OWC ThunderBay 4 4-Bay Thunderbolt 3 RAID Array, Diskless

SKU: OWCTB3IVKIT MFR: OWCTB3IVKIT000
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Key Features

  • Experience lightning-fast 40Gb/s data transfer speeds with Thunderbolt 3 for demanding workflows.
  • Effortlessly expand your storage capacity with four versatile drive bays supporting various SATA drives.
  • Ensure data reliability and flexibility with software RAID capabilities, protecting your valuable files.
  • Enjoy seamless compatibility with both Mac and PC systems, making this RAID array incredibly versatile.
  • Benefit from hot-swap support, allowing you to easily add or replace drives without system downtime.
  • Power your devices directly through the Thunderbolt 3 ports, simplifying your workstation setup.
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Reviews about this item

Review Summary

2019-09-10T10:12:37

Rated 5 out of 5

OWC ThunderBay 4-Bay Thunderbolt 3 Enclosure

I was replacing an old Mac Pro tower with a new computer that is all display, but no room for storage. I had 4 hard drives inside the old tower, so I put them all into the new OWC enclosure. The build of the enclosure is excellent. Very solid with lots of vibration dampening. I migrated my old data from my old bootable hard disk to the new SSD via the Thunderbolt 3 connection. It took about 5 hrs. to transfer 1 TB of data. The Thunderbolt 3 is rated at 40Gb/s. The migration assistant displayed the speed of flow which ran between 35 Gb and 59 Gb. It produced all it was advertised to do. Noise?. The fan does make some noise. It's not bad. The hard drives themselves make most of the noise as they read or write. The enclosure sits on a desk about two feet from either myself or the computer, so there is going to be some sound. I'm really happy with it and definitely say it's worth a look.

DON M.

2017-05-14T04:31:14

Rated 5 out of 5

PEACE OF MIND

After two data recoveries from my external hard drive for my pics nearly lost as a result of crashes/ accidental drops . I needed a better system. I was able to recover my images, but at a cost. I now have comfort and confidence my images will be safe. Though costly, but as I have said- it's cheaper than a data recovery ( I was lucky to get them back. ) I no longer worry about losing my pics. Peace of mind is priceless.

GARY M.

2016-10-24T08:43:35

Rated 5 out of 5

Super fast!

This thing is amazing! I mainly shoot photos but I'm moving into video and my single disk USB 3.0 external (Lacie porche 4tb) was not fast enough for my needs. I first tried out a Mediasonic proraid 4, loading it with four Toshiba 3tb 7200rpm drives in raid 5 and I just wasn't happy with the speeds I was getting in Black magic's speed test. I sent it back and bought this OWC Thunderbay. The Proraid 4 is fine for photos and backup but for speed, the Thunderbay is 2 or 3 times faster. Yes, this is way 2 or 3 times more expensive but you are paying for speed and getting a bonus in the quality of the product. The thunderbay is a very solid build. I raid 5 with the the same drives I got around 200mbps read and write in the Proraid4, in the OWC Thunderbay 4, I'm getting about 520-530mbps.The software was easy to use as well. Only took about 10mins to install the drives and set up the raid 5 once I figured out where the softraid app was. I definitely recommend this enclosure to anyone working with photos and video. Excellent storage solution.

CHRISTOPHER S.

2016-01-21T14:34:48

Rated 5 out of 5

Best video editing drive

This is really the best option for those editing on a Mac. No only do you get speeds that are slightly faster than the average SSD, you also get MUCH more storage capacity AND data protection. In my tests with the 20TB version I get about 505MB/s write and 580MB/s read. It's setup from the factory in Raid5 so you don't have to initialize the drives which saves time. In Raid 5 mode (best mode) you get 15TB of usable space as 5TB is setup for data protection. If one of the drives ever dies you slide it out and replace with a new one and you won't loose any data. I've been suggesting these to people for over a year now and I'm going to keep doing so. I have a video review of this drive on YouTube if you want to see it in action, speed tests, unboxing, and daisy chaining to a display just do a search for Max Yuryev Thunderbay and you'll find it. The 1.5 to 2.5 times as much. I would recommend it to anyone who needs a fast and reliable drive.

MAKSIM Y.

