OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual USB-C is a dual disk drive (or SSD) capable of providing, integrated, also a USB-C and USB-A HUB which has now become mandatory in a market sector other than that of the professional or those who needs speed and connectivity from a pro perspective.
After announcing it a few weeks ago, we had the opportunity to try it for several days, let's see how it went.
OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual USB-C, the review
Professional profile
Aesthetically, it is an aluminum case that is somewhat reminiscent of Apple's Pro line, with a design inspired more by the old Mac Pro than by the newer ones. The test disk arrived with the disks already inside: it is possible to configure everything when ordering, but it is also possible to buy it empty. In the box we also find the power supply, a USB-C / USB-C cable and another USB-C / USB-A.
The dimensions are 14.7 x 8.3 by 24 cm, nothing really big and there are no buttons: on the front we find the OWC logo that lights up while all the connectors are positioned behind (although a front one would have been comfortable). And what connectors among other things: two USB-C 3.2 at 10 Gbit / s, two USB-A always 3.2, the connector for the power supply and a hardware controller for the RAID set at the top, plus obviously the large fan for cooling.
As disk
The lion's share is obviously the storage unit, which even with only two disks can still reach up to 32 TB of space, by mounting two disks of 16 TB each, or by opting for smaller cuts with much more SSD drives. fast and performing.
There are four possible RAID sets: in addition to RAID 1 for security and RAID 0 for speed, we can opt for a Span mode that shows the computer a total volume given by the sum of the two disks, even if it is not (as OWC states) a real RAID and, of course, also the possibility of using the two disks as separate units.
The speed is good, not optimized on macOS for the power of the ports available but still interesting: in the test we carried out OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual USB-C was configured with two SSD drives in RAID 0 mode and the volume formatted in APFS on macOS Catalina.
Same as HUB
One of the most important peculiarities of this unit is also that of providing a USB HUB, to which you can connect several other devices in a chain. Since one of the two USB-C ports is dedicated to computer communication, the other USB-C port can still be used to communicate with a portable storage unit, or even to connect an external unit (such as an iPad Pro for example ) or a USB-C webcam (such as the Logitech StreamCam).
The USB-A ports are even more interesting, especially for those with a MacBook Pro, which only offers Thunderbolt 3 ports with a USB-A connector. Sure, there are only two, but they can become important for connecting a wired mouse (like the Razer Viper Mini), a microphone (like the Razer Seiren Mini) or even a pair of headphones (Razer BlackShark V2). And when it's summer, maybe a USB fan.
Considering everything that passes through your desk today, the OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual USB-C can't do everything, but it definitely helps.
How does it work
The thing that surprised us most about the Mercury Elite Pro Dual USB-C WC was its silence: with two SSDs inside it's like not having it, and from a smart working perspective you can keep it safely even in the room without problems.
In addition, two powered USB sockets are a great advantage, compared to, for example, multiple non-powered USB HUBs that show some limitations from time to time. We used the drive a little with a 13 ″ MacBook Pro and a little with a 2018 Mac mini and in both cases the drive offered a great advantage.
Access to disk files was excellent, especially for folders containing many images, but copying was also very good: note that the RAID 0 formatting was covered by a daily backup to another drive, which recommend to all users. The cost is perhaps a bit high, but it is a product intended for a range of professional users who do not like compromises and which offers accessories of the highest level, for Mac and Windows PC.
Pro:
• Quiet and reliable • Rear HUB is very useful • Professional metal look
Cons:
• A front connector was welcome • A little expensive
Price:
• 172.40 Euros (unit without discs)
OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual with 3-Port Hub is available in Italy at the Blitzmicro and Buydifferent chains. OWC products are also available on Amazon.
