Owc macs how to#
Owc macs install#
Owc macs upgrade#

The Aura's performance was poor, but it did offer the option of upgrading storage capacity, which was particularly useful for the MacBook Air models that never offered a factory 1TB SSD option.

Owc macs upgrade#

Aftermarket upgrade options for these machines were initially very limited until macOS 10.13 added NVMe support, which allowed off the shelf M.2 NVMe drives to be used with a passive adapter-however, those adapters are a bit too thick for Apple's notebooks (they fit just fine in the cylinder Mac Pro).Д«efore macOS supported NVMe, OWC provided the Aura SSD, which was essentially two SATA SSDs in RAID-0 behind a Marvell controller that only supported a PCIe 2.0 x2 host interface.

Owc macs install#

In recent years they have phased out the use of replaceable SSDs in favor of using their own SSD controller built in to the T2 security chip, but there is still a large install base of pre-TouchBar MacBook Pros and non-Retina MacBook Airs that can accept storage upgrades. The new Aura Pro X2 is OWC's third generation aftermarket storage upgrade for Apple's custom SSD form factor.ДЄpple was an early adopter of PCIe SSDs in the consumer space, introducing them to several models in 2013. At OWCвЂ™s price, the set of features is even more of a bargain.Other World Computing (OWC) has launched a new line of NVMe SSD upgrades for several Mac models that used Apple's custom not-quite-M.2 form factor. OWC puts its name on it, chooses its retail price, offers it for sale, and provides customer and technical support.В A similar model of this dock has been available since 2018, including a version from CalDigit that currently costs $10 more. Instead, as is often the case except for major equipment companies, this is a вЂњwhite-labelвЂќ product designed and manufactured by a company that specializes in creating electronics that it labels for other companies. However, because of a number of specifics itвЂ™s worth knowing about when using the dock, the single-sided sheet could easily have also included a summary of provisos-like resolutions supported, USB power limits, and the like-instead of asking a buyer to hunt for a PDF.

Owc macs how to#

The so-called Quick Start Guide included with the dock provides some basic information, including how to contact technical support, and a link to where to find the full manual online. The only Mac with USB-C that this dock wonвЂ™t work with is the discontunued 12-inch MacBook model, which had just USB support and notВ Thunderbolt 3. However, IвЂ™d be sure to place it on a surface that took advantage of its rubber feet on the bottom and not put items on top of it. With two displays plugged in and ethernet running full tilt in testing, the dock did heat up, though it wasnвЂ™t uncomfortable to touch.

The one exception might be with an HDMI cable that has excessive plastic or rubber molding around its plug, though thatвЂ™s rare. While compact, the dock separates ports well enough that they are all usable likely without special cables. With a metal case and 7-inch integral USB-C вЂњtailвЂќ, it works well with both desktop and laptop Macs. The size, shape, and construction of the dock is top notch. OWC Two HDMI 2.0 ports, USB 3.0, USB 2.0, and a gigabit ethernet connector. The USB 2.0 port has just 0.5A (2.5W) available, which is fine for its intent. Check your driveвЂ™s specs before attaching. ItвЂ™s worth nothing the 3.0 port supplies only up to 0.9 amps (4.5 watts at 5 volts), which is enough to charge iPhones and other devices, but may not be enough power for some bus-powered external drives.