Areca ARC-8050T5U-8E Thunderbolt™ 5 80 Gb/s Enclosure | USB 3.2 RAID 8x SAS/SATA

Areca ARC-8050T5U-8E – 8-bay Thunderbolt™ 5 hardware RAID array for SAS and SATA drives

High-Performance Thunderbolt™ 5 RAID Array for Professional Applications

Areca ARC-8050T5U-8E is a professional, enterprise-class 8-bay RAID array designed for the most demanding users of Apple Mac and Windows computers. Equipped with the latest Thunderbolt™ 5 interface, it delivers up to 80 Gb/s of bandwidth, and with Bandwidth Boost technology, up to 120 Gb/s, enabling smooth workflow with 4K, 8K, and multi-stream video projects.

The ARC-8050T5U-8E model supports 8 SAS 12 Gb/s or SATA 6 Gb/s drives, offering a next-generation hardware RAID controller, a large cache, and the ability to further expand the system using external drive enclosures.

Key Features

• Thunderbolt™ 5 with up to 80 Gb/s bandwidth
• Bandwidth Boost up to 120 Gb/s
• 8 bays for 12 Gb/s SAS and 6 Gb/s SATA drives
• High-performance PCIe Gen4 hardware RAID controller
• 8 GB of DDR4 ECC cache
• Two Thunderbolt™ 5 (USB-C) ports
• Compatible with Thunderbolt 5, Thunderbolt 4, Thunderbolt 3 (Mac), and USB 3.2 Gen2
• Mini SAS HD SFF-8644 (4-lane) expansion port for connecting additional drive enclosures
• DisplayPort 2.1 output
• Support for up to 10 Thunderbolt devices via daisy chain
• Hardware-based data encryption
• Support for SED (Self-Encrypting Drives).

Thunderbolt 5 – the new standard in performance

Thanks to the Thunderbolt™ 5 interface, users get an extremely fast connection to an Apple Mac Studio, Mac Pro, or MacBook Pro, allowing them to simultaneously:

• edit 4K and 8K footage,
• render special effects,
• transfer massive data libraries,
• support high-resolution monitors,
• and work with multiple Thunderbolt devices at the same time.

The array can also work with computers equipped only with a USB-C port (USB 3.2 Gen 2), ensuring high compatibility with modern workstations.

Enterprise-Class Hardware RAID

At the heart of the ARC-8050T5U-8E is a modern Tri-Mode Dual-Core ARM A15 1.6 GHz ROC controller paired with 8 GB of ECC-protected DDR4-2666 memory.

Hardware-based RAID support ensures maximum performance and data security without placing a load on the computer’s CPU.

Supported RAID levels:

• RAID 0
• RAID 1
• RAID 10
• RAID 3
• RAID 5
• RAID 6
• RAID 30
• RAID 50
• RAID 60
• JBOD
• Single Disk

Additionally, the device offers features such as online RAID migration, capacity expansion without downtime, automatic array recovery, and advanced disk health monitoring.

Scalability for Growing Needs

The 8E model is equipped with a Mini SAS HD SFF-8644 (4-lane) port that allows you to connect additional drive shelves and expand storage capacity.

This is an ideal solution for users whose storage needs are constantly growing, without having to replace their entire storage infrastructure.

Designed for Apple Mac and Windows

The Areca ARC-8050T5U-8E works seamlessly with:

• Apple Mac Studio
• Mac Pro
• MacBook Pro
• Mac mini
• Apple Silicon computers (M1, M2, M3, M4, and newer)
• Windows computers equipped with Thunderbolt™ 5 or Thunderbolt™ 4

Thanks to its USB-C compatibility, the device can also work with computers that do not have a Thunderbolt interface.

Technical Specifications

• Model: Areca ARC-8050T5U-8E
• Number of bays: 8
• Host interface: 2 × Thunderbolt™ 5 (USB-C)
• Bandwidth up to 80 Gb/s (120 Gb/s Bandwidth Boost)
• Supported drives: 12 Gb/s SAS, 6 Gb/s SATA
• RAID controller: Dual-Core ARM A15 1.6 GHz ROC (PCIe Gen4)
• Cache: 8 GB DDR4-2666 ECC
• Expansion port 1 × Mini SAS HD SFF-8644 (4-lane)
• Supported RAID levels 0, 1, 10, 3, 5, 6, 30, 50, 60, JBOD, Single Disk
• Video output DisplayPort 2.1
• Daisy chain up to 10 devices
• Power supply 300 W
• Cooling: 2 smart fans
• Dimensions: 146 × 302 × 290 mm
• Weight: approx. 6.8 kg
• Operating system: macOS 15.3 or later, Windows 11 (23H2) or later; USB – platform-independent
• Included: active Thunderbolt™ 5 cable

Ideal Applications

The Areca ARC-8050T5U-8E is perfect for:

• professional editing of 4K and 8K content,
• film and television studios,
• post-production,
• photography and graphic design,
• data archiving,
• DIT environments,
• backing up large data sets,
• and business applications requiring high performance and data security.

Why buy from Abart Pro?

Abart Pro is the official provider of professional Areca solutions for macOS and Windows users. We offer Thunderbolt RAID arrays, RAID controllers, SAS and Fibre Channel solutions, and storage systems for film studios, photographers, content creators, and data centers. We provide professional technical consulting, assistance in selecting the right RAID configuration, and support during the implementation of high-performance and reliable data storage systems.