OWC Announces Aura PCIe-based SSD Upgrade Kits for Mid-2013 and Later Macs — OWC’s Most Anticipated Release Ever!

OWC Digital®, a world-leading producer of Mac and PC technology products, is announcing its all-new Aura SSD for Mid-2013 and later Mac laptops.  Being offered in both 480GB and 1TB capacities, the Aura SSD upgrade kits are the first and only PCIe-based flash storage upgrades available for both the MacBook Air (mid-2013 and newer) and MacBook Pro with Retina display (late 2013 and newer) models.  OWC indicates that this is their most anticipated storage upgrade release ever!

Not only does the Aura SSD upgrade kit provide up to 8x the original factory storage capacity, it also includes all tools required and an OWC Envoy Pro drive enclosure to allow repurposing of the factory-installed drive as a high-performance external storage solution.  This can be as simple as removing a few screws with the provided tools, and following free and comprehensive install videos to facilitate your upgrade.  In the event of a problem, OWC’s award-winning expert support is readily available to assist.

OWC’s Aura PCIe-based flash storage is engineered from the ground up for reliable performance that is completely compatible with your Mac.  This includes selection of only the highest-quality components, and then designing a solution that is a perfect fit and works seamlessly with your Mac.

Aura SSDs utilize only top-tier NAND to achieve amazing performance and reliability.  Three-level error correction via low-density parity checks provides greatly improved reliability and RAID-like data protection.  Aura features a powerful embedded processor that monitors and re-writes data blocks as needed to maintain correct charge at the cell level, which improves data integrity and extends the drive’s lifespan.  By utilizing a global wear-leveling algorithm, Aura evenly distributes data across your SSD, ensuring that no section of flash wears out prematurely.

According to Larry O’Connor, Founder and CEO of OWC, “We are excited and proud to be the first manufacturer to bring to market a PCIe-based flash storage upgrade for mid 2013 and later Macs.  With nearly two years in development, the new Aura SSD represents a significant engineering accomplishment.  Users that may have had to closely manage their storage space on a small 128GB factory SSD will now have more room than ever before for their documents, photos, videos and music.  Content creators such as photographers and musicians will also experience new-found flexibility and workflow options thanks to the greater storage capacity, especially with the 1.0TB Aura model.”

OWC’s Aura SSD utilizes a Silicon Motion 2256 flash controller and a Marvell 9230 RAID controller to achieve peak data rates of 763 MB/s reads and 446 MB/s writes, and incompressible data rates of 754 MB/s reads and 425 MB/s writes.  OWC backs the Aura SSD to the tune of a three-year limited warranty.

OWC’s new Aura SSD for Mid 2013 and Later MacBook Pro with Retina display and MacBook Air is available to order at special introductory pricing from select authorized OWC resellers, with shipping expected to begin in late March.  Pricing is shown in the chart below:

You can view the Aura SSD product page here; and the OWC press release announcing it in its entirety here.