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OWC / Other World Computing ThunderBay 4 4-Bay 48TB (4x12TB) Thunderbolt 3 RAID 5 Enterprise Edition Array, Black

SKU: OWCTB3SRE48 MFR: OWCTB3SRE48.0S
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Key Features

  • Experience blazing-fast speeds up to 1047 MB/s with this 48TB RAID 5 enterprise-class storage array.
  • Safeguard your critical data with the ThunderBay 4's robust data redundancy, ensuring peace of mind.
  • Achieve peak performance with 7200RPM drives, perfect for demanding video editing and large file storage.
  • Enjoy versatile RAID configurations (0/1/4/5/10/JBOD) to optimize for speed, redundancy, or capacity.
  • Connect via Thunderbolt 3 for lightning-fast data transfers and seamless integration with your workflow.
  • Expand your creative possibilities with 48TB of storage, ideal for media professionals and businesses.
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Special Order?Estimated to Ship: 08/16/2025
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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.

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OWC / Other World Computing ThunderBay 4 Specifications

  • Color

    Black

  • Material

    Aluminum

  • Drive Bays

    4 bays

  • Total Capacity

    48TB

  • Total Solution Cache Size

    2048 MB

  • Drive Mechanism

    4x 12TB Toshiba MG09ACA Series 7,200RPM Enterprise Capacity Hard Disk Drive with 512 MB cache

  • Plug and Play

    Yes

  • Hot Swap Support

    Yes

  • Boot Support

    Boot Camp is not supported

  • Rotational Speed

    7,200RPM

  • Storage Interface

    SATA 6.0 Gb/s

  • RAID Capable

    Yes

  • Default RAID Level

    RAID 5

  • RAID Levels Supported

    JBOD
    RAID 0
    RAID 1
    RAID 4
    RAID 5
    RAID 10

  • RAID Features

    Software RAID

  • 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

  • Data Transfer Rate (Maximum)

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

  • Benchmark Speed, Read (Max)

    Up to 1047 MB/s

  • Benchmark Speed, Write (Max)

    Up to 1046 MB/s

  • Chipset / Controller

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

  • Contact Start Stops

    600000

  • Host Interface Requirements

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

  • 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

  • Other Requirements

    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

    No

  • Power Supply

    Internal UL-listed universal auto-switching power supply

  • AC Input

    100-230V

  • Cooling

    1x 92mm cooling fan

  • Security Slot

    Yes

  • Power Button

    Yes

  • Power/Activity LED

    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)

  • Altitude

    Operating: -1,000 to 10,000' (-304.8 to 3,048m)
    Non-Operating: -1,000 to 40,000' (-304.8 to 12,192m)

  • Humidity

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

  • Dimensions (L x W x H)

    9.6 x 5.3 x 7" (24.5 x 17.7 x 13.5cm)

  • UPC Code

    810586030991

About OWC / Other World Computing 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

A powerhouse in desktop storage solutions, the OWC ThunderBay 4 4-Bay 48TB (4x12TB) Thunderbolt 3 RAID 5 Enterprise Edition Array is engineered to meet the diverse needs of content creators. With its compact design, this RAID storage solution offers unparalleled speed, capacity, and configuration flexibility, making it a top choice for professionals over the past decade. Whether you're managing everyday file storage, executing backups, or running multi-stream compressed 4K video, the ThunderBay 4 is equipped to handle it all.

This versatile storage array allows you to choose a preconfigured solution for immediate use or customize it with your own HDDs or SSDs in a DIY kit. Optimize your performance and data redundancy by configuring the ThunderBay 4 with OWC SoftRAID or your preferred RAID software. Expand your storage capabilities by connecting additional ThunderBay 4 units or other Thunderbolt storage devices via the second Thunderbolt port, enhancing your capacity to meet growing demands.

Achieve real-world speeds of up to 1527MB/s, effortlessly supporting video editing, audio production, photo editing, and other bandwidth-intensive tasks. The ThunderBay 4 is bundled with OWC SoftRAID, the fastest and most flexible RAID tool available, supporting RAID 0/1/4/5/1+0 (10) configurations. It also offers compatibility with Apple RAID and Microsoft Disk Manager, ensuring seamless integration into your existing workflow.

With a storage capacity of up to 80TB, the ThunderBay 4 empowers you to access, back up, and expand your creative projects beyond your imagination. Its daisy-chain capability allows you to connect up to five additional ThunderBay 4 or other Thunderbolt storage devices, providing a scalable solution for your data needs.

Designed with creators in mind, the ThunderBay 4 is ideal for individual content creators, filmmakers, audio editors, musicians, producers, music studios, wedding and sports photographers, small production companies, and photography studios. It consolidates multiple external drives into a single, efficient unit, eliminating the hassle of managing scattered data.

Compatible with both Macs (including Intel-based and the latest Apple Silicon M1/M2/M3 machines) and Windows PCs, the ThunderBay 4 ensures fast data access, enormous storage capacity, and centralized file location. Its reputation for reliability offers peace of mind, safeguarding your data against costly slowdowns or data loss.

The ThunderBay 4's robust design includes a heat-dissipating aluminum housing, "flow-thru" venting, a low-turbulence fan, and vibration-absorbing feet, ensuring quiet and secure operation. A locking faceplate and backside security slot provide additional data protection.

With an extra Thunderbolt port, the ThunderBay 4 opens up a world of workflow possibilities, allowing you to attach a 5K Thunderbolt display or two 4K displays, or place a USB-C device at the end of a daisy chain. Every ThunderBay 4 undergoes OWC's rigorous "burn-in" performance certification, ensuring it arrives ready for demanding use.

Included with the ThunderBay 4 is a certified 0.7M OWC Thunderbolt Cable, with additional lengths available to suit your workflow needs. For added security in active workspaces, OWC ClingOn custom cable stabilizers (sold separately) can be used to minimize cable strain on Thunderbolt and USB-C connections, allowing you to work confidently in high-traffic environments.

OWC / Other World Computing ThunderBay 4 Features

  • Work faster: up to 1047MB/s 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: bundled with 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" or 2.5" HDDs and SSDs

Warranty Information

This product has a limited warranty of 60 months.

Product Documents

User Manual

Key Features

  • Experience blazing-fast speeds up to 1047 MB/s with this 48TB RAID 5 enterprise-class storage array.
  • Safeguard your critical data with the ThunderBay 4's robust data redundancy, ensuring peace of mind.
  • Achieve peak performance with 7200RPM drives, perfect for demanding video editing and large file storage.
  • Enjoy versatile RAID configurations (0/1/4/5/10/JBOD) to optimize for speed, redundancy, or capacity.
  • Connect via Thunderbolt 3 for lightning-fast data transfers and seamless integration with your workflow.
  • Expand your creative possibilities with 48TB of storage, ideal for media professionals and businesses.

What's in the box:

  • OWC / Other World Computing ThunderBay 4 4-Bay 48TB (4x12TB) Thunderbolt 3 RAID 5 Enterprise Edition Array (Black)
  • 28" Thunderbolt Cable
  • US Power Cable
  • 2x Security Keys for Front Panel Lock
  • 3 Years of SoftRAID Premium Access (License Located On Device)
  • User Manual
  • OWC / Other World Computing 5 Year Limited Warranty