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OWC Express 4M2
Four-slot USB4 NVMe M.2 SSD Enclosure
Up to
3200MB/s
Real-World Performance
Universally
Compatible
USB4/Thunderbolt/USB-C
Easy
DIY Install
4 x NVMe M.2 SSDs
Advanced
RAID
RAID 0/1/4/5/1+0 (10)
The Best DIY RAID You Wanted
We heard you loud and clear (pun intended) when you said you loved everything about the Express 4M2 but wanted it quieter. After adding smart adaptive fans that only turn on when needed for near silent operation, we decided to give it USB4 connectivity for the optimum blend of compatibility, performance, and affordability. Now you can build a desktop/shuttle high-performance RAID with your choice of NVMe M.2 SSDs and get up to 3200MB/s performance with USB4, Thunderbolt, and USB-C Macs and PCs.
Maximum Speed from Your Machine
The Express 4M2 is the fastest multiple NVMe SSD enclosure we offer and was purposefully built so you can utilize the maximum performance capability of your Mac or PC with full compatibility:
| Express 4M2 Connected To... | Runs As | Up to Real-World Speed |
|---|---|---|
| Mac computers with Apple silicon M1/M2/M3/M4 | USB4 (40Gb/s) | 3200MB/s |
| USB4 (40Gb/s) port on any PC | USB4 (40Gb/s) | 3200MB/s |
| Thunderbolt 5 port on any Mac or PC | USB4 (40Gb/s) | 3200MB/s |
| Thunderbolt 4 port on any Mac or PC | USB4 (40Gb/s) | 3200MB/s |
| Thunderbolt 3 port on Intel Mac | Thunderbolt (40Gb/s) | 3000MB/s |
| Thunderbolt 3 port on PC | USB 3.2 (10Gb/s) | 990MB/s |
| USB 3.2 port on PC | USB 3.2 (10Gb/s) | 990MB/s |
Highly Capable
Up to 6600MB/s peak speed with blazing-fast 5990MB/s consistent sustained write speed over the entire volume
Highly Compatible
Use with USB4, Thunderbolt, and USB-C Macs and PCs
Highly Reliable
Aircraft grade aluminum offers rugged protection of installed SSDs plus effective heat dissipation to keep everything cool for consistent top speed
Near Silent Operation
Engineered with smart, adaptive fans that activate only when needed or under heavy load, making it ideal for uninterrupted creative focus
DIY Easy
Use your choice of NVMe M.2 2230, 2242, or 2280 SSDs
RAID Ready
Certain models include OWC SoftRAID; the fastest and most flexible RAID 0/1/4/5/1+0 (10) tool. Also supports Apple Disk Utility RAID, Windows Disk Management RAID, and Windows Storage Spaces
Complete
Includes USB-C 40Gb/s cable
Stable
Included stand ensures maximum desktop placement stability
Worry-Free
2 Year OWC Limited Warranty
The Power of Choice is Yours
Engineered to support any NVMe M.2 2230, 2242, or 2280 SSD, this compact powerhouse gives you the ultimate flexibility to choose the drive you want today—including OWC Aura SSDs with up to a massive 8.0TB capacity each. When tomorrow’s 16TB and larger drives hit the scene, you can easily boost your Express 4M2’s capacity.
One Cool RAID for Diverse Workflows
High speed backups, multiple media card offloads, and intense RAW photo and 8K video editing sessions mean one thing…Heat. You can put aside any thermal throttling and noise concerns because the Express 4M2 utilizes a heat dissipating solid aluminum body along with smart, adaptive fans that activate only when needed or under heavy load. Diversity of use also means being able to easily work cross-platform with Macs and PCs. We help you keep your cool in mixed environments with our MacDrive software (sold separately).
Built for On-Set Efficiency
When you're on location, speed is everything. Offload your memory cards at breakneck speeds, ensuring no downtime and complete data reliability with RAID 5. Trust in your gear means focusing on the creative process.
Master the Toughest Workflows
From multi-cam sequences and 8K RAW to intricate VFX, this plug-and-play external storage is a powerhouse. It's designed to handle the heaviest data loads and keep you moving, all while being easily transportable.
Rock-Solid Shuttle Drive
In the world of high-stakes production, your shuttle drive needs to be as dependable as the crew. ThunderBlade X12 offers blazing fast, highly reliable data transfer, ready to be shipped safely across the globe without a hiccup.
Pro-Grade Centralized Storage
Keep all your files centralized and at your fingertips for stress-free editing and data management even on the largest projects.
Express 4M2 is ideal
for:
- DITs and Filmmakers wanting to build an affordable yet high-performance NVMe SSD RAID with up to 32TB of capacity, RAID 5 capabilities, and the ability to deliver maximum offload speeds and thermal stability when backing up media cards from multiple cameras on set.
- Professional Video Editors, VFX Artists, Colorists, and High-Volume Photographers seeking an easy DIY assemble high-performance NVMe SSD RAID to handle demanding post-production and editing workflows including 8K RAW video, VFX compositing work, multicam sequences in 4K RAW or ProRes video, and batch editing ultra-high-resolution pictures.
- Anyone looking for a lower cost RAID option to the award-winning four NVMe M.2 based OWC ThunderBlade and are willing to accept the Express 4M2’s larger form factor, fan cooling, no additional connectivity ports, and no ballistic shipping case for shuttle use.
The Most Powerful RAID Tool on the Planet.
SoftRAID is the world’s fastest and most flexible application to configure, maintain, and protect your RAID volumes on Mac and PC. OWC enclosures include 3 Years of SoftRAID Premium.
- High-Performance RAID 0/1/4/5/1+0 (10) volumes
- Predictive Health Monitoring proactively notifies of Volume and Disk issues well before failure — provided on your computer and remotely
- Seamless Cross-Platform Sharing with support for Apple-formatted APFS and HFS+ SoftRAID volumes between Mac and Windows at no additional cost
- 35+ Years of Experience of Pro Support to provide peace-of-mind with setup help, ongoing questions, or urgent disk issues
- And many more unique features.
M1 Macs require macOS 11.3 or later. SoftRAID is licensed per computer.
OWC USB-C (40Gb/s) Cable Included
OWC Express 4M2 comes with a 0.7M (28") OWC USB-C (40Gb/s) Cable. But if your workflow demands a different length to make the connection, OWC USB4 Active Optical Cables are the perfect choice.
OWC, Trusted by Pros & Enthusiasts the World Over
We build our hardware to the highest standards of reliability and performance. Because 100% reliability is always the goal, we rigorously quality test and back our hardware with a 2 Year OWC Limited Warranty and award-winning customer support.
- Drive not included. Performance results will vary depending on user installed drive. 3200MB/s performance based on testing a Software RAID 0 4x2TB OWC Aura Pro IV equipped Express 4M2 connected to a MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2021) running AJA System Test (4K-Full resolution, 64GB file size, 16bit RGBA codec, single file test).
Single drive performance up to 1600MB/s. - For best performance, the USB mode switch should be kept in the factory USB4 40Gb/s setting when connecting the Express 4M2 to the following systems:
Mac: Thunderbolt 5, Thunderbolt 4, USB4, or Thunderbolt 3 Intel based systems running macOS 15.x and later.
Windows: Thunderbolt 5, Thunderbolt 4, and USB4 systems. - To ensure compatible performance, the USB3.2 10Gb/s mode should be selected when connecting the Express 4M2 to the following systems:
Mac: Thunderbolt 3 Intel based systems running macOS 14.x or earlier.
Windows: Thunderbolt 3 and USB 3.2 10Gb/s systems.