{"product_id":"owc-mercury-helios-5s-thunderbolt-5-80gb-s-pcie-expansion-solution","title":"OWC Mercury Helios 5S Thunderbolt 5 PCIe Expansion Chassis","description":"\u003ch3\u003eOWC Mercury Helios 5S Thunderbolt 5 (80Gb\/s) PCIe Expansion Solution\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOWC Mercury Helios 5S Thunderbolt 5 (80Gb\/s) PCIe Expansion Solution\u003c\/strong\u003e delivers pro-grade PCIe expansion to thin notebooks, Mac Studio, small form factor PCs, and other machines that lack an internal PCIe slot. Connect with a single Thunderbolt or USB4 cable to run NVMe RAID storage, 8K capture cards, audio DSP, or high-speed networking at workstation-class speed — up to 6000MB\/s of internal bandwidth — while adding three additional Thunderbolt 5 80Gb\/s ports for next‑gen connectivity. Tool-free card installs, captive thumb screws, an aircraft-grade aluminum chassis, and a whisper-quiet adjustable fan make it simple to expand performance without bulky desktops or complicated setup. The Helios 5S is engineered for professionals who demand full-size PCIe card compatibility and a compact, dependable external solution.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFeatures and Benefits\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUp to 6000MB\/s internal bandwidth for simultaneous read\/write workloads.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSingle PCIe 4.0 x4 (x16 mechanical) slot supporting half-length, full-height, single- or double-width cards (including some with daughterboards).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThree Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) ports — 80Gb\/s each — with 15W power delivery for devices and daisy‑chaining.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIncludes a certified 0.7m OWC Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) 80Gb\/s cable and power cord retainer; auto power on\/off with host computer.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTool-free installation with captive thumb screws; removable mesh panel to accommodate double-width cards or daughterboards.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAircraft-grade aluminum housing with adjustable-speed fan for cool, near‑silent operation.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIdeal for NVMe RAID, 8K video capture, high-speed Ethernet\/fiber adapters, audio interfaces, and other pro PCIe cards.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNotes card\/power limits: cards requiring x8 lanes or more, or cards drawing more than 75W, are not supported; GPUs are not supported.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhat's in the box\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOWC Mercury Helios 5S enclosure\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e0.7 m OWC Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) 80Gb\/s cable\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePower cord retainer\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePower cord\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e90W External Power Supply\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e1.8M (70.9\") Power Cable\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0842\/5707\/9599\/files\/owc-helios-5s-support-manual.pdf?v=1763568812\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 170, 255);\"\u003eSupport Manual for OWC Mercury Helios 5S\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e (digital)\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003e3 Year OWC Limited Warranty\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProduct Q\u0026amp;A\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eQ:\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eWhich cards can I install in the Mercury Helios 5S?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA:\u003c\/b\u003e The Helios 5S accepts half-length, full-height, single- or double-width PCIe cards (x16 mechanical slot) and supports PCIe 4.0 cards operating at x4 lanes. Removeable mesh and captive thumb screws make installs tool-free. Note that cards requiring x8 lanes or \u0026gt;75W are not supported and GPUs are explicitly not supported.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eQ:\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eWhat connectivity and performance can I expect?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA:\u003c\/b\u003e The unit provides up to 6000MB\/s internal bandwidth and three external Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) ports, each rated at 80Gb\/s and supplying 15W power delivery, enabling high-speed drives, displays, and daisy-chaining of Thunderbolt devices.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eQ:\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eWill it work with my MacBook or Mac Studio?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA:\u003c\/b\u003e Yes — it is designed to expand Thunderbolt\/USB4 Macs and small form factor Macs (MacBook family, Mac Studio, Mac mini) by providing external PCIe expansion via a single Thunderbolt\/USB4 connection. Follow your PCIe card vendor’s driver instructions if a driver is required.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eQ:\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eIs installation difficult or noisy?