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OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual 2TB 2-Bay USB 3.0 RAID Array (2 x 1TB)

BH #OWMEP2TB • MFR #OWCMED3FR7T02.0
26 reviews
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OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual 2TB 2-Bay USB 3.0 RAID Array (2 x 1TB)
Key Features
  • 2 x 1TB 7200 rpm 3.5" Hard Drives
  • 2 x SATA III 3.5" Drive Bays
  • 1 x USB 3.0/3.1 Gen 1 Port
  • 2 x FireWire 800 Ports
Add 2TB of USB 3.0 and FireWire 800 storage to your compatible Windows, Mac, or Linux system with the Mercury Elite Pro Dual 2TB 2-Bay USB 3.0 RAID Array (2 x 1TB) from OWC / Other World Computing. These drives are pre-configured for RAID 0 via hardware and the array itself is designed for creative workflows, HD video, project archives, and system backups in environments ranging from production studios to home offices. 2TB also provides you with plenty of space to store files such as music, photos, movies, and documents. When configured as RAID 0, this array provides data transfer speeds up to 388 MB/s.
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OWC Dual External HDD Overview

Add 2TB of USB 3.0 and FireWire 800 storage to your compatible Windows, Mac, or Linux system with the Mercury Elite Pro Dual 2TB 2-Bay USB 3.0 RAID Array (2 x 1TB) from OWC / Other World Computing. These drives are pre-configured for RAID 0 via hardware and the array itself is designed for creative workflows, HD video, project archives, and system backups in environments ranging from production studios to home offices. 2TB also provides you with plenty of space to store files such as music, photos, movies, and documents. When configured as RAID 0, this array provides data transfer speeds up to 388 MB/s.

Within the array are two SATA III 3.5" drive bays that each house a single 1TB 7200 rpm SATA III 3.5" hard drive. Since the array ships with two drives, they can be hardware configured as RAID 0, 1, SPAN, or Independent modes, each of which offers performance, data redundancy, or a combination of both. However, please be aware this array is preconfigured as a RAID 0 volume, which provides increased read and write speeds, but no data redundancy.

When using the single USB 3.0/3.1 Gen 1 port, this volume will be recognized on systems running OS X 10.6.8 and later, Windows XP or later, and Linux Kernel v. 2.6.31 or later. When connected via one of the dual FireWire 800 ports, the Windows and Linux requirements remain the same, although OS X 10.2 and later is supported. When connected to a compatible Mac via USB 3.0/2.0 or FireWire 800, the Mercury Elite Pro Dual may also be used as a boot drive, except when using Boot Camp. To help ensure a smooth operating environment, the array uses a cooling fan, and its included 100~240 VAC power supply runs at 50/60 Hz to help ensure worldwide compatibility.

Also included with the with the OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual is a 2.0' USB 3.0 Type-B to Type-A cable, a 1.0' FireWire 800 cable, and a power cable. Protection is provided by a limited 3-year warranty that includes complimentary Level 1 data recovery for one year.

Hardware RAID
The two 3.5" hard drives in the Mercury Elite Pro Dual come configured in a high-speed RAID 0 mode for maximum sustained performance. With speeds up to 388 MB/s, the drives are fast enough for HD video workflows. You may be reconfigure the Mercury Elite Pro Dual with a flick of a switch in RAID 1 mode for extra security of mirrored data, as a single span of the two drives, or two independent disks.
Connectivity
The Mercury Elite Pro Dual comes built with a high-speed USB 3.0/3.1 Gen 1 port as well as two FireWire 800 ports to offer connectivity and versatility. A heat-dissipating, brushed-aluminum chassis and a variable-speed fan deliver cool and quiet operations. In addition, drive activity LEDs give you an instant snapshot of the status of your RAID, and intelligent power management conserves energy and reduces wear by automatically spinning down the drives when inactive.

OWC Dual External HDDSpecs

Bridge Chipset
JMicron JMS562
JMicron JMB355
General
Number of Bays
2x 3.5"
Inputs/Outputs
1x USB-B 3.0 / 3.1/3.2 Gen 1
2x FireWire 9-Pin FireWire 800
Form Factor
Desktop
Pre-Format
No
Physical
Cooling
1x Fan
Packaging Info
Package Weight
6.05 lb
Box Dimensions (LxWxH)
10.9 x 8.8 x 4.6"

OWC Dual External HDD Reviews

Very Noisy Unit

By Bill
Rated 2 out of 5
Date: 2022-02-21

Technically, the unit performs as functioned. I work in a shared office environment and the noise from this unit is crazy. My office mates were about to hang me. I had no choice but to place in on a hard wooden desktop which made matter worse. I tried placing a rubber mouse pad under it but is still sounded like a percolating coffee pot. I had to return if for 2 WD units and I'll back one up to the other.

