The ARC-8050T5U-4A is Areca's 4-bay desktop RAID enclosure configured for SAS/SATA drives and built for professional video and content workflows that require a compact Thunderbolt 5 storage target.
It combines a hardware RAID controller, ECC-protected SDRAM cache and dual Thunderbolt 5 ports with a full-size DisplayPort output to deliver managed, high-bandwidth storage for Mac and Windows hosts.
Performance And Controller
At the core is a Raid-on-Chip (ROC) storage controller with on-board SDRAM cache and ECC protection to offload parity and RAID computation from the host and to maintain throughput during rebuilds or heavy I/O.
Drive And RAID Support
The 4A variant provides SAS/SATA-only bays and supports a range of hardware RAID levels including 0, 1, 10, 3, 5, 6, Single Disk and JBOD to match performance and redundancy needs.
Connectivity
Two Thunderbolt 5 ports and one full-size DisplayPort are provided on the rear. Thunderbolt 5 delivers up to 80 Gbps bi-directional bandwidth and Bandwidth Boost up to 120 Gbps for display-heavy workflows, and the unit includes a 1m 120 Gbps active Thunderbolt 5 cable.
Security
Controller-level hardware encryption is supported along with SED (self-encrypting drive) functionality; the controller supports 128- and 256-bit AES keys or password-based keys to protect data at rest.
Management
Configuration and monitoring can be handled locally via the front-panel LCD or remotely using McRAID web manager and ArcSAP. The enclosure also provides an RJ-45 out-of-band management port so the unit can be managed without disturbing host access.
Power And Cooling
The ARC-8050T5U-4A uses intelligent fan control (1 x 2700rpm fan) to minimise acoustic impact while maintaining thermal performance and includes power On/Off controls that can mirror host power state for data integrity.
Physical And Deployment
The desktop 4-bay chassis is compact and portable for a workstation environment, with dimensions and weight suited to studio desks and mobile content-creation setups.
Compatibility
The enclosure supports Thunderbolt 5 hosts (macOS 15.3 or above, Windows 11 (23H2) or above), Thunderbolt 4 and Thunderbolt 3 (Mac-only) hosts, and offers USB-C compatibility via USB 3.2 Gen 2 when connected to a USB-C port.