OWC Accelsior 8M2 World’s Fastest and Highest Capacity User Guide

: June 13, 2024
: OWC

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION
INSTALLATION
SUPPORT RESOURCES
Documents / Resources

OWC ACCELSIOR 8M2
PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD Storage Solution
for Mac Pro 2019 and Windows PC

| Real World Speeds Up to 26,296MB/s
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| Jaw-Dropping Storage Up to 8 SSDs
| Maximum Capabilities RAID Ready

INTRODUCTION

1.1 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Operating System:

Mac: macOS 10.13.6 or later
PC: Windows 10 or later

Hardware:

Any Mac or PC compatible with Node Titan or third party PCIe chassis that support full height, full length cards, any Mac Pro (2019), or a PC that supports the following:
Form factor: full height, full length
Physical: x16
Lanes: x16 strongly recommended
PCIe 3.0 or later strongly recommended
NOTE: A 6-pin auxiliary power connector is required when using the OWC Accelsior 8M2 with PCIe 4.0 drives in a PCIe 4.0 slot.
NOTE: Proper system cooling should be considered when installing the OWC Accelsior 8M2 into a PC. This can be achieved through the addition of front or side PC case fans or by leaving unused PCIe slots between installed devices.

Drivers:

No driver is required for the Accelsior 8M2, however some M.2 drives may require one. Please review the drive manufacturer’s requirements before installing.

Supported Drives:

Any NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD with an M-key connector
2280 form factor required
Drives with their own heat shield are not supported

1.2 PACKAGE CONTENTS

1.3 ABOUT THIS MANUAL
The images and descriptions may vary slightly between this manual and the unit shipped. Functions and features may change depending on the firmware version. The latest product details and warranty information can be found on the product web page. OWC’s Limited Warranty is not transferable and subject to limitations.
1.4 SIDE VIEW

PCIe bracket – screws into the system chassis to reinforce card stability
PCIe connector – align this part of the device with a compatible PCIe slot on the host computer or enclosure
LED indicator
– Power on: solid green
– Disk activity: flashing gree

INSTALLATION

2.1 ASSEMBLY (0TB CARD ONLY)
This section describes the process of installing drives into the OWC Accelsior 8M2. If you purchased the OWC Accelsior 8M2 with drives pre-installed, please proceed to section 2.3 Mac & Windows Formatting. The Installation video can be watched by visiting
go.owc.com/accelsior8m2/install or by scanning the Install QR Code.

https://go.owc.com/accelsior8m2/install

For maximum performance the recommended configuration is all identical drives installed and configured as a RAID 0 using SoftRAID (license included with select solutions). The most current version of SfotRAID cen be found by visiting:
softraid.com/support/download-lastest-version.

Required Tools: Torx T8 Driver & Phillips 1 Driver

Remove the device from its packaging and set it on a flat work surface with the bracket facing you. Remove the highlighted screw using a Torx T8 driver.
Carefully flip the device over and remove the two highlighted T8 screws to loosen the connection with the heat sink
Carefully separate the PCIe card from the black heat sink. If you initially get more resistance than expected, don’t apply extra force to separate them. Instead you can try to carefully separate the pieces by opening them like a book.
Flip the card over so it is resting on the work surface with the M.2 connectors facing up. Remove the eight highlighted screws with a Phillips 1 driver.
Carefully align the first M.2 drive at a slight angle into its connection (5a) and slide it forward until it snaps into place. Only a modest amount of force is required; do not force the drive if it does not snap into place. Re-align it and try again. Once the drive is seated use one of the screws from Step 4 to secure the drive (5b); you may need to hold the drive down initially until you thread the screw onto the post. Repeat this process for each M.2 drive you intend to install. (5c)
NOTE: When installing M.2 SSDs in the Accelsior 8M2, you may encounter some misalignment between the mounting point on the SSD and the mounting post on the Accelsior 8M2. You can still secure the SSD to the Accelsior 8M2, however the mounting screw may sit slightly higher than the others after installation. This will not affect performance or stability of the SSD. If desired, you can also reduce the height mismatch by pushing the drive toward the drive connector while installing the mounting screw.
Set the PCIe card in front of you oriented as shown. Rotate the heat sink so that the drives align with the thermal pads.
Next, carefully set the heat sink down on the PCIe card so that the six screw holes on the heat sink are over the corresponding holes on the PCIe card. You may need to press the heat sink down with light pressure to ensure the unit is flush.
Re-affix the two T8 screws that you removed in Step 2, and affix the other four included T8 screws. If one or more of the screws does not fasten or does so at a slight angle, don’t apply extra force; the two components may not be fully aligned. Remove the screw(s) then re-check the applicable screw hole(s) on the PCBA PCIe card to make sure you can see through to the corresponding holes on the heat sink then try again. Turn the card over with the PCIe bracket facing you and re-affix the T8 screw that was removed in Step 1. Once complete the drive is ready to install into the host computer (see Section 2.2).

