OWC Mercury Accelsior Pro Q User manual

MERCURY ACCELSIOR PRO Q
Installation Guide

Introduction.................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Minimum System Requirements
1.1.1 Apple Mac Requirements
1.1.2 PC Requirements
1.1.3 PCIe Chassis Requirements
1.2 Package Contents
1.3 About This Manual
Device Setup................................................................................................. 2
2.1 Installation: Mac Pro 2009–2012
2.2 Installation: Mac Pro 2008
2.3 Installation: PC Logic Board (ATX)
Support Resources ............................................................................... 16
3.1 Driver information
3.2 Formatting
3.3 Troubleshooting
3.4 About Data Backup
3.5 Contacting Technical Support
CONTENTS
OWC Mercury Accelsior Pro Q Table of Contents

OWC Mercury Accelsior Pro Q Introduction
1
1.1 Minimum System Requirements
1.1.1 Apple Mac Requirements
• Mac Pro 3,1 MacPro4,1 MacPro5,1
• PCIe 2.0 x16 slot recommended for
best performance.
• Driver Required
• OS X 10.9-10.11.6
• macOS 10.12 or later
1.1.2 PC Requirements
• PC with a x8 or x16 slot
• PCIe 2.0 or higher recommended
• Driver Required (Windows 7 or later)
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 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.
OWC Mercury Accelsior Pro Q SSD Power Splitter Cable
INTRODUCTION
1.1.3 PCIe Chassis Requirements
• Compatible with most Thunderbolt™PCIe chassis
• Not compatible with OWC Mercury Helios 3
Important: The Accelsior Pro Q cannot be used as a system drive or
boot-drive on either Mac or PC. The driver can be downloaded at:
www.owcdigital.com/support/software-drivers

OWC Mercury Accelsior Pro Q Device Setup
2
2.1 Installation: Mac Pro 2009–2012
Before proceeding with the installation steps below, shut down your Mac Pro,
disconnect the power cable and all connected peripherals.
1. Lift the latch on the back of the Mac Pro (not shown) and then remove the side-cover.
Once removed you should see a view of the Mac Pro similar to the one below.
2. To create more room, remove the two drive trays on the left. If you nd it dicult to
access the items required in subsequent steps, remove the remaining two trays.
Your computer is a static-sensitive device. It is susceptible
to invisible damage if not protected during installation. We
recommend proper grounding by using a grounding strap. Make
sure to work in a clean, static-free area, and avoid wearing
clothing that retains static charges. For more information please
visit: www.owcdigital.com/support/anti-static
DEVICE SETUP

OWC Mercury Accelsior Pro Q Device Setup
3
3. Press and hold the circular, grey button on the right edge of the fan assembly, then gently
push the outer part of the assembly towards the front of the Mac Pro. This will allow you
to remove full length GPUs. Note the numbered grooves that are revealed (not shown);
these correspond to each PCIe slot on the logic board.
4. If your GPU (graphics card) has a power cable extending from the back of it, carefully
disconnect it from the GPU. The appearance of your GPU may vary.
5. Loosen the two thumbscrews on the PCIe slot cover plate at the back of the Mac Pro,
then remove the plate. You may need to use a short Phillips screwdriver.

OWC Mercury Accelsior Pro Q Device Setup
4
6. Carefully remove the GPU from its PCIe slot. If the GPU is also slotted into the fan
assembly noted in Step 3, slide the left edge of the card toward you rst, in order to pull
the card out of the case. Do not attempt to force the card out of the case if it feels stuck.
7. Loosen the two Phillips screws on the fan housing (shown in red), then use your ngers to
make the nal few turns and remove the screws. This will help ensure you don’t drop
them inside the machine, as they can be dicult to retrieve.
8. Pull the entire fan assembly straight out. If it catches on the cut-outs (shown below-right)
you may have to tilt it or lift upward slightly as you pull.

OWC Mercury Accelsior Pro Q Device Setup
5
9. Hold down the clip on the top of the 4-pin power cable (shown in red) and gently pull the
plug toward you to disconnect it from the logic board’s power port.
10. Connect the female, 4-pin connector on the short end of the included power splitter
cable (below left), to the cable you disconnected in Step 9. You may need to rotate the
connectors slightly in order be sure that the clip on the 4-pin power cable (yellow arrow,
below-right) is oriented so that it slides over the triangular latch on the splitter cable’s
4-pin connector. It should snap into place.
11. Connect the male 4-pin connector on the power splitter cable to the power port on the
logic board (shown in Step 9). Make sure the clip on the cable is oriented so that is rests
on the top side of the power port. It should snap into place.

OWC Mercury Accelsior Pro Q Device Setup
6
12. Reseat the fan assembly into the two slots on the metal casing (shown below) and
carefully slide it all the way to the logic board. Refasten the screws removed in Step 7.
13. Thread the cable you connected in Steps 10 and 11 over and around the back of the
fan assembly, as shown below. Be careful not to crimp the cable.
14. Carefully reseat the GPU into the PCIe slot, then reconnect its power cable. Note: If you
have a full-length GPU, make sure the outer part of the fan assembly that you slid to the
left in Step 3, is still to the left so that you can slide the rear portion of the GPU into the
case rst.

OWC Mercury Accelsior Pro Q Device Setup
7
15. Remove the slot cover that corresponds to the open 16x PCIe slot, then carefully
install the Accelsior Pro Q into that slot. Note: this SSD will also work with an available
PCIe 2.0 x4 slot, but at reduced speeds.
16. Connect the long end of the included power cable to the back of the Mercury Accelsior
Pro Q. Make sure the cabling extends upward.
17. Reseat the slot cover plate that you removed in Step 4 and secure the GPU and
Accelsior Pro Q brackets to the back of the Mac Pro using the plate’s thumbscrews. You
may need to angle the top in rst (shown at rest on the PCIe mezzanine below), then
nudge the bottom edge straight back until it snaps into place. It is a tight t by design.
18. Reseat all drive trays that were removed during the installation. Then re-seat the side
cover on the Mac Pro and secure it using the latch on the back of the computer. The
installation process is now complete. Proceed to Section 3.1 —Driver Information

OWC Mercury Accelsior Pro Q Device Setup
8
2.2 Installation: Mac Pro 2008
Before proceeding with the installation steps below, shut down your Mac Pro,
disconnect the power cable and all connected peripherals.
1. Lift the latch on the back of the Mac Pro then remove the side-cover and set it aside.
2. Remove the two drive trays on the left so there is more room to work inside the case. If
you need more room in subsequent steps, you can remove the two remaining drive trays.
3. Loosen the two thumbscrews on the PCIe slot cover plate , then remove the plate. You
may need to use a short Phillips screwdriver.
Your computer is a static-sensitive device. It is susceptible
to invisible damage if not protected during installation. We
recommend proper grounding by using a grounding strap.
Make sure to work in a clean, static-free area, and avoid
wearing clothing that retains static charges. Please visit:
www.owcdigital.com/support/anti-static