OWC Shows Off Thunderbolt 5 Devices at CES 2025

OWC has been known to be the make of pro-consumer storage devices, and at CES 2025, it showed just that. The company demoed the real-time performance of its latest Thunderbolt 5 devices. “Latest” because its first TB5 portable drive, the Envoy Ultra Thunderbolt 5, was released back in Sempter 2024.

At the show, OWC launched the ThunderBlade X12, an active optical cable, and the Thunderbolt 5 Hub.

OWC ThunderBlade X12: Thunderbolt 5 meets RAIDs

OWC says the ThunderBlade X12 is designed for those looking for a RAID-capable portable storage device that can offer large amounts of storage at ultra-fast sustained speeds. Specifically, the new drive can offer RAID 5 while remaining compact enough to be used on the go. It has enough to be considered a premium editing drive for video editors working with demanding workflows such as multi-cam sequences at 4K and 6K, 8K, and 12K RAW video or stereoscopic 360 VR (Spatial Video).

The OWC ThunderBlade X12’s highlights include:

• Speeds up to 6,500MB/s – double the performance of its predecessor
• Capacities from 12TB to 96TB with RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10 configurations
• Premium build with dimmable LED lights and enhanced thermal stability
• Designed for workflows involving 8K RAW, 16K video, or VR production

During the demo, the OWC ThunderBlade X12 proved to be a speed black box. It’s worth noting that despite having the metal body as the heatsink, the drive got rather hot during operation. However, that’s generally the case with Thunderbolt 5 devices.

OWC Active Optical Cable: Non-compromising speeds at a distance

To achieve the general speed of Thunderbolt, a standard-specific TB cable is required. Most importantly, you need an active cable to have top performance, especially when you want to connect a device from more than a meter away.

That’s where OWC’s active Optical Cable comes into play. The company says its cable offers a reliable solution for long-distance connectivity of Thunderbolt 5/4/3 and USB4/3/2 devices. The cable provides up to 40Gb/s of stable bandwidth, up to 240W of power delivery, and up to 8K video resolution at up to 15 feet. Sporting optical fiber technology, the cable eliminates the 2-meter distance limit of traditional copper-based Thunderbolt and USB4 cables.

Here are the highlights of OWC’s Active Optical Cable:

• Longer distance connectivity enables optimal placement of USB4 and Thunderbolt 4/3 devices for a highly organized, convenient, quieter, and productive workspace
• Work and play faster with up to 40Gb/s of stable data transfer speed over long-distance
• Compatible with millions of Thunderbolt 5/4/3 and USB4/3/2 USB-C equipped docks, displays, eGPUs, PCIe expansion, external SSDs, RAID storage, and accessories
• Lab-certified to safely deliver up to 240 watts (3M) or 60 watts (4.5M) to charge your devices quickly
• Supports high-resolution displays up to 8K, including DisplayPort over Thunderbolt, Apple Pro Display XDR, Apple Studio Display, LG Ultrafine, and any display plugged into a Thunderbolt dock or hub
• Braided nylon exterior over advanced internal fiber optical cable for highly durable and consistent signal reliability immune to EMI/RFI interference

OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub: Splitting that Thunderbolt port!

As the name suggests, the OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub is a simple device that turns a single Thunderbolt port into more. Specifically, with it, you can turn a single cable connection from your machine into three Thunderbolt 5 ports and one USB-A port.

The hub has up to 80Gb/s of bi-directional data speed – up to 2x faster than Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 – and up to 120Gb/s for higher display bandwidth needs. It’s worth noting this is a hub and not a docking station. For this reason, it has no network port, which can be a deal breaker for some, considering it still requires a power source of its own.

Here are the OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub’s key features:

• Adds more universally compatible Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) ports to a Mac, PC, or iPad Pro.
• Up to 80Gb/s of bi-directional data speed and up to 120Gb/s for higher display bandwidth.
• Compatible with Thunderbolt 5, Thunderbolt 4, Thunderbolt 3, USB4, or USB-C hosts and devices, with up to 8K display support.
• Supports three separate daisy chains of devices – even bus-powered ones – and hot-plugging.
• Up to 140 watts of power delivery.
• Supports both Windows and Mac.
• Fanless aluminum enclosure for quiet and cool operation.

Availability and pricing

OWC says the new ThunderBlade X12 will be available in March, with its pricing being announced then. The Active Optical Cable is now available in two lengths of 3 meters and 4.5 meters, which cost $98.99 and $129.99, respectively. Finally, the Thunderbolt 5 Hub is also available now for $189.99.