OWC ACCELSIOR 8M2 Guide

OWC ACCELSIOR 8M2
PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD Storage Solution
for Mac Pro 2019 and Windows PC
Maximum Capabilities
RAID Ready
Jaw-Dropping Storage
Up to 8 SSDs
Real World Speeds
Up to 26,296MB/s

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
1.1 System Requirements .....................................................................................3
1.2 Packaging Contents ........................................................................................3
1.3 About This Manual...........................................................................................3
1.4 Side View..........................................................................................................4
INSTALLATION
2.1 Assembly..........................................................................................................5
2.2 PCIe Card Installation......................................................................................7
2.3 Mac & Windows Formatting............................................................................7
SUPPORT RESOURCES
3.1 Troubleshooting...............................................................................................8
3.2 Online Resources.............................................................................................8
3.3 About Data Backup..........................................................................................8
3.4 Contacting Technical Support ........................................................................8
TABLE OF CONTENTS

03INTRODUCTION
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
INTRODUCTION
OWC Accelsior 8M2 Quick start guide SoftRAID license
(with select solutions)
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 rmware 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.
Not Shown: Torx T8
and Phillips 1 Driver

04INTRODUCTION
1.4 SIDE VIEW
1. PCIe bracket – screws into the system chassis to reinforce
card stability
2. PCIe connector – align this part of the device with a compatible
PCIe slot on the host computer or enclosure
3. LED indicator
- Power on: solid green
- Disk activity: flashing green
3

05INSTALLATION
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.
For maximum performance the recommended conguration is all identical drives installed
and congured 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.
3 4
Required Tools: Torx T8 Driver & Phillips 1 Driver
1. 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.
2. Carefully flip the device over and remove the two highlighted
T8 screws to loosen the connection with the heat sink.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
5a
5c
5b

06INSTALLATION
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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).
6 7
8

07INSTALLATION
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
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/download-
latest-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.
x8
x16
x1
x4
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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. 3

08SUPPORT 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 congured to meet the system requirements. If everything is installed normally and
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 les 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, afliates, ofcers, 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
SUPPORT RESOURCES
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, afliates, ofcers, 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! Modications 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 TRADEMARKS:
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
registered trademark property of their owners.
OWCMANACC8M2 – 10.04.2021