OWC launches first certified Thunderbolt 5 SSD enclosure
Other World Computing has launched the OWC Express 4M2 Ultra, which it describes as the first certified Thunderbolt 5 four-slot NVMe M.2 SSD enclosure.
The device is aimed at users who want to build their own RAID storage setup in a compact enclosure. It supports RAID 0, 1, 4, 5 and 10, as well as JBOD, and lets buyers install their own NVMe M.2 drives.
The enclosure supports up to four M.2 2280 or 2242 NVMe SSDs, with speeds of up to 6622 MB/s and a capacity of up to 32 TB in a single unit.
A second Thunderbolt 5 port allows users to connect up to five additional Thunderbolt devices, including extra Express 4M2 Ultra enclosures that can be combined into a single larger storage volume.
Compatibility extends beyond the latest Thunderbolt standard. According to OWC, the enclosure works with Thunderbolt 5, Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 systems, as well as Thunderbolt 3 Macs.
The product enters a market where media and production professionals are working with larger file sizes and more demanding workflows, particularly in video. OWC highlighted intensive 8K and higher-resolution video as one of the enclosure's target use cases.
Product Design
The housing is made from aluminium and uses an adaptive fan for thermal management. The design is intended to keep the enclosure compact while managing heat from multiple NVMe drives operating in a RAID configuration.
Buyers can choose a version bundled with SoftRAID or a model without it. The enclosure can also be used with another RAID utility.
Pricing starts at USD $399.99 for non-SoftRAID models and USD $549.99 for versions that include SoftRAID. The product is available for pre-order.
Founded in 1988, OWC sells storage, docks and related accessories to users in fields including video production, audio production, photography and business. The launch adds a new option for customers who want to assemble high-speed external storage with their own choice of SSDs rather than buy pre-populated systems.
In announcing the launch, OWC positioned the enclosure as a way for users to combine Thunderbolt 5 bandwidth with their choice of drives and RAID modes. "The OWC Express 4M2 Ultra is the fastest compact DIY NVMe RAID. Period. Thunderbolt 5 unlocks extraordinary bandwidth, and we designed this enclosure to let professionals harness every bit of it using the drives they trust and the RAID configuration their workflow demands," said Larry O'Connor, founder and CEO of Other World Computing.
"Thunderbolt 5. Your drives... your RAID... it's about putting complete control, maximum performance, and future-ready scalability into a single compact solution."