Excellent & Affordable RAID Storage

By Craig
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2019-01-31

OWC / Other World Computing Mercury Elite Pro Dual 6TB 2-Bay USB 3.1 Gen 1 RAID Array (2 x 3TB) Purchased this to use on my Windows 10 computer at home.  Works like a charm.  Using it in RAID 0 mode for video editing.  Spins up very quickly.  Very quiet too, not hearing any high-pitched noise from the fan that some people are reporting.  Using the eSATA connection via a SATA-eSATA bracket which allows me to connect directly to the motherboards SATA port.  Read/write speeds are very good, much better than USB 3. Only complaint I have, which others have as well, is that the lights are WAY too bright.  I plan on opening the case up and taping some ND gel to the inside in front of the lights to darken them a bit. Highly recommend this external drive enclosure for those looking for more drive space with quick read/write speeds.

Solid unit. Bit noisy

By J
Rated 4 out of 5
Date: 2017-01-09

Seems to be a good reliable drive. Certainly seems fast.The fan is a bit noisy but considering the speed of the thing - probably necessary.

I would buy again

By Papparodzzi
Rated 4 out of 5
Date: 2016-12-13

Well Built. Nice compact unit. 2 issues. 1. No off on switch, you have to unplug. 2. To change drives you have to remove 4 screws and case. Formatting Raid 1 was a little confusing from directions, but OWC support was excellent.

Nice fast drive but beware for Windows 7

By Jonathan
Rated 4 out of 5
Date: 2016-11-14

I have always liked the OWC products and have used them a lot in a mostly Mac environment. You pay a premium for the Thunderbolt version of this drive, but it's worth it if you need the speed for video editing. With our HP Z820 workstation with Thunderbolt card, I could not get the machine to recognize or mount this drive and I was puzzled until I realized you MUST install a special driver for it. The driver is not easy to find but it's available on the OWC website. Once installed, it works fine in Windows 7. Without the driver, Windows will mount the drive via USB.

Pretty good, but with a few quirks

By Keith S.
Rated 4 out of 5
Date: 2016-09-12

Like others who reviewed this product, I had had very good luck with OWC previously, installed their memory upgrades into several macs over the years, also had some of their portable FW drives. They are serious and show integrity. Unlike say G-Tech, which has its customers do the quality checking, which is very low. We have 3 or these at our house and use them for video editing. 2 of 3 did fine, but the Thunderbolt interface on one died. It was scary because when the thunderbolt interface died, the unit started acting like there was a hardware failure, complete with irregular sounds and random dismounts. Even Disk Warrior said it was a disk hardware failure. Fortunately, the USB 3.0 interface survived and I was able to use it to salvage the data. I actually think it was just the Mine's now out for repair. I went directly to OWC and that took several days, possibly because of the Labor Day weekend. One more thing: If you are using Premiere CS6 (Is anybody still?) you'll have to reformat the drive using the Mac Disk Utility as the special formatting tool provided makes the drives invisible to Premiere. I don't know if this problem was solved in PremiereCC, but the work around I used was to use the RAID 0 software in Mac Disk Utility. Rating is 4 for ease of use and speed. Lost one star for formatting quirk and thunderbolt interface dying. Hoping for the best with a replacement controller or drive.

One of the best option

By Byron A
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2020-09-09

One of the best options price/quality.

Great drives for professionals

By Jack
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2019-06-13

These drives are a great combination of performance and value - super fast and reliable, one of our production must haves - we cannot afford to have slow, unreliable media on set - These OWC's have never failed us!

See any errors on this page? Let us know

Are the drives user replaceable? Thanks.

Are the drives user replaceable? Thanks.
Asked by: Juan
Not during the warranty period, it will void the warranty. Physically, yes, you can replace the drives, they are standard 3.5 inch hard drives.
Answered by: OWC Andy
Date published: 2019-04-02

When these drives are full, will I be able to put ...

When these drives are full, will I be able to put new drives in and continue to use the enclosure for a new Raid?
Asked by: Janis
Yes, you can install new drives and create a new RAID volume.
Answered by: OWC Andy
Date published: 2020-12-30

question

Does this hard drive enclosure come empty or with hard drives enclosed?
Asked by: lucas
It comes with 2 x 4.0 TB HGST deskstar NAS hard disk drives.
Answered by: Steven C.
Date published: 2018-08-25

will this work with a USB 2?

will this work with a USB 2?
Asked by: Phil
Yes, it will work, though very slowly.
Answered by: OWC Andy
Date published: 2020-04-06

Can I connect this drive to a new iMac? The USB ...

Can I connect this drive to a new iMac? The USB 3ports on this drive look different than the USB 3 ports on the new iMac.
Asked by: Michael
The included cable has the proper connections to plug it into the USB 3.0 ports on the iMac.
Answered by: OWC Andy
Date published: 2019-04-02

What is the read/write speed?

What is the read/write speed?
Asked by: Marco
397 Read 389 Write via USB 3.1 using the AJA System Test.
Answered by: OWC Andy
Date published: 2021-01-04

If one of the drives goes bad, will I be able to ...

If one of the drives goes bad, will I be able to open the enclosure, replace the drive, and have the RAID rebuild the backup given I have it set to Raid 1?
Asked by: Janis
Yes.
Answered by: OWC Andy
Date published: 2020-12-30

I need a Hdrive for editing a doc project. Can ...

I need a Hdrive for editing a doc project. Can this system, in RAID 0, handle editing in Davinci Resove?
Asked by: Paul
There aren't any issues that I'm aware of, it should work well.
Answered by: OWC Andy
Date published: 2021-03-17
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