OWC 4 Bay ThunderBay IV Released - 0GB for $494.99 - ThunderBolt Enclosure

[rw3]

Title says it all. Pretty impressive performance numbers. Still on ThunderBolt 1 but given the lack of options for a 0GB enclosure, this looks like a nice option. Pricing is a little high IMO but you can charge what you like when there is a lack of options.

http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/Thunderbolt/External-Drive/OWC/ThunderBay-IV

 

[xraydoc]

Yeah, saw that yesterday. Looks great. I'm tempted to replace one of my old eSATA OWC Qx2 with that.

Now if only someone made a decent two- or four-drive 2.5" enclosure (other than the Promise 4J which is a horrible design).

I've got two Samsung 250GB 840 EVOs I want to set up as RAID 0. Right now they are in a USB 3.0 RAID 0 on two independent USB buses. Fast as hell (720MB/sec) but probably not a safe/stable interface model. About 400MB/sec for a single drive on a single USB 3.0 bus.

I need something like an empty LaCie Little Big Disk Thunderbolt enclosure.

 

[blevins321]

Now if only someone made a decent two- or four-drive 2.5" enclosure (other than the Promise 4J which is a horrible design).

Taken a look at this one? http://www.amazon.com/Drobo-4-bay-S...UTF8&qid=1391475847&sr=8-1&keywords=drobo+2.5

 

[xraydoc]

Taken a look at this one? http://www.amazon.com/Drobo-4-bay-S...UTF8&qid=1391475847&sr=8-1&keywords=drobo+2.5

Far too slow.

 

[rw3]

The OWC can be used with 2.5" drives, you may just need a converter. OWC sells the NewerTech adapter for $19.99 I believe....

 

[xraydoc]

The OWC can be used with 2.5" drives, you may just need a converter. OWC sells the NewerTech adapter for $19.99 I believe....

Oh, I know it can. But it's awfully large (and expensive) for a couple of SSDs is all. But I'm considering replacing one of my eSATA Qx2's with the new TB version.

 

[analog guy]

Yeah, saw that yesterday. Looks great. I'm tempted to replace one of my old eSATA OWC Qx2 with that.

Now if only someone made a decent two- or four-drive 2.5" enclosure (other than the Promise 4J which is a horrible design).

I've got two Samsung 250GB 840 EVOs I want to set up as RAID 0. Right now they are in a USB 3.0 RAID 0 on two independent USB buses. Fast as hell (720MB/sec) but probably not a safe/stable interface model. About 400MB/sec for a single drive on a single USB 3.0 bus.

I need something like an empty LaCie Little Big Disk Thunderbolt enclosure.

FWIW, the OWC Mercury Elite Pro benchmarked in the 300s (read & write) with two 840 EVOs (1TB) in RAID0...same drives, same enclosure but using the USB3 connection was slightly faster.

i see the 800s they report for the thunderbay IV are for four SSDs.

sonnet enclosure with tempo pro got 800 & 650 (read/write) with two drives.

 

[xraydoc]

FWIW, the OWC Mercury Elite Pro benchmarked in the 300s (read & write) with two 840 EVOs (1TB) in RAID0...same drives, same enclosure but using the USB3 connection was slightly faster.

i see the 800s they report for the thunderbay IV are for four SSDs.

sonnet enclosure with tempo pro got 800 & 650 (read/write) with two drives.

Interesting. I've got two OWC Mercury mini USB 3.0 enclosures with a 250GB 840 EVO in each, each connected to its own USB port on my 2013 iMac. Software RAID 0 with Apple's Disk Util. Over 700MB/sec for both read and write!

It's incredibly fast and each enclosure was less than $40. But a two-bus USB RAID 0 makes me too nervous to use it for anything important. Not sure why... but it does. I don't think I'll be able to find anything remotely as cost effective however in terms of MB/sec per dollar.

 

[ElectronGuru]

I need something like an empty LaCie Little Big Disk Thunderbolt enclosure.

How about picking one up on eBay, then swapping out the drives?

 

[xraydoc]

How about picking one up on eBay, then swapping out the drives?

