ThunderBlade
40GB/s Thunderbolt™ (USB-C) NVMe RAID SSD
Time-Saving
2949MB/s
Real-World Speed
Up To
32TB
Spacious Storage Capacity
Versatile
2 Ports
Connect Additional Thunderbolt Devices
Diverse
Up to 8
NVMe M.2 SSDs
Be Your Best with the Best
There’s a good reason our ThunderBlade NVMe RAID SSD is called the best production drive in the universe by film pros. Built rugged and silently cool for on-location use, its mobile-ready small footprint blazes through uncompressed high bandwidth content streams with unrivaled speed and reliability. In fast-paced environments where time is money, you’ll keep productions ahead of deadline while elevating your professional reputation to the highest level with ThunderBlade.
Incomparable
Up to 2949MB/s ready-to-run, time-saving speed that has no competitor
Reliable
Heat-dissipating fanless aluminum chassis keeps you working silently at top speed
Spacious
Up to eight NVMe M.2 SSDs for up to 32TB
Informative
Confirm use status instantly via integrated LED
Includes SoftRAID
Up to 2949MB/s ready-to-run, time-saving speed that has no competitor
Mobile
Heat-dissipating fanless aluminum chassis keeps you working silently at top speed
Versatile
Daisy-chain up to five additional Thunderbolt devices or connect a USB-C device or display via the second Thunderbolt port
Certified
Meets Intel Thunderbolt and OWC operating certifications for assured performance and reliability
Stable
Non-skid rubber feet keep ThunderBlade in place while OWC ClingOn secures the included Thunderbolt connecting cable
Worry-Free
3 Year OWC Limited Warranty
Time Saver Life Changer
ThunderBlade is fervently revered among DITs, production companies, video editors, and creative professionals for good reason. Hailed as the fastest production drive in the universe. Legendary confidence inspiring reliability. Shuttle use ready with a compact footprint and ballistic case.
With ThunderBlade, you don’t merely reduce the time you need to work. You gain precious time back for your personal life. More than anything, people want more time. ThunderBlade isn’t just a drive. It’s a life changer.
“They were very, very fast. It just makes sense to have a lot of very fast, reliable hard drives that you can send out with the crew on productions. I always recommend these drives to the commercial production companies I work with. They will pay for themselves after three jobs.”
B Kelley
DIT / Underwater Camera Operator / Phantom Technician
“Having that speed is really convenient for me as the DIT. But as for the producer, it’s a money saving value. Having drives like the ThunderBlade really do give you the confidence that you’re not going to be going into a lot of overtime waiting for that last card. With the reliability, the durability, just the consistency, it makes me feel comfortable and then I can impart that to the producer and honestly say ‘You are going to be taken care of.’”
Wyatt Cagle
DIT / Director / Cinematographer / Editor
Reliability. Efficiency. Transportability.
Our team is filled with creatives highly experienced in all phases of the video production world. We understand your need for more speed and capacity when it comes to making everything from backups to editing faster. ThunderBlade was purposefully built to be the fastest Thunderbolt shuttle and editing RAID SSD in the universe for:
DITs needing to offload memory cards on set at maximum transfer speeds while also having the option to choose RAID 5 reliability for peace-of-mind or production requirements.
DITs and productions needing a blazing fast, highly reliable shuttle drive that can be easily and safely shipped.
Creative professionals working with cutting edge workflows such as multicam sequences, 8K RAW video, and VFX looking for the best possible performance from an easy to transport, plug and play external storage solution.
Remote editors working with cloud-based workflows such as LucidLink which require a high performance cache drive solution to ensure flawless video editing performance.
Professional video editors desiring a seamless editing experience when working on large projects with all their files centralized for easy access.
Unlimited Workflow Possibilities
Working at your best means getting more than blazing through uncompressed high bandwidth content streams with unrivaled speed and reliability. With an extra Thunderbolt port, you have the flexibility to daisy-chain devices and place a USB-C device at the end of your chain to create unlimited possibilities.
When Reliability Is a Requirement
Using RAID 5 with most solutions means giving up precious capacity and taking a big hit on performance. Our 8 drive ThunderBlade model solves that problem by offering the most amount of useable capacity while still offering eye-popping write speeds up to 2464MB/s. Now you can streamline ingestion and backup times on set, edit ultra-high-res multi-cam sequences, and adhere to mandatory requirements (the 3-2-1 Principle) when producing content for large studios such as Netflix.
