OWC Mercury Helios 3S

A New World of Expansion Flexibility

Lightning-fast 40Gb/s transfer speeds: (2) Thunderbolt 3 ports
See more: dedicated DisplayPort 1.4 connection for adding up to an 8K display
Charge while working: 85W notebook charging
Play your card: PCIe (x16) slot for half-length, full-height, single or double-width cards
Maximum potential: daisy-chain up to 5 additional Thunderbolt devices
Built to last: durable and rugged aluminum
Whisper quiet operation: 28.5dB fan for distraction-free use
Easy card installs: no tools required
Secure workflow: locking 12V power connector
Plug and play: no drivers needed and includes Thunderbolt 3 cable
Thunderbolt certified for Mac and Windows
Cooperative: use with Thunderbolt 2/Thunderbolt-equipped Mac¹ and Windows PC computers

A New World of Expansion Flexibility

Lightning-fast 40Gb/s transfer speeds: (2) Thunderbolt 3 ports
See more: dedicated DisplayPort 1.4 connection for adding up to an 8K display
Charge while working: 85W notebook charging
Play your card: PCIe (x16) slot for half-length, full-height, single or double-width cards
Maximum potential: daisy-chain up to 5 additional Thunderbolt devices
Built to last: durable and rugged aluminum
Whisper quiet operation: 28.5dB fan for distraction-free use
Easy card installs: no tools required
Secure workflow: locking 12V power connector
Plug and play: no drivers needed and includes Thunderbolt 3 cable
Thunderbolt certified for Mac and Windows
Cooperative: use with Thunderbolt 2/Thunderbolt-equipped Mac¹ and Windows PC computers

Maximize your PCIe Card Investment

Using a video, audio, storage, network, or even gaming PCIe card with a Mac Pro or PC desktop is a simple matter of inserting your card into an open slot. But what do you do if you have a laptop or even a space-confined desktop like an iMac or Mac mini that doesn’t contain a PCIe slot?

The Mercury Helios 3S is an easy to use yet powerful expansion solution that adds an external PCIe slot to your Thunderbolt 3 equipped computer. Now you can maximize your existing PCIe card investment — or expand it! — while enjoying the flexibility of adding professional-class video production, transcoding, audio processing, data storage, and high-speed network connectivity to your machine.

Retask Without Limits

Instead of buying one or more function-dedicated Thunderbolt interface devices, you can use Mercury Helios 3S like a dock for multiple PCIe cards. Capture incredibly high-quality audio with a PCIe audio card and then retask Helios 3S with a PCIe SSD card to edit and archive tracks. You can swap cards in minutes, adding a new level of flexibility to your workflow.

Capture, Stream, and Share in Seconds

With dual 40Gb/s Thunderbolt 3 ports, the Mercury Helios 3S offers the bandwidth needed to support data-intensive 4K capture cards to speed up diverse video workflows such as vlogging. Boost your DAW with external DSP acceleration and run larger mixes with multiple plug-ins. Live stream the action in your gaming sessions or share files over a 10GbE or Fibre Channel network without any speed throttling.

Pro-Level Performance Cards for Every Need

Mercury Helios 3S supports a wide variety of half-length, full-height, single or double-width, pro-level PCIe cards from leading brands like AJA, Apogee, ATTO, Avid Pro Tools, Blackmagic Design, CalDigit, HighPoint, Intel, Solid State Logic, Universal Audio, and OWC.

Video capture
Digital audio
Solid State Drive (SSD)
40GbE/10GbE network adapters
SAS controllers
Firewire, USB, or eSATA host adapters

OWC Mercury Helios 3S with OWC Mercury Electra 6G SSD inside

Add New Capabilities to Your Workflow

Thunderbolt 3 offers more than just speed. Mercury Helios 3S leverages the full power of Thunderbolt 3 to deliver added potential to your Mac or Windows PC. Daisy-chain up to five additional Thunderbolt peripherals for incredible capabilities to work or play. Charge your notebook with 85W while you work. Even add a 4K display via the DisplayPort interface to expand your viewing space.

Quick and Easy Card Swaps

Disconnect Mercury Helios 3S Thunderbolt cable from computer.
Disconnect power cord from Mercury Helios 3S.
Remove two thumb screws and swap card.
Reconnect power cord to Mercury Helios 3S.
Reconnect Mercury Helios 3S Thunderbolt cable to computer.

Note: If your PCIe card requires a driver, always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for installation.

Thunderbolt Made Easy

We make it easy to choose the right gear. Our Thunderbolt Certified products offer the same performance and functionality whether they are Thunderbolt 3 or Thunderbolt 4. And if you’re rocking a beloved Thunderbolt 2 machine, we offer an adapter so you can plug into our universe of award-winning solutions. No hassles, no confusion. That’s the OWC Difference.

Apple Mac models with Thunderbolt 2/Thunderbolt ports can be connected using an Apple Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter and a Thunderbolt 2 cable (not included). This configuration provides data transfer at up to 20Gb/s but does not support notebook charging.

OWC Thunderbolt Cable Included

OWC Mercury Helios 3S comes with a certified OWC Thunderbolt Cable. But if your workflow demands a different length to make the connection, OWC Thunderbolt (USB-C) Cables are the perfect choice.

Work with Ultimate Confidence

Active workspaces expose gear to unexpected bumps and shoves. OWC ClingOn custom cable stabilizers (available separately) are the quick and easy way to reduce – if not completely eliminate – cable strain on Thunderbolt and USB-C connections so you can work with ultimate confidence even in the highest foot traffic environments.

Apple Mac models with Thunderbolt 2/Thunderbolt ports can be connected using an Apple Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter and a Thunderbolt 2 cable (available separately). This configuration provides data transfer at up to 20Gb/s but does not support notebook charging.