Yeah, I've actually been looking. At some point in the production run, LaCie switched from SATA II to SATA III interfaces for the drives. While the SSD models all have SATA III from what I've read, it's harder to determine if a used HD model has a SATA II or SATA III interface. And most of the used SSD models I've seen on eBay are listed at prices not much lower than new units on Amazon. But if I find one for cheap that I'm certain has SATA III internally, then I'll jump on it.

 

[analog guy]

Interesting. I've got two OWC Mercury mini USB 3.0 enclosures with a 250GB 840 EVO in each, each connected to its own USB port on my 2013 iMac. Software RAID 0 with Apple's Disk Util. Over 700MB/sec for both read and write!

It's incredibly fast and each enclosure was less than $40. But a two-bus USB RAID 0 makes me too nervous to use it for anything important. Not sure why... but it does. I don't think I'll be able to find anything remotely as cost effective however in terms of MB/sec per dollar.

i think you are right to be worried. it's not so much that it is USB3 as it is a RAID over two separate enclosures. too easy to have one become unplugged or one of the two controllers fail, taking down the RAID. (this is in addition to the risk of a drive failure in RAID0 already.)

 

[g4cube]

There are a few Little Big Disk 1TB SSD refurbs available here for $544:

http://www.lacie.com/products/clearance/products/?id=10007

Definitely SATA III, and with a 6mo warranty.

 

[xraydoc]

There are a few Little Big Disk 1TB SSD refurbs available here for $544:

http://www.lacie.com/products/clearance/products/?id=10007

Definitely SATA III, and with a 6mo warranty.

Unfortunately doesn't help. All I need is the lowest mechanical HD version, since I plan on ripping the original drives out.

But hard to determine which mechanical HD models have SATA II and which have SATA III. The refreshed (rev. B, basically) have SATA III but as far as I can tell they share the same part numbers as the original SATA II rev. A models.

The SSD models - which I don't want since they're more expensive and I've already got the SSDs - have SATA III.

 

[xraydoc]

i think you are right to be worried. it's not so much that it is USB3 as it is a RAID over two separate enclosures. too easy to have one become unplugged or one of the two controllers fail, taking down the RAID. (this is in addition to the risk of a drive failure in RAID0 already.)

The data is (will be) backed up, so I'm not afraid of RAID 0 failure per se... if it fails, I've got a backup. But the words "USB", "multichannel" and "RAID" somehow don't belong in the same sentence for exactly the reasons you mentioned. One blip in the USB stream across two separate buses and two enclosures, and blam! Yes, I will have a backup. But restoring weekly isn't what I'm aiming for.

Plus, it occupies two of my four USB ports and you can't really put a two-channel USB RAID on any kind of hub or shared bus with other devices. A two-drive software RAID 0 sharing the same USB 3.0 bus is slower than a single drive (280-300MB/sec versus 400MB/sec. I tried it).

This is why I want a 2+ drive Thunderbolt enclosure. I may just breakdown and get a Promise J4 since there's virtually nothing else at the moment, but they're butt ugly and more expensive than necessary for a device with no built-in hardware RAID modes (it's strictly a JBOD enclosure). My dream enclosure is a diskless "R4 mini" - like an R4 shrunken down to 2.5" SSD size.

 

[jsolares]

Akitio does make a dual 2.5" enclosure, it's also sold by mono price : http://www.monoprice.com/Product/?c...1130705&p_id=10943&seq=1&format=2#description

 

[CalfCanuck]

OWC 4 Bay ThunderBay IV ordered

Mine arrives on Friday - we'll see how it pans out. I needed a larger enclosure to handle a variety of HDD and SSD's rather than for the RAID option, as my MP3,1 has been dying a slow death the last 3 months - every few weeks a new issue appears. I bought a top end late 2013 rMBP as an emergency machine when they first came out, when my old MP would not start for a few days. I resolved that, so the migration to the rMBP slowed back down until I could find an external enclosure. I see this setup as a stepping stone to a nMP system once production catches up next spring, after I work out all the kinks on the rMBP.

I've been looking at the Pegasus2, but one thing that had me worried was the "recommended list". It appears that this is more for the RAID support rather than JBOD, but the mere existence of this list implies that if you have issues with other HDD/SSD's then you are on your own. Not the support level I want to hear for a $700 empty sheet metal box.