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA:\u003c\/b\u003e No — installation is tool-free with captive thumb screws and the unit is built with an aircraft-grade aluminum chassis and an adjustable-speed cooling fan for quiet, efficient operation.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eQ:\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eWhat are important limitations to know before buying?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA:\u003c\/b\u003e Do not use GPUs with this enclosure. Do not install cards that require x8 PCIe lanes or draw more than 75W. If a card needs a vendor driver, install the driver per the card manufacturer’s instructions.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eSpecification\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eProduct:\u003c\/b\u003e OWC Mercury Helios 5S\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eInterface:\u003c\/b\u003e Thunderbolt 5 \/ USB4 \/ Thunderbolt 4 \/ Thunderbolt 3 (Mac)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eExternal Ports:\u003c\/b\u003e Three Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) ports, 80Gb\/s each, 15W power delivery each\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eIncluded Cable:\u003c\/b\u003e Certified 0.7 m OWC Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) 80Gb\/s cable\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003ePCIe Slot:\u003c\/b\u003e One PCIe 4.0 x4 (x16 mechanical) — supports half-length, full-height, single- or double-width cards (including some with daughterboards)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eInternal Bandwidth:\u003c\/b\u003e Up to 6000MB\/s for simultaneous read\/write\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eCooling \u0026amp; Chassis:\u003c\/b\u003e Aircraft-grade aluminum housing with adjustable-speed cooling fan\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eInstallation:\u003c\/b\u003e Tool-free with captive thumb screws; removable mesh panel for double-width cards\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003ePower:\u003c\/b\u003e Internal power supply; power cord and retainer included; auto power on\/off with host\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eLimitations:\u003c\/b\u003e Cards requiring x8 or more PCIe lanes or drawing \u0026gt;75W are not supported; GPUs are not supported.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003e\u003cb\u003eCompatibility\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDevice Compatibility:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eMac:\u003c\/b\u003e Thunderbolt 5 and USB4 Macs; Thunderbolt 4 and Thunderbolt 3 Macs (Thunderbolt 3 compatibility specifically noted for Macs).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003ePC:\u003c\/b\u003e Thunderbolt 5, Thunderbolt 4, and USB4 PCs.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eOther Devices:\u003c\/b\u003e USB4 devices supporting external PCIe\/Thunderbolt host mode may connect, but functionality depends on host implementation.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMac OS Compatibility:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003emacOS 14.x Sonoma and newer\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePC OS Compatibility:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWindows 11\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOther Requirements\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThunderbolt 5 Mac systems require macOS 15.3.x or later.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIntel based systems require macOS 15.x or later.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThunderbolt 3 support is Mac only and requires macOS 15.x or later.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLinux systems require the latest version of Ubuntu.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eInterface Requirements:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCompatible host ports: Thunderbolt 5, Thunderbolt 4, USB4. Thunderbolt 3 support is explicitly mentioned for Macs.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRequires a host that supports external PCIe\/Thunderbolt device operation; some USB-C hosts without Thunderbolt\/USB4 may not provide full functionality.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eIncompatible \/ Unsupported:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNot compatible with PCIe cards that require x8 lanes or draw more than 75W.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNot compatible with GPUs (GPUs are not supported by this enclosure).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eProduct Videos\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/0Qxp3rDIah0\" title=\"OWC Mercury Helios 5S | Thunderbolt 5 PCIe Expansion\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\n\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ZJfqymtcY5Q\" title=\"Need More Mac Power? Meet the Helios 5S | OWC\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e","brand":"OWC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55986616533378,"sku":"OWCTB5HELIOS5S","price":302.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0842\/5707\/9599\/files\/799bcc6ca7ef40e48ead1ce12ffdb1ef.avif?v=1763568888","url":"https:\/\/flexxmemory.co.uk\/products\/owc-mercury-helios-5s-thunderbolt-5-80gb-s-pcie-expansion-solution","provider":"Flexx International Ltd","version":"1.0","type":"link"}