Which ThunderBlade is Right for Me?
OWC ThunderBlade
OWC ThunderBlade X8
Interface
2 x Thunderbolt 3 (40Gb/s)
2 x Thunderbolt 3 (40Gb/s)
Drives
4 x 2280 NVMe M.2
8 x 2242 NVMe M.2
Capacity
Up to 32TB
Up to 32TB
RAID Support
RAID 0/1/4/5/1+0
RAID 0/1/4/5/1+0
Maximum RAID 0 Speed
2831MB/s Write
2840MB/s Read
2826MB/s Write
2949MB/s Read
Useable RAID 0 Capacity
(using 32TB model example)
32TB
(4 x 8TB)
32TB
(8 x 4TB)
Maximum RAID 5 Speed
2120MB/s Write
2389MB/s Read
2464MB/s Write
2565MB/s Read
Useable RAID 5 Capacity
(using 32TB model example)
24TB
(3 x 8TB with 1 x 8TB used for redundant protection)
28TB
(7 x 4TB with 1 x 4TB used for redundant protection)
Cooling
Silent fanless
Silent fanless
Material
Solid aluminum
Solid aluminum
Key Differences
Smaller footprint, smaller capacity (4TB) model available
Up to 4TB (16.7%) higher capacity in RAID 4/5. Over 16% higher performance in RAID 4 and 5 redundant configurations with Apple Silicon (all M1 and later including Pro / Max / Ultra) machines, improved power connector, LED angle revised to reduce/eliminate on-set light distraction possibility.
Daisy-Chain Possibilities
ThunderBlade isn’t just about being the best performing production drive on the planet. It also gives you all the options you need to work at your best. With an extra Thunderbolt port, you have the flexibility to daisy-chain devices and place a USB-C device at the end of your chain to create a world of possibilities.
RAID 5 Ready
Using RAID 5 in the past meant giving up precious capacity and taking a big hit on performance. Our 8 drive ThunderBlade X8 model solves that problem by offering the most amount of useable capacity while still offering eye-popping write speeds up to 2464MB/s. Now you can streamline ingestion and backup times on set, edit ultra-high-res multi-cam sequences, and adhere to mandatory requirements (the 3-2-1 Principle) when producing content for large studios such as Netflix.3 IconHold at least three copies of all original camera files (OCF) and audio.2 IconStore the OCF and audio copies on at least two different types of media.
Hold at least three copies of all original camera files (OCF) and audio.
Store the OCF and audio copies on at least two different types of media.
Keep at least one of these backups in a different geographical location from the others.
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. OWC enclosures include 3 Years of SoftRAID Premium.
• 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
• And many more unique features.
M1 Macs require macOS 11.3 or later. SoftRAID is licensed per computer.
Really Cool Details
You’ll never have to worry about heat throttling slowing you down because we focus on the little details that will keep you working at consistent top speed. Besides keeping ThunderBlade securely in place, the non-skid rubber feet elevate the heat dissipating aluminum housing to create a highly effective silently cool encompassing airflow.
Pre-Tested = Ready to Work
We understand having confidence in gear reliability is paramount to creative professionals. That’s why every ThunderBlade undergoes our rigorous multi-hour "burn-in" performance certification prior to shipping and includes a Thunderbolt connecting cable. This ensures your ThunderBlade arrives operating properly and immediately ready for demanding use.
Combine & Conquer
While one ThunderBlade is great, two are awesome when daisy chained together for additional speed and capacity gains. Keep them running cool and fast by stacking them vertically with the
Thunderbolt Made Easy
We make it easy to choose the right gear. Our Thunderbolt Certified products offer the same performance and functionality whether they are Thunderbolt 3 or Thunderbolt 4. And if you’re rocking a beloved Thunderbolt 2 machine, we offer a certified Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter so you can plug into our universe of award-winning solutions. No hassles, no confusion. That’s the OWC Difference.
Apple Mac models with Thunderbolt 2/Thunderbolt ports can be connected using a certified Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter and a Thunderbolt 2 cable (not included). This configuration provides data transfer at up to 20Gb/s.
Work with Ultimate Confidence
Active workspaces expose gear to unexpected bumps and shoves. OWC ClingOn custom cable stabilizers (available separately) screw into the OWC ThunderBlade 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 Thunderbolt Cable Included
OWC ThunderBlade solutions come with a certified 0.7M OWC Thunderbolt Cable. But if your workflow demands a different length to make the connection, OWC Thunderbolt (USB-C) Cables are the perfect choice.
