USB 3.2 Gen 2 Ports on Fast Backup Device

Review by Erik Vlietinck

Accepting both SSDs and hard disk drives, the OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual with 3-Port Hub relies on good old SATA to connect to your computer. My test unit is a RAID device, fitted with two OWC 1TB Mercury 6G Extreme Pro SSDs set up in a RAID 0 configuration, so performance for backups was very acceptable at over 800 MB/sec when connected to a USB 3.2 port. 

One of the main attractions of this OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual is the inclusion of a 3-port hub, giving you one USB-C and two USB-A expansion ports. The latter two will give you a maximum throughput speed of 600 MB. To me, however, the unit is especially attractive because it’s whisper-silent. Its cooling fan doesn’t generate the high-pitched sound I associate with enclosures that are more dedicated to backup tasks than, for example, video or audio production. Noise levels will, of course, increase with hard disks installed inside. 

Furthermore, the unit comes with a hardware RAID selector, which I always prefer over a software RAID, because it’s usually the fastest and easiest to set up. Out of the box, it’s set in RAID 0, but you can also opt for RAID 1, disk spanning, and JBOD, all with the turn of a small recessed screw, and the push of a separate button on the back. 

The OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual with 3-Port Hub is compatible with any Mac or PC running macOS, Windows, or Linux, and with tablets such as iPad Pros with a USB port. Its OWC logo on the front will glow when it’s connected to a computer that’s turned on, and there’s no way you can dim it or turn it off completely. ■