 

[xraydoc]

Akitio does make a dual 2.5" enclosure, it's also sold by mono price : http://www.monoprice.com/Product/?c...1130705&p_id=10943&seq=1&format=2#description

Brilliant. Hadn't seen that. I wonder how it performs. No reviews yet on Monoprice.

Edit: I did a Google search and couldn't find any reviews on it. Since Monoprice has a nice return policy, I've decided to take one for the team. I've ordered it and I'll give a little review when it arrives.

 

[analog guy]

Brilliant. Hadn't seen that. I wonder how it performs. No reviews yet on Monoprice.

Edit: I did a Google search and couldn't find any reviews on it. Since Monoprice has a nice return policy, I've decided to take one for the team. I've ordered it and I'll give a little review when it arrives.

amazon sells it. it's only got 2 reviews (3.5/5). the 4-star review seems uniformed.

noisy fan & bulky PS seem to be the most relevant comments.

----------

Mine arrives on Friday - we'll see how it pans out. I needed a larger enclosure to handle a variety of HDD and SSD's rather than for the RAID option, as my MP3,1 has been dying a slow death the last 3 months - every few weeks a new issue appears. I bought a top end late 2013 rMBP as an emergency machine when they first came out, when my old MP would not start for a few days. I resolved that, so the migration to the rMBP slowed back down until I could find an external enclosure. I see this setup as a stepping stone to a nMP system once production catches up next spring, after I work out all the kinks on the rMBP.

I've been looking at the Pegasus2, but one thing that had me worried was the "recommended list". It appears that this is more for the RAID support rather than JBOD, but the mere existence of this list implies that if you have issues with other HDD/SSD's then you are on your own. Not the support level I want to hear for a $700 empty sheet metal box.

agreed. it just leaves them an "out". i've been meaning to call them to inquire about the poor performance via TB1 of my 2x 840 EVOs in RAID0, but i think i already know the answer.

going to see how it tests via TB2 when my nMP arrives (tomorrow, presumably).

i'm not a huge fan of the time-to-wake-from-sleep for the R4, so i'm not sure i can get over that.

----------

The data is (will be) backed up, so I'm not afraid of RAID 0 failure per se... if it fails, I've got a backup. But the words "USB", "multichannel" and "RAID" somehow don't belong in the same sentence for exactly the reasons you mentioned. One blip in the USB stream across two separate buses and two enclosures, and blam! Yes, I will have a backup. But restoring weekly isn't what I'm aiming for.

Plus, it occupies two of my four USB ports and you can't really put a two-channel USB RAID on any kind of hub or shared bus with other devices. A two-drive software RAID 0 sharing the same USB 3.0 bus is slower than a single drive (280-300MB/sec versus 400MB/sec. I tried it).

This is why I want a 2+ drive Thunderbolt enclosure. I may just breakdown and get a Promise J4 since there's virtually nothing else at the moment, but they're butt ugly and more expensive than necessary for a device with no built-in hardware RAID modes (it's strictly a JBOD enclosure). My dream enclosure is a diskless "R4 mini" - like an R4 shrunken down to 2.5" SSD size.

yeah...wish there were an r4 for 2.5" drives. unfortunately the r4 is not quick-to-wake, so be advised. it is also not whisper quiet.

j4 doesn't handle 1tb SSDs, so i had to return that.

we take away noise (e.g. iMac or nMP) and add it back via drive enclosures.

may not be bad for someone with just SSDs to disconnect fans, though. i've noticed SSD temp to increase but not to ranges out of the operating specs.

 

[xraydoc]

amazon sells it. it's only got 2 reviews (3.5/5). the 4-star review seems uniformed.

noisy fan & bulky PS seem to be the most relevant comments.

Yeah, I did find those. Two small user comments is not exactly a thorough review, however.

For me, the size of the power supply is of no importance, so I'll take that off the negative column. As far as fan noise, I guess we'll see. Can't possibly be louder than the two fully-loaded OWC Qx2's it's going to sit next to (eight 7200rpm drives), so I'm going to guess it won't make a lick of difference for me. Fan noise is quite a subjective thing, though.

As long as the thing works and isn't abnormally slow due to a cheap or poorly-designed TB interface, I'll be satisfied.

I've ordered it, so I'll post some benchmarks this weekend - assuming UPS is able to deliver on Friday given the impending East Coast weather.

