Bring flexible storage to your setup with with the ThunderBay Flex 8 96TB 8-Bay Thunderbolt 3 RAID Array from OWC. Designed to streamline production workflows, this RAID array features eight 2.5/3.5" drive bays preinstalled with four 8TB U.2 NVMe SSDs and four 16TB HDDs. Preconfigured in RAID 5, the ThunderBay Flex 8 also supports RAID 0, 1, 0+1 (10), 4, and JBOD modes, allowing you to choose between speed or data redundancy. Thunderbolt 3 and SATA III interfaces as well as 7200 rpm HDD speeds ensure fast data access to make short work of video editing, VFX, digital imaging, and more. The 120mm cooling fan prevents overheating, and a lockable bay door and Kensington Lock slot ensure security.

Use the CFexpress and UHS-II SD card reader slots to import 4K or 8K video or hi-res photos with ease. A USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port, two USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports, and two Thunderbolt 3 ports accommodate a range of accessories and a host connection, with the Thunderbolt 3 ports delivering 15W and 85W of power. Connect a display with a resolution up to 8K using the DisplayPort 1.4 output. When you're ready to expand, a PCIe 3.0 x16/x4 slot can be used to host a hardware raid controller or other adapter card. The ThunderBay Flex 8 96TB 8-Bay Thunderbolt 3 RAID Array is compatible with macOS 10.15 and later.

96TB (4 x 8TB U.2 SSDs, 4 x 16TB HDDs)    8 x 2.5/3.5" Drive Bays    NVMe and SATA III Drive Interfaces    Supports RAID 0, 1, 0+1, 4, 5, and JBOD    Software RAID Controller    1 x 120mm Cooling Fan    CFexpress & UHS-II SD Card Reader Slots    2 x Thunderbolt 3, USB-C & A 3.2 Gen 2    DisplayPort 1.4 Output    Compatible with macOS 10.15 or Later

Use SATA/SAS and U.2/M.2 NVMe drives for up to 172TB of capacity and real-world speeds up to 2750 MB/s.

Please note that SAS drives are supported with a SAS drive controller card (available separately) and up to four U.2 drives are supported. M.2 drives are also supported with an M.2 to U.2 adapter (available separately).

The top four bays can utilize U.2 SSDs, the emerging M&E industry storage standard.

Create, manage, and monitor advanced RAID sets with SoftRAID, the advanced RAID management solution with easy setup, e-notifications, and drive integrity monitoring.

Related Questions and Answers

Q: 1. Will this unit allow for multiple RAIDS? Meaning, half the drives on RAID and the other half 4 drives a different RAID?

A: Yes, this can be done easily.

Q: 2. Hello, is this hard drive 144tb include?

A: Yes, the eight 18TB hard drives would be included with this OWC 144TB ThunderBay SoftRaid Pro

Q: 3. Is there any way to set this system up to be "hot-swappable", meaning adding a larger capacity drive(s) to increase space without re-formatting? Something similar to Synology's SHR or Drobo's BeyondRAID?

A: No, the OWC ThunderBay 8 8-Bay Thunderbolt 3 RAID Enclosure BH #OWCTB38JBKIT does not support that functionality.

Q: 4. What is the warranty on this product?

A: On the OWC website it says 5 year warranty https://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/TB38SRE144/ (B&H site says 5 years as well) Btw if this enclosure houses 8 X Seagate IronWolf Pro 18TB each BH #SEST18000NE0 then is would be more economical to but the NAS Box (BH #OWTB38SRKIT0) and the drives separately and save some $438 at current prices.

Q: 5. I have 8 separate external hard drives that I want to take apart and insert into this Thunderbay 8 enclosure. I want to see the drives as separate drives, NOT raid drives. In other words, JBOD. If I do NOT install SoftRAID, is JBOD the default? Will I see my 8 separate drives mounted on my Mac with no further effort required? Thanks.

A: It can be used as a JBOD with out SoftRAID.

Q: 6. Is it possible to use one bay for m.2 ssd with additional adapter like in some other owc models ?

A: The OWC ThunderBay 8 8-Bay Thunderbolt 3 RAID Enclosure supports 8 x 2.5"/3.5" SATA Drive Bays. If its a SATA M.2 it could be possible.

Q: 7. Will it handle 18TB or even 20TB hard drive?

A: At the time of this answer, this OWC ThunderBay 8 8-Bay Thunderbolt 3 RAID Enclosure would support a max of 18TB hard drive.

Q: 8. Do I need to fill up all drive slots for it to function?

A: You could use any number of drives it would run in the JBOD configuration (meaning your data would not be redundant).

Q: 9. How much is the SoftRaid XT software?

A: It is included with the drive.

Q: 10. This listing shows: SoftRAID XT Software - Can you tell me how we can download and get a license for it? Since it's included in the purchase. Do we get a license key after purchase? Thanks

A: The unit itself will come with a trial version and on the bottom of the unit will be the serial number to activate the trial version into the full version of SoftRAID XT.