Designed to handle demanding photography, video, and editing tasks, including 8K and 6K multi-cam sequences using advances 10 and 12-bit codecs, high framerate footage, and ultra-high resolution raw images, the OWC 16TB Thunderbolt 3 RAID Array Docking Stationfrom OWC 16TB Thunderbolt 3 RAID Array Docking Stationlets users edit ultra-high resolution files on the fly, ingest several media cards in parallel, render dailies, and more. Compatible with Windows and Mac, the Gemini Ultra X2 connects to your host system using a 40 Gb/s Thunderbolt 3 port, while a second Thunderbolt 3 port may be used to create a daisy-chain with up to five additional devices, charge compatible devices with up to 27W of power, or connect one 8K/60 Hz or one 4K/120 Hz display. Other available ports include two USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports, a 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet port, a HDMI 2.1 port that supports 8K/120 Hz, and a UHS-II SD/SDHC/SDXC card reader.

The Gemini Ultra X2 has two drive bays that support both 2.5" and 3.5" SATA drives, 2.5" and 3.5" U.2 drives, and NVMe M.2 drives using a U.2 adapter. This model is configured with 2 x 7.68TB WD Ultrastar DC SN640 2.5" NVMe U.2 SSDs, for a total capacity of 16TB. The system comes preconfigured as software-controlled RAID 0, which provides enhanced performance with read speeds of up to 1446 MB/s and write speeds of up to 1350 MB/s. However, it may also be reconfigured as RAID 1, for 1:1 data redundancy, or JBOD, which lets you use each drive independently. Operations are kept cool using an aluminum enclosure with a 3000 rpm cooling fan.

Two 7.68TB 2.5" U.2 NVMe SSDs    Two 3.5"/2.5" SATA & NVMe Drive Bays    Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports    Two USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 | 1 x HDMI 2.1    2.5Gb Ethernet Port    UHS-II SD Card Reader    RAID 0, 1, 0+1, 4, 5, and JBOD    Pre-Configured in RAID 0    Software Controller    Data Transfers up to 1446 MB/s

While the base model Gemini is great for everyday content creators, you are worlds beyond ordinary. Your workflow is at the extreme edge of resolutions, codecs, and framerates. OWC understand your need to push into an other world of capability, and pros like you are the reason they created the Gemini Ultra. Powered by 6 x 2TB Aura P13 Pro NVMe SSDs, you'll have the horsepower to handle the most demanding photography, video, and editing tasks you face. Edit ultra-high resolution files on the fly, ingest several media cards in parallel, render dailies without a hitch, and rip through 8K footage with transfer speeds of up to 2381 MB/s.

Beyond performance, with the Gemini Ultra's seven connectivity ports, you will experience an incredible level of versatility. Use your favorite accessories and charge small mobile devices via two USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports. Daisy chain up to five Thunderbolt devices so that you can create additional backups. Offload media cards faster and easier with the frontside UHS-II slot or external card readers via Thunderbolt or USB-C. Transfer files and work up to 2.5x faster over wired networks and enjoy increased productivity when working with NAS devices with 2.5Gb/s Ethernet. Add an external monitor with up to 8K resolution via HDMI.

Make your dream of becoming an editing powerhouse a reality by utilizing the performance of NVMe SSDs. With dual drives preset in SoftRAID RAID 0, you'll have up to 1446 MB/s of bandwidth to handle demanding media workflows such as 8K video and 6K multi-cam sequences using advanced 10-bit and 12-bit codecs, high framerate footage, and ultra-high resolution raw pictures. Plus, you'll have all the advanced drive health monitoring benefits of SoftRAID so you can work worry free. You can also use SoftRAID to change to RAID 1 data protection with speeds up to 721 MB/s.

Pro photographers and photography studios on tight deadlines can batch edit and export thousands of 60MP raw pictures at blazingly fast speeds. Documentary filmmakers can easily ingest media and cut through hours of 4K footage at up to 1446 MB/s using RAID 0 with this all-in-one solution to keep all the files in one place. Professionals working in a studio with NAS devices can benefit from the faster speeds of the built-in storage as an active drive and backup their files back to the NAS at up to 2.5Gb/s when projects are completed.

With multi-drive media dumps, controllers, A/V outputs, and a mess of device cables, it can be hard enough to find space for your notebook let alone room to work. Cure your clutter woes by reclaiming your workspace with Gemini Ultra's centralized design. The latest technology advances in storage, ethernet speed, connection speeds, and display support deliver the professional results your work demands while neatly consolidating all your devices.

Stay connected to your team and workflow faster with the Gemini Ultra's 2.5Gb Ethernet port. Great for shared workspaces and workflows, file transfers happen in a blink, so you have more creative work time. It's also great for sending your files over to a NAS to keep them safely archived.

Add the fresh, crisp perspective of an 8K display to your workflow with the Gemini Ultra's latest generation HDMI port. Whether in your home office or on a mobile studio job, seeing your work in full detail is just one connection away. Use it to free up your laptop port, so you can dock in and out quickly and stay mobile.