 

[g4cube]

Unfortunately doesn't help. All I need is the lowest mechanical HD version, since I plan on ripping the original drives out.

But hard to determine which mechanical HD models have SATA II and which have SATA III. The refreshed (rev. B, basically) have SATA III but as far as I can tell they share the same part numbers as the original SATA II rev. A models.

The SSD models - which I don't want since they're more expensive and I've already got the SSDs - have SATA III.

A quick search via Google reveals the following. This accounts for the variations sold by LaCie. The SATA III part numbers are the current configurations being sold.

Part numbers for LaCie:
9000350 1TB SSD, SATA III
9000321 500GB SSD, SATA III
9000358 2TB HDD, SATA III
9000466 4TB HDD, SATA III

9000107 2TB HDD 5400RPM, SATA II
9000106 1TB HDD 7200RPM, SATA II
9000109 500GB SSD, SATA II
9000108 240GB SSD, SATA II
9000243 240GB SSD, SATA II

You can confirm this info by using Google or Bing search engines, or the LaCie website and various resellers.

Some info here in an older article from Tom's Hardware:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/my-book-thunderbolt-duo-pegasus-r4-2big,3222-4.html

 

[xraydoc]

A quick search via Google reveals the following. This accounts for the variations sold by LaCie. The SATA III part numbers are the current configurations being sold.

Part numbers for LaCie:
9000350 1TB SSD, SATA III
9000321 500GB SSD, SATA III
9000358 2TB HDD, SATA III
9000466 4TB HDD, SATA III

9000107 2TB HDD 5400RPM, SATA II
9000106 1TB HDD 7200RPM, SATA II
9000109 500GB SSD, SATA II
9000108 240GB SSD, SATA II
9000243 240GB SSD, SATA II

You can confirm this info by using Google or Bing search engines, or the LaCie website and various resellers.

Some info here in an older article from Tom's Hardware:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/my-book-thunderbolt-duo-pegasus-r4-2big,3222-4.html

Nice detective work. I'll see how the case I ordered works. If not well, I'll go with the LaCie plan.

 

[williamh]

Brilliant. Hadn't seen that. I wonder how it performs. No reviews yet on Monoprice.

Edit: I did a Google search and couldn't find any reviews on it. Since Monoprice has a nice return policy, I've decided to take one for the team. I've ordered it and I'll give a little review when it arrives.

This unit is manufactured by Akitio and the link as followed:

http://www.akitio.com/

I purchased this unit and sport two SSDs (Samsung 840 EVO 500GB, Kingston 512GB SSDNow V+100) as separate drives. I use SSD to stream audio sample libraries and therefore the write speed is not my concern.

the performance as followed:
Kingston 512GB SSD (SATAII): write: 200MB/s, read: 200MB/s
Samsung EVO 500GB SSD (SATA III): write: 334MB/s, read: 385MB/s

I'm very happy with this unit, install the drives, hook up the with thunderbolt and you're ready to go.

 

[xraydoc]

This unit is manufactured by Akitio and the link as followed:

http://www.akitio.com/

I purchased this unit and sport two SSDs (Samsung 840 EVO 500GB, Kingston 512GB SSDNow V+100) as separate drives. I use SSD to stream audio sample libraries and therefore the write speed is not my concern.

the performance as followed:
Kingston 512GB SSD (SATAII): write: 200MB/s, read: 200MB/s
Samsung EVO 500GB SSD (SATA III): write: 334MB/s, read: 385MB/s

I'm very happy with this unit, install the drives, hook up the with thunderbolt and you're ready to go.

Thanks. Mine should be delivered today. I'll post some results.
I'm hoping two 250GB 840 EVOs in software RAID 0 in this TB enclosure can come close to their current setup - each in a USB 3.0 OWC case in software RAID 0, each drive on a separate USB 3.0 bus with no other devices on the respective buses.

(yes, that is a legitimate benchmark).

 

[adr1974]

Looking forward to the results -- expecting mine tomorrow. Had issues with the pegasus...hopefully this will fare better.

 

[analog guy]

Looking forward to the results -- expecting mine tomorrow. Had issues with the pegasus...hopefully this will fare better.

hope it is better than their TB/USB3 elite pro dual, which was released just a few weeks ago. the TB performance was awful.