing that to everyone's attention. It's true that Thunderbolt 2 and Thunderbolt 3 have different connections, and we always recommend checking compatibility before purchasing. Your feedback is invaluable, and it helps us improve the experience for all our customers! Happy computing!
impossible to connect
horrible. I can't connect it to your dock. I have ordered adapters and cables, but nothing connects. I can't connect to your my new Mac mini. It was a waste of money.
Verified Purchase.Reviewer3299512718,
Jan, 26 2025
- Reviewer:Reviewer3299512718
Response from OWC, Support
Thanks for sharing your candid feedback with us. We're sorry about the issues you're having with the ThunderBay We will have someone reach out to to look into this further with you.
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