At 3.3 x 5.8 x 9.4" and weighing a little over 4 pounds with drives, the Gemini Ultra can travel wherever you need a compact yet super-fast storage and connectivity solution. It connects to Thunderbolt Macs and PCs and can work cross-platform using OWC MacDrive 11 Pro software (available separately).

OWC Innergize is the first stage of the Capture to Completion ecosystem of OWC products designed to seamlessly propel professional photographers, videographers, and content creators to the highest level of workflow performance and reliability. This OWC custom-designed app is a complete health, performance, and field upgrade management tool when using OWC Atlas memory cards with OWC Atlas readers and reader equipped products.

Health
Over time and use cycles, flash memory does wear out. Innergize verifies and reports the percentage of use life remaining. Now you can work with full confidence your OWC flash memory product will deliver the reliability you can trust.

Sanitize
Writes, deletes, and formatting all take their toll on memory cards. Innergize cleans and restores the flash memory performance of OWC memory cards so you can get the best results on every use.

Field Upgrade
When new cameras or firmware updates to existing cameras are introduced, they may not work properly with flash memory cards and drives. Innergize gives OWC memory card users the ability to quickly upgrade their firmware in the field for full compatibility, additional performance enhancements, and bug fixes for optimal reliability.

Harness the full capability of your NVMe array in Gemini Ultra with the easiest to use, broadest selection of RAID levels available. SoftRAID XT is a powerful and intuitive software RAID utility that guides your setup. It offers maximum volume capacity, optimum drive performance, data protection, or a combination of attributes. SoftRAID is ideal for anyone who needs to safely store and backup massive amounts of data, including video editors, audio producers, photographers, and graphic designers.

OWC understands having confidence in gear reliability is paramount to creative professionals. That's why every Gemini Ultra configured solution goes through an intensive performance certification prior to shipping. This ensures your Gemini Ultra arrives operating properly and immediately ready for demanding use.

Related Questions and Answers

Q: 1. Does this device's power brick supply enough power to charge a MacBook Pro (or similar PC) over a Thunderbolt 3 cable?

A: No, there is very little residual power.

Q: 2. Will this support 24TB drives?

A: The OWC ThunderBay 8 8-Bay Thunderbolt 3 Raid Array with SoftRAID XT (BH #OWTB38SRKIT0) is compatible with hard drives up to 20TB.

Q: 3. Does this drive work with Big Sur Mac OS 11.7.4?

A: Yes, this OWC 8TB ThunderBlade Thunderbolt 3 RAID Array (4 x 2TB) is compatible with MacOS 11.7.4. https://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/TB3TBV4T08/#specs

Q: 4. Is this compatible with the 2018 Mac Mini?

A: Yes, it is compatible with the 2018 Mac mini.

Q: 5. Windows RAID setup. Please enumerate the "multipe permission steps" in 2.2 of the Manual noted under troubleshooting. You make it sound as though failure to mount in PCs is a common issue- text instructions would be useful. The unit comes set up in RAID 0 for Mac. There is nothing in the manual about setting up the RAID in Windows. I presume once you have followed the steps in 2.2, then the newly formatted drive will show up as unallocated in Disk Management. From there, I presume you must use "Storage Spaces" in Windows, found by typing into Search [Since SoftRAID is for Mac only]. Please clarify. You should have specific instructions on this as well within your text. How many SSD drives are present in the unit? That directly impacts the speed of a RAID 0. I know you are a Mac company, so I have significant reservations on your technical support for Windows.

A: You have correctly summarized how the individual blades are to be formatted in Disk Management, and then yes, you must use Storage Spaces. There are 4 M.2 blades inside the unit. I will speak with the appropriate people about adding more specific language for Windows users.

Q: 6. Does it provide enough power to daisy chain a bus-powered TB3 external drive like an OWC Envoy Pro EX?

A: Yes, you can connect the OWC Envoy Pro EX to the OWC ThunderBlade.

Q: 7. Can both Thunderbolt ports be used to access the drive from two computers simultaneously?

A: Sorry, you are only able to connect the hard drive to a single computer.

Q: 8. Definitely a niche question, but does the unit power on and off depending if it's plugged in to a computer? I'm unsure if there's a power button somewhere on it that I'm missing. Would be really convenient if unplugging it from a laptop would have it power down.

A: The LED array indicator on the front of the device will glow blue when the device is receiving power and is connected to an active host. The LED will glow white when the device is connected to a host that is in Sleep or hibernation mode, or when it has power but is not connected to a host. When the LED glows white, the device is disconnected and in low power standby mode.

Q: 9. 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: 10. Does this SSD work with APFS? (I know SoftRaid still doesn't.)

A: Thanks, Andy. Because APFS is now the default file system for Macs (apart from Time Machine drives), and overall, it’s a more advanced file system with various performance (and security) advantages over the legacy system, not just for boot drives.