OWC, Trusted by Pros & Enthusiasts the World Over
We build our hardware to the highest standards of reliability and performance. Because 100% reliability is always the goal, we rigorously quality test and back our hardware with a 3 Year OWC Limited Warranty and award-winning customer support.
1. Up to 2949MB/s peak performance with 8.0TB (8 x 1.0TB OWC Aura SSDs) ThunderBlade X8 connected to a 16-inch MacBook Pro 2021 (MacBookPro18,1) with 16GB RAM and Apple M1 Pro 10-core CPU and 16-core GPU running AJA System Test (8K-Full resolution, 64GB file size, 16 bit RGBA codec, single file test). ThunderBlade ready-to-run SSD vs unproven enclosure only choices.
2. OWC ClingOn cable stabilizer available separately.
Includes
Drive Bays
• 4 bays
Total Capacity
• 2.0TB
Drive Mechanism
• (4) 500GB OWC Aura Ultra IV PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD
• *OWC reserves the right to replace or upgrade to equivalent or better components.
Plug and Play
• Yes
Hot Plug Support
• Yes
Boot Support
• Mac Only: Boot volume must be independent from RAID volume. Please consult " OWC ThunderBlade: macOS Boot Drive Setup" for add
Drive Format
• Formatted as 4 disk RAID 0 for Mac. To convert for PC, use SoftRAID for Windows.
Storage Interface
• M.2 NVMe (PCIe 3.0)
RAID Capable
• Yes
Storage Interface
• Yes
Default RAID Level
• RAID 0
RAID Levels Supported
• RAID 0
• RAID 1
• RAID 4
• RAID 5
• RAID 10
RAID Features
• Software RAID
Device Ports
• (1) Host Port - Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) up to 40Gb/s (5000MB/s)
• (1) Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) Port
UASP Support
• UASP (USB Attached SCSI Protocol) is supported
Display Support
• Up to one 5K display @ 60Hz,
• or one 4K display @ 60Hz,
• or one 4K display @ 30Hz
Display Support by Port
• Thunderbolt 3: Up to 5K @ 60Hz via a native Thunderbolt 3 display or 4K @ 60Hz via a Thunderbolt display or a USB-C display adapter
Data Transfer Rate (Maximum)
• Thunderbolt 3 : Up to 40Gb/s (or 5000MB/s)
Benchmark Speed, Read (Max)
• Up to 2719MB/s
Benchmark Speed, Write (Max)
• Up to 2537MB/s
Chipset / Controller
• Thunderbolt 3: (1) Intel DSL6540
Host Interface Requirements
• Thunderbolt (USB-C) port (backward compatible with Thunderbolt 2/Thunderbolt1)
Mac OS Compatibility
• macOS 10.13 High Sierra
• 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
Driver Required
• SoftRAID Only
• SoftRAID automatically checks for the latest driver. Launch the app and if displayed, follow prompts to update driver.
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.
Supports OWC ClingOn
• Yes (Learn More)
External Power Adapter
• Yes
Power Supply
• External UL-listed universal auto-switching power supply
• Need an additional power supply? Secondary/replacement power supplies are also available.
AC Input
• 100-240V, 50-60Hz, 2.0A
DC Output
• +15V, 4.8A
Wattage
• 72W
Security Slot
• No
Power/Activity LED
• Yes
Housing Color
• Black
Housing Material
• Aluminum
Dimensions
• Height: 2.9 cm (1.1 in)
• Length: 19.2 cm (7.6 in)
• Width: 12.4 cm (4.9 in)
Weight
• 676.0 g (1.49 lbs)
Certifications
• CE
• FCC
• RoHS
Ambient Temperature
• Operating: 50°F to 95°F (10°C to 35°C)
• Non-Operating: -40°F to 149°F (-40°C to 65°C)
Altitude
• Operating: -304.8 m to 3,048.0 m (-1,000 ft to 10,000 ft)
• Non-Operating: -304.8 m to 12,192.0 m (-1,000 ft to 40,000 ft)
Humidity
• Operating: 8% to 90% non-condensing
• Non-Operating: 5% to 95% non-condensing
Noise
• 0.0dB
1. Thunderbolt 2/Thunderbolt compatibility requires a certified Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 (mDP) adapter and a Thunderbolt 2 cable (not included). This configuration provides data transfer at up to 20Gb/s but does not support notebook charging.