- Helios 5S brings full PCIe expansion to Apple's small desktop systems
- Expansion chassis supports full-height PCIe 4.0 x4 cards efficiently
- Users can connect three 8K displays for high-end creative workflows
The move to Thunderbolt 5 has pushed OWC to rethink how external expansion should work for users who rely on small Apple desktops.
In response, OWC introduced the Helios 5S, a new expansion chassis built to bring true PCI-E functionality to Thunderbolt 5 Macs.
The previous model was based on Thunderbolt 3 and offered only one PCIe 3.0 slot, limiting how far users could push high-speed cards.
Improved PCIe performance and display support
The Helios 5S doubles the interface speed and adds new connectivity that aims to meet the needs of creative teams that rely on fast storage and demanding peripherals.
The new chassis connects via an 80Gb/s Thunderbolt 5 link and offers three additional Thunderbolt 5 ports for daisy-chaining.
OWC claims that it can offer up to 6000 MB/s of bandwidth, which is enough to run PCIe 4.0 x4 cards at full speed.
However, it does not support GPUs or cards that require power consumption greater than 75 watts, limiting the types of upgrades possible.
The internal PCIe 4.0 x4 slot supports full-height cards and aims to deliver performance levels closer to modern workstations.
Users can now run professional capture devices or external NVMe RAID hardware cards without the bottlenecks that appeared in Thunderbolt 3 configurations.
Thunderbolt 5's expanded display support means the enclosure also allows for up to three 8K displays, depending on the host system's graphics hardware.
The Helios 5S replaces OWC's Mercury Helios 3S, moving from Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 5 over USB-C, doubling the bandwidth from 40Gb/s to 80Gb/s.
The previous model had a single PCIe 3.0 slot, which was suitable for moderate expansion but limited for high-performance tasks.
The Helios 5S supports full-speed PCIe 4.0 x4 cards and adds three additional Thunderbolt 5 USB-C ports, increasing connectivity and external expansion options for users of Apple's compact desktops.
It supports three Thunderbolt 5 ports, each with 15W power delivery, enabling up to 120Gb/s bandwidth for display-intensive tasks.
With this connectivity, the device can drive up to three 8K monitors or two at 120 Hz.
For more connectivity options, it supports NVMe RAID controllers, 8K capture cards, high-speed network adapters, and external audio DSP hardware.
It also maintains compatibility with older Thunderbolt 4 and 3 Macs, as well as USB4 PCs, and offers plug-and-play operation once macOS 15.3 or later is installed.
Users working with smaller Apple desktops may find the Helios 5S useful if they need card-based features that macOS natively supports.
The Helios 5S is available for $329.99 and includes a Thunderbolt 5 cable and power supply.
OWC also introduced StudioStack, which brings stackable hybrid storage to Mac Studio and Mac mini systems.
The drive supports fast NVMe SSDs, large hard drives, and additional Thunderbolt 5 connectivity in a compact aluminum body.
“OWC continues to set the pace for Thunderbolt innovation,” said Larry O'Connor, founder and CEO of Other World Computing (OWC).
“With StudioStack and Mercury Helios 5S, we give creatives, business professionals and even hobbyists the tools to not only push performance even further, but also expand what's possible.”
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