OWC Thunderblade X8: 30-second review
Specs
Capacities available: 2TB to 32TB
Size: 29mm x 192mm x 124mm
Weight: 676g
Enclosure material: Aluminum
Connector: Thunderbolt 3
Technology: NVMe M.2 SSD
Warranty (in years): 3
Rated R/W speeds (MB/s): Up to 2800MB/s
Software bundle: SoftRAID
There are plenty of great storage solutions out there, many boasting incredible transfer speeds and features. However, the power and versatility that the OWC Thunderblade provides are far removed. Initially, the full metal heat sink-style casing and otherwise simplistic design may seem a little understated for a drive that costs as much as it does. But, available in capacities from 2TB up to 32TB, it offers options that might not suit every budget but will cater to those needing ultra-high performance and reliability.
Inside are eight M.2 SSDs that deliver the performance required by production teams working with the latest high-resolution video files. The drive can be tailored to the job’s requirements, from logging to transfer to editing, and its solid build ensures it’s tough enough to survive life on set or in the post.
Many factors make this drive stand out. Throughout the test, the ability to daisy chain the drive with any of the best external hard drives and storage media ensured a smooth workflow. With just two Thunderbolt ports and a power socket on the back, connection options are simple, and the drive is ready to be used with Mac systems. The OWC SoftRAID software on the drive enables you to configure it to the RAID type you want. This software must be registered at the time of purchase, and after the initial three years, it can be purchased separately.
Once you’ve selected your RAID option, in this review 0+1, you can begin using the drive. Here, the performance is outstanding. Using an 8K video shot on the Canon EOS R5 C, the drive delivers footage to a MacBook Pro M1 without issue. Transfer speeds are close to those quoted by OWC, and after four hours of editing and then rendering, both the machine and drive remain warm rather than hot to the touch.
We’ve tested many of the best portable SSDs, and as far as desktop storage solutions go, there are plenty of this size and speed, but rarely together in such a reliable package. For anyone working in video production, this drive might seem expensive, but it’s going to save you both time and money.
OWC Thunderblade X8: Price & availability
The OWC Thunderblade X8 is available directly through OWC and can be configured to meet your work’s needs. Alternatively, off-the-shelf configurations can be purchased from photo and video specialists such as B&H Photo, Adorama, and Film Guys.
OWC Thunderblade X8: Design & build
The Thunderblade X8 is simple in design, with its heavyweight aluminium case protecting internal drives and electronics. Although this relatively small desktop hard drive requires AC power, it is designed for video and photography production. The drive comes with its ballistic hard-shell case, helping to keep it protected while being transported around the globe.
Connecting the drive for the first time is very simple. You use a Thunderbolt cable to connect the drive to the computer through Thunderbolt 3, although it is fully backwards compatible if needed. Furthermore, daisy-chaining further drives or devices, whether from OWC or others, is also perfectly possible.
Once the drive is connected, SoftRAID is included with a free three-year sign-up for software management, after which an extension can be purchased. This software enables you to set up the drive in the RAID configuration of your choice; for this review, that’s RAID 0+1, which offers an ideal combination of speed and security for drives with more than four drives. In the case of this review unit, there are eight NVMe drives totalling 16TB; once the drive has been configured, this gives a capacity of 15.36TB and appears as a single drive on the desktop.
A nice feature of the SoftRAID software is that you can check the health of the drives that make up your RAID configuration. You can also adjust the configuration if needed, although you would, of course, need to clear the drives of content prior to changing the RAID configuration.
OWC Thunderblade X8: Performance
Benchmarks
AJA: Read: 2979MB/s, Write: 2652MB/s
Blackmagic Disk Speed Test: Read: 2575MB/s Write: 2812MB/s
The Thunderblade X8 setup process is reassuringly quick: The drive is removed from the ballistic hard-shell case, plugged into an AC power outlet (in this case, a Bluetti AC60), and then connected to a MacBook. Throughout the test, the drive was powered by a power station and connected to a 16″ M1 MacBook Pro with 64GB of RAM and a 1TB HD.
Initial tests involved using the drive as an on-site solution for logging footage from various cameras, including Canon R5 Cs and Sony A7 IVs, mainly shooting 4K log video. The speed of downloading from CFExpress Type-B and A cards was incredibly quick, with 140GB of files copying across to the drive in just over a minute—a significant time saver on set.
The footage was then organized and arranged, ready for an initial edit, with the footage being accessible like any normal drive, making the process of editing directly from the drive fast and glitch-free.
During rendering, the drive and computer worked robustly over several days without issues, maintaining an issue-free workflow, which is almost unheard of. Throughout the editing process, the lack of noise was noticeable by its absence, although the drive was notably warm to the touch.
Over a two-week duration, the drive was put through its paces, used on set, and during the coverage of the Photography and Video Show at the NEC, proving to be a valuable companion to any of the best video editing PCs or the best photo editing PCs for professional creatives. The drive’s speed and reliability are hard to fault. It’s worth noting that while the drive is relatively compact, it isn’t designed as a throw-it-in-your-bag portable drive and should be seen as a professional storage or working drive solution that requires external power.
Durability is another strong point, which is crucial for equipment used on set. The drive’s all-metal design is incredibly robust, and the solid-state drives inside offer additional protection against substantial knocks and bashes. OWC’s experience with professionals is evident in their design choices, including the inclusion of the ballistic case, which further adds to the drive’s protection in transit. From build to use, the performance of the OWC Thunderblade X8 has been outstanding.
Should you buy the OWC Thunderblade X8?
When you work in video production, storage is key to several parts of the workflow, from the initial logging of footage—essentially the downloading and organizing of the video footage—through to editing; a decent storage solution is incredibly important. Away from the more obvious use as an external hard drive for Mac and Windows, video editors working remotely with cloud footage will often require a fast drive cache. There are often occasions where video files have to be transferred from one location to another, and the physical drive is still one of the fastest ways. For all these uses, the Thunderblade X8 absolutely hits the mark.
The build quality is superb, and this is matched by unbeatable performance that is beyond any other drive I have seen. For video production purposes, this really is a step above anything else on the market, and you will obviously pay a premium for it.
| Row 0 – Cell 0 | Row 0 – Cell 1 | Row 0 – Cell 2 |
| Value | High price, but justified with the performance and build quality. | 4.5 |
| Design | Ultra-tough and designed for field as well as studio use. | 4.5 |
| Performance | Incredible speeds and storage capacity for a small external drive. | 5 |
| Total | Excellent choice for professional imaging professionals. | 4.5 |
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
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