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Silver rectangular desktop enclosure with four 3.5 drive bays and dual Thunderbolt ports

OWC

OWC ThunderBay 4 RAID 5 Edition 8.0TB 4-bay external hard drive OWCTB2SRT08.0S

SKU CH-2KDY-MG29X MPN OWCTB2SRT08.0S

Four-bay desktop enclosure holding 8.0 TB across four installed 3.5-inch drives with dual Thunderbolt 2 ports and hardware RAID 5

  • Four drives deliver 8.0 TB total capacity
  • RAID 5 protects data against a single drive failure
  • Dual Thunderbolt ports enable daisy-chaining peripherals
  • Built-in cooling fan keeps four 3.5-inch drives running cool
  • Compact 7-inch tall enclosure fits on any desk

Four-bay Thunderbolt 2 RAID array

The OWC ThunderBay 4 RAID 5 Edition is an external desktop enclosure that ships with four 3.5-inch hard drives installed for a total of 8.0 TB of usable capacity. Dual Thunderbolt 2 ports provide the host connection and allow daisy-chaining of additional Thunderbolt devices. The unit supports hardware RAID 5 and JBOD modes, and a built-in cooling fan helps maintain drive temperatures during sustained workloads.

Mac users needing redundant external storage

This system suits creative professionals and small studios who want a single-volume, fault-tolerant archive that connects directly to a Mac via Thunderbolt 2. It is not suited for users who require more than four drive bays, internal installation, or a host interface other than Thunderbolt 2.

Dual Thunderbolt 2 host interface

The enclosure connects to the host exclusively through two Thunderbolt 2 ports, which also serve as the daisy-chain pathway for other Thunderbolt peripherals. If your computer lacks Thunderbolt 2, this product cannot be used without an appropriate adapter or dock.

How it compares

Measured against everything we stock in High-Capacity External Drives, at today’s prices. Recalculated every night.

Price $695.99
Pricier than about 75% of the 144 comparable items (median $379.99).

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Specifications

Size & build
Shipping weight8.12 kg
Package size394 × 356 × 279 mm

Questions about this item

What bandwidth does the Thunderbolt 2 host interface provide for the RAID 5 volume?

The Thunderbolt 2 host interface connects the four installed drives to the computer and serves as the throughput ceiling for the RAID 5 volume.

What drive size and bay count must a rack or shelf accommodate for this 8.0 TB unit?

The enclosure holds four 3.5 inch drives in four bays and measures 7 inches high, 5.3 inches wide and 9.7 inches deep.

How is the RAID 5 array initialised on this OWC ThunderBay 4, and which step is commonly missed?

Connect the dual Thunderbolt 2 ports, power on the unit, then use the supplied software to create the RAID 5 set; the step often missed is completing the software initialisation before writing data.

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