OWC ThunderBay Flex 8, 8-Bay, enclosure, TB3

OWC ThunderBay Flex 8, 8-Bay SoftRAID XT enclosure, Thunderbolt 3

This enclosure is also available in our store as equipped version with storage capacities from 32TB to 144TB.

The Industry's First Thunderbolt 3 All-In-Wonder - FLEXible 8-Bay Storage + 8-Port Connectivity + PCIe Expansion!

Tame your workflow with this highly configurable productivity platform for digital imaging, VFX, video production, and video editing professionals. With unrivaled FLEXibility, you can choose drive type(s), enjoy docking convenience, and expand your capabilities with PCIe cards.

Highlights:

• Eight drive bays: use a mix of SATA/SAS and U.2/M.2 NVMe drives for virtually limitless capacity and real world speeds up to 2750MB/s


• Future ready: top four bays can use U.2 SSDs…the emerging M&E industry storage standard


• Powerfully easy RAID: create, manage, and monitor advanced RAID sets with SoftRAID


• Do more: second Thunderbolt 3 port for daisy chaining devices or additional display(s)


• See more: DisplayPort 1.4 for connecting up to an 8K display


• Fast media ingest: front-side SD 4.0 and CFexpress card readers with up to 985MB/s speed


• Play your card: (1) PCIe slot for audio/video capture, networking, SSD storage, hardware RAID card, or I/O card 

Flex Your Way Through Every Workflow

Whether you call it a workflow workhorse, a productivity platform, or a configurable command center, one description of the ThunderBay Flex 8 says it best. It’s a groundbreaking 3-in-1 workflow solution for digital imaging, VFX, video production, and video editing professionals from the world’s leading Thunderbolt accessory manufacturer.

ThunderBay Flex 8 offers eight drive bays that support a mix of SATA/SAS and U.2/M.2 NVMe drives for virtually limitless storage capacity. Next, there’s a plethora of ports including (2) Thunderbolt 3, (1) USB-C, and (2) USB-A for device docking and charging.

See your work in greater detail by adding up to an 8K display via a built-in DisplayPort 1.4 connection. Ingest hi-res images and video via front-side SD 4.0 and CFexpress card readers. And when you want to expand your desktop capabilities, there’s a PCIe slot waiting for your specific project needs.

ThunderBay Flex 8 is the one Thunderbolt 3 desktop device that rules them all. With an irresistible economy of scale, this consolidated solution is ideal for anyone waiting for the right moment to invest in Thunderbolt technology.

NVMe. PCIe. What’s It Mean to Me?

At the heart of the ThunderBay Flex 8 capabilities are two cutting-edge technology standards: NVMe and PCIe. Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) optimizes the performance of modern flash technology over the Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) standard. It enables significantly faster SSD performance with a more direct and optimized path to a computer’s processor.

Tying both of these technologies together is the Thunderbolt 3 interface which uses the PCIe bus. This interface offers the fastest data transfers possible on a single cable between computers and peripherals like storage solutions, docks, and expansion devices while also supplying charging power.

Docking FLEXibility

A virtual buffet of productivity-enhancing possibilities awaits you with the docking connections built into ThunderBay Flex 8. Power your notebook with up to 85W power delivery while capturing multi-stream hi-res footage at full frame rate. Connect audio and video mixers, digital camera, keyboards, and other peripherals and charge mobile devices via one USB-C and two USB-A 10Gb/s ports.

Ingest and work with 4/8K RAW video and RAW photo files immediately at speeds up to 985MB/s with frontside SD 4.0 and CFexpress card readers. Add more viewing space with up to an 8K monitor via the DisplayPort 1.4 interface. And if all that’s not enough to satisfy your project needs, daisy-chain up to five additional Thunderbolt 3 devices!

Ports

2x Thunderbolt 3 Ports
1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C Port
2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A Ports
1x DisplayPort Port

Memory Card Slots

1x Secure Digital (SD) 4.0 (UHS-II)
1x CFexpress Slot

Drive Mechanisms Supported

Bay 1 thru 8 - 3.5-inch or 2.5-inch SATA drives
Bay 1 thru 4 - 2.5-inch U.2 NVMe SSD or M.2 NVMe SSD with U.2 Adapter
Bay 1 thru 8 - 3.5-inch or 2.5-inch SAS drives - Requires SAS drive controller card (available separately)

PCIe Slots

1x PCIe Gen 3 x16 connector/x4 lane slot (empty)
1x PCIe Gen 3 x16 connector/x4 lane slot with SATA controller card

Display Support

DisplayPort 1.4: Up to 8K @ 60Hz or 4K @ 120Hz
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

RAID Levels Supported

RAID 0
RAID 1
RAID 0+1
RAID 4
RAID 5
JBOD

Items delivered:

OWC ThunderBay Flex 8
Thunderbolt 3 cable
External power cable
Keys for front panel lock
Hex key
Assembly Manual and User Guide
SoftRAID software bundle 
Dimension: L: 39cm x D: 14,9cm x H: 34,9cm
Weight: 9,2kg

For problems or technical questions, please contact support@owc.eu

Warranty: 3 years