OWC ThunderBay 4 Specifications

  • Color

    Black

  • Material

    Aluminum

  • Compatibility

    Mac:
    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
    macOS 26.x Tahoe

    PC:
    Windows 10 64-bit Edition
    Windows Server 2022
    Windows 11

  • Host Interface Requirements

    Thunderbolt (USB-C) port (backward compatible with Thunderbolt 2/Thunderbolt)

  • Supports OWC ClingOn

    Yes

  • Drive Bays

    4 bays supporting: 2.5" SATA HDDs, 2.5" SATA SSDs, 3.5" SATA HDDs, 3.5" SATA SSDs

  • 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

    1x Host Port - Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) up to 40Gb/s (5000MB/s)
    1x 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

  • UASP Support

    UASP (USB Attached SCSI Protocol) is supported

  • Data Transfer Rate (Maximum)

    Thunderbolt 3 : Up to 40Gb/s (or 5000MB/s)

  • Chipset / Controller

    SATA Controller: 1x ASM-1164
    Thunderbolt 3: 1x Intel DSL6540

  • External Power Adapter

    No

  • Power Supply

    Internal UL-listed universal auto-switching power supply

  • AC Input

    100-230V

  • Fans

    1x 92mm cooling fan

  • Security Slot

    Yes

  • Power Button

    Yes

  • Power/Activity LED(s)

    Yes

  • Reach Certification

    Yes

  • Ambient Temperature

    Operating: 50 Degree F to 95 Degree F (10 Degree C to 35 Degree C)
    Non-Operating: -40 Degree F to 149 Degree F (-40 Degree C to 65 Degree C)

  • Humidity

    Operating: 8% to 90% non-condensing
    Non-Operating: 5% to 95% non-condensing

  • Country of Origin

    Taiwan

  • Dimensions (H x L x W)

    7.5 x 9.6 x 5.3" (19.1 x 24.5 x 13.5cm)

  • Weight

    8.6 lbs (3.9kg)

  • UPC Code

    810586037129

About OWC ThunderBay 4

FEATURED REVIEWS

Best video editing drive

By MAKSIM Y.

This is really the best option for those editing on a Mac. No only do you get speeds that are slightly faster than the average SSD, you also get MUCH more storage capacity AND data protection. In my tests with the 20TB version I get about 505MB/s write and 580MB/s read. It's setup from the factory in Raid5 so you don't have to initialize the drives which saves time. In Raid 5 mode (best mode) you get 15TB of usable space as 5TB is setup for data protection. If one of the drives ever dies you ...

View full Review

OWC ThunderBay 4-Bay Thunderbolt 3 Enclosure

By DON M.

I was replacing an old Mac Pro tower with a new computer that is all display, but no room for storage. I had 4 hard drives inside the old tower, so I put them all into the new OWC enclosure. The build of the enclosure is excellent. Very solid with lots of vibration dampening. I migrated my old data from my old bootable hard disk to the new SSD via the Thunderbolt 3 connection. It took about 5 hrs. to transfer 1 TB of data. The Thunderbolt 3 is rated at 40Gb/s. The migration assistant displa...

View full Review

Performance and Capacity Perfection for Individual to Studio Content Creators.

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 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.

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
Bundled with OWC SoftRAID; the fastest and most flexible RAID 0/1/4/5/10 tool. Also supports Apple RAID and Windows Disk Manager.

Capacity to Dream
Access, backup, and push your creativity beyond your dreams with up to 96TB 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.

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/M4 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.

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.

• 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

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 ThunderBay 4 comes with a certified 0.7M OWC Thunderbolt (USB-C) Cable. But if your workflow demands a different length to make the connection, OWC Thunderbolt (USB-C) Cables are the perfect choice.

Work with Ultimate Confidence
Active workspaces expose gear to unexpected bumps and shoves. OWC ClingOn custom cable stabilizers (available 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 ultimate confidence even in the highest foot traffic environments.

OWC ThunderBay 4 Features

  • Up to 1527MB/s speed for seamless video, audio, and photo editing workflows
  • Supports RAID 0 1 4 5 10 with OWC SoftRAID for flexible performance and protection
  • Expand creativity with up to 96TB HDD or SSD storage capacity
  • Daisy-chain up to five Thunderbolt devices for massive scalability
  • Mac and Windows compatible for effortless cross-platform content creation
  • SoftRAID predictive health monitoring ensures drive reliability and confidence
  • Proven decade-long reputation as a trusted RAID storage solution for creators

Warranty Information

This product has a limited warranty of 12 months.

Key Features

  • Experience lightning-fast 40Gb/s data transfer speeds with Thunderbolt 3 for demanding workflows.
  • Effortlessly expand your storage capacity with four versatile drive bays supporting various SATA drives.
  • Ensure data reliability and flexibility with software RAID capabilities, protecting your valuable files.
  • Enjoy seamless compatibility with both Mac and PC systems, making this RAID array incredibly versatile.
  • Benefit from hot-swap support, allowing you to easily add or replace drives without system downtime.
  • Power your devices directly through the Thunderbolt 3 ports, simplifying your workstation setup.

What's in the box:

  • OWC ThunderBay 4 External Storage Enclosure
  • 28" Thunderbolt Cable
  • US Power Cable
  • 2x Security Keys for Front Panel Lock
  • User Manual
  • OWC 1 Year Limited Warranty