Review: OWC Thunderbay 4 — 4-drive HDD RAID
By Jennifer P
Larry Jordan recently reviewed the OWC Thunderbay 4 RAID system, a four-drive enclosure designed for high-capacity, high-performance storage solutions. Seeking to modernize his office setup and move from Thunderbolt 2 to Thunderbolt 3 technology, Jordan paired the Thunderbay 4 with four Seagate Iron Wolf Pro 16 TB drives. Over two weeks of testing, he evaluated the system’s performance, features, and reliability, uncovering several noteworthy details.
The Thunderbay 4, like other OWC products, stands out for its robust build quality. Constructed with an aluminum chassis and drive sleds, it provides a sense of durability and reliability. It supports up to 96 TB of storage and offers flexibility with RAID configurations, including RAID 0, 1, 4, 5, 1+0, and JBOD. Users can either purchase the enclosure pre-configured with drives or opt for an empty unit to add their own. The system connects via Thunderbolt 3/4 and includes a pass-through port for additional device connections, making it suitable for a range of professional workflows.
Jordan highlighted the convenience and efficiency of the Thunderbay 4. The unit connects directly to the wall with no power brick, operates quietly except for the sound of spinning drives, and achieves impressive speeds, delivering over 1 GB/second in RAID 0. The installation process is straightforward, taking less than ten minutes to mount drives onto sleds and secure them in the enclosure. Jordan emphasized the importance of using all mounting screws to prevent vibration, ensuring stability during operation.
In his experience, the Seagate Iron Wolf Pro drives proved reliable, aside from one drive arriving defective—a situation quickly resolved by the retailer. Jordan praised OWC’s consistent quality, noting that this is the fourth or fifth RAID system he has owned from the company. He recommended using SoftRAID to configure the Thunderbay 4 as RAID 5 with macOS Extended (Journaled) for optimal performance and data protection.
Jordan concluded that upgrading from Thunderbolt 2 to Thunderbolt 3, combined with a high-quality enclosure like the OWC Thunderbay 4, offers a significant performance boost. For those seeking a versatile and durable RAID solution, the Thunderbay 4 is an excellent choice, especially when paired with reliable hard drives like Seagate’s Iron Wolf Pro series.
Read the full review by Larry Jordan HERE
Learn more about OWC Thunderbay 4 HERE
Learn more about OWC HERE