2.2 INSTALLING THE CARD IN A HOST OR PCIE ENCLOSURE
Please follow the steps below to install the OWC Accelsior 8M2 into a host computer or PCIe enclosure with a compatible PCIe slot. Note: this card is susceptible to invisible damage if not protected during installation.
For proper grounding, we recommend using a grounding strap. Work in a clean, static-free area, and avoid wearing clothing that retains static charges. Please visit this URL for more information: www.owcdigital.com/anti- static

Disconnect all power and powered devices from your host or PCIe enclosure. Open the host or enclosure so the compatible PCIe slot(s) are visible and accessible.
NOTE: The OWC Accelsior 8M2 will only physically fit into a 16x PCIe slot (highlighted). Consult your host or enclosure manual to determine the PCIe slot location and physical size.
Align the PCIe connector of the OWC Accelsior 8M2 SSD with the compatible slot on your host as highlighted. Carefully seat the drive into the slot.
If there is resistance, do not force the drive into the slot. Remove the drive, re-align the connector, and try again.
Once the drive is fully seated affix the included screw to the bracket as highlighted. NOTE: The OWC Accelsior 8M2 SSD requires power through the 6-pin power connector (highlighted) when using with PCIe 4.0 drives in a PCIe 4.0 slot.

2.3 MAC & WINDOWS FORMATTING
If you purchased the OWC Accelsior 8M2 with drives pre-installed, they were formatted as a RAID 0 volume for Mac using SoftRAID. We commend you download the lastest version at softraid.com/support/downloadlatest- version and install the application to get the best performance.
Note: the SoftRAID serial number is on the device.
– If you are using a Windows PC the OWC Accelsior 8M2 will need to be reconfigured before the device can be used. Please download and install SoftRAID for Windows, which has a feature for converting Mac SoftRAID volumes to PC. The latest Windows version can also be found at softraid.com/support /download-latest-version.

SUPPORT RESOURCES

3.1 TROUBLESHOOTING
Many problems can be traced back to an improperly seated M.2 drive (0GB models only) or PCIe card, or host compatibility issues (e.g. installing the card in a slower PCIe 2.0 slot or a PCIe 3.x slot with too few data lanes to support the desired performance, or installed in a computer running an older version of Windows or macOS). Make sure that the M.2 drives (0GB) only and/or the PCIe card is seated properly, and that the computer is configured to meet the system requirements. If everything is installed normally nd you’re still having trouble, please contact technical support.
3.2 ONLINE RESOURCES

Data Migration: owcdigital.com/migrating-your-mac-os-x-installation-to-a-new-drive
Mac & PC Formatting: owcdigital.com/support/formatting
Installation Video: eshop.macsales.com/installvideos/owc_accelsior_8m2_ssd/
SoftRAID User Guide: softraid.com/using-softraid
Additional SoftRAID Resources: softraid.com/support
Product Overview Page: eshop.macsales.com/shop/ssd/owc-accelsior-8m2

3.3 ABOUT DATA BACKUP
To ensure that your files are protected and to prevent data loss, we strongly suggest that you keep two copies of your data: one copy on your OWC Accelsior 8M2 and a second copy on your internal drive or another storage medium, such as an optical backup, or on a second external storage unit. Any data loss or corruption while using the Accelsior 8M2 is the sole responsibility of the user, and under no circumstances may OWC, its parent, partners, affiliates, officers, employees, or agents be held liable for loss of the use of data including compensation of any kind or recovery of the data.

3.4 CONTACTING TECHNICAL SUPPORT

Phone: M–F, 8am–6pm CT
1.866.692.7100 (N. America) | +1.815.338.4751 (Int’l)
Chat: M–F, 8am–6pm, Sat 9am–5pm CT
www.owc.com/support
Email: Answered within 48 hours
www.owc.com/support

CHANGES:
The material in this document is for information purposes only and subject to change without notice.
While reasonable efforts have been made in the preparation of this document to assure its accuracy, OWC, its parent, partners, affiliates, officers, employees, and agents assume no liability resulting from errors or omissions in this document, or from the use of the information contained herein. OWC reserves the right to make changes or revisions in the product design or the product manual without reservation and without obligation to notify any person of such revisions and changes.
FCC STATEMENT:
Warning! Modifications not authorized by the manufacturer may void the user’s authority to operate this device.
NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference with radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.

WARRANTY:
The Accelsior 8M2 has a 5 Year OWC Limited Warranty if it was bundled with drives. Accelsior 8M2 enclosures that do not ship with drives have a 3 Year OWC Limited Warranty.
For up-to-date product and warranty information, please visit the product web page.
COPYRIGHTS AND TRADEMARK S:
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consent of OWC.
© 2021 Other World Computing, Inc. All rights reserved. Accelsior, OWC, and the OWC logo are trademarks of New Concepts Development Corporation, registered in the U.S. and/or other countries. Mac and macOS are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Thunderbolt and the Thunderbolt logo are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other marks may be the trademark or

OWCMANACC8M2 – 10.04.2021

Documents / Resources

| OWC Accelsior 8M2 World's Fastest and Highest Capacity [pdf] User Guide
Accelsior 8M2 World s Fastest and Highest Capacity, Accelsior 8M2, World s Fastest and Highest Capacity, Highest Capacity, Capacity
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