OWC Adds USB 3.0 to Mercury Elite Pro Qx2 Hardware RAID

Other World Computing Inc. announced higher data throughput and USB 3.0 compatibility for its multi-interface, four-bay Mercury Elite Qx2 RAID storage product for enterprise, professional and prosumer users

It is compatible with USB 3.0 interface technology, in addition to offering FireWire 800 and eSATA connectivity. It features four hot-swap bays, diverse multiple interface support, and up to 16TB of available storage capacity. It is engineered for applications such as backup, audio/video, photography, data management, and data-intensive applications. Storage and backup capacity, inter-operable interface support, user-selectable RAID-0, 1, 5, 10, span, and independent modes all provide the speed, capacity, and redundancy necessary to meet an array of application requirements.

Four Prosumer Models Available:

• 4TB 7,200rpm (1TB x 4) – $549.99

• 8TB 7,200rpm (2TB x 4) -$719.99

• 12TB 7,200rpm (3TB x 4) -$879.99

• 16TB 7,200rpm (4TB x 4) -$1,295

It is available in four enterprise options that also range from 4TB to 16TB solutions as well as no drives. Every model includes all connecting cables, locking keys, documentation, and a disk utility software bundle valued at more than $100 (retail). Units are backed with an up to five-year warranty.

‘Burn-in‘ Test Ensures Reliability
Each units undergoes a multi-hour ‘burn-in’ performance certification procedure prior to shipping. This ensures every product is operating properly and that the installed drives are ready for use. Burn-in time depends upon the capacity model with the 16TB models enduring stress/burn-in testing in excess of 30 hours.

Built for Performance-Intensive Applications
It is built for performance-intensive professional applications such as audio/video editing, HD-video, digital photography, professional music, graphics, and redundant backup. It was engineered for professionals that require high-level storage performance and reliability. It’s pre-configured in a hardware RAID-5 mode to provide performance with data redundancy, and to ensure uninterrupted access to stored data. Its also protects against data loss. In addition, it can be user configured between RAID-0, 1, 5, or 10, and can be set to non-RAID ‘span’ and independent drive settings.

Plug and Play Desktop RAID for Mac and PC
Thanks to a variety of features, adding the solution to any Mac or PC is plug-and-play. FireWire 800 (two), USB 3.0, and eSATA interfaces provide compatibility with multiple OSs and computers. Front panel LEDs allow for system status checks. A removable key lock ensures the installed HDDs and selected RAID mode remain secure.

Backed by Support
The company provides support and warranty coverage. Each unit comes with free lifetime, US-based 24/7 technical support, an up to a five-year warranty (which includes a 48-hour repair turnaround time guarantee), and six months of complimentary Level 1 data recovery.