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OWC Mercury Helios 3 vs PowerColor Devil Box: Comparison
What is the difference between OWC Mercury Helios 3 and PowerColor Devil Box?
They are built to different briefs, and cooling type shows it, OWC Mercury Helios 3 Active Fan against PowerColor Devil Box Active fan, vented steel chassis. PowerColor Devil Box also leads on psu wattage, 400 W on the OWC Mercury Helios 3 versus 500 W on the PowerColor Devil Box. They differ on extra ports too, None onboard beyond the GPU's own outputs on the OWC Mercury Helios 3 versus None beyond the PCIe slot; bare-bones enclosure on the PowerColor Devil Box.
OWC Mercury Helios 3 vs PowerColor Devil Box: which one fits your build
The OWC Mercury Helios 3 suits simple, no-frills dual-slot GPU builds under 400W, though it is not built for cards that need more than 290mm of clearance and Windows users wanting extra I/O built into the box. It also earns its place with Mac users who find a used unit cheap and just need a bare Thunderbolt 3 enclosure. It is the wrong buy for anyone buying new, since the Mercury Helios FX replaced it with more PSU headroom. Buy the PowerColor Devil Box for AMD Radeon card owners with XConnect-supported laptops and buyers wanting a simple, no-extra-ports enclosure, though it is not the pick for anyone wanting USB/Ethernet hub functionality and NVIDIA card owners (XConnect is AMD-specific). Our rating of the OWC Mercury Helios 3 (6/10): solid basic Mac eGPU box, superseded by the Helios FX which OWC still actively sells. Our rating of the PowerColor Devil Box (5/10): A historically significant early Thunderbolt 3 eGPU box, but bare-bones even by the standards of its own era and long discontinued.
Which is cheaper, OWC Mercury Helios 3 or PowerColor Devil Box?
They cost within a few percent of each other, $299 versus $300 when we last looked.
Where the two are identical
Where they agree, they agree completely, connection standard included, so the decision does not turn on any of those.
Specs and benchmarks
Brand
- OWC Mercury Helios 3
- OWC
- PowerColor Devil Box
- PowerColor
Connection Standard
- OWC Mercury Helios 3
- Thunderbolt 3
- PowerColor Devil Box
- Thunderbolt 3
Model Number
- OWC Mercury Helios 3
- Mercury Helios 3
- PowerColor Devil Box
- Devil Box
Extra Ports
- OWC Mercury Helios 3
- None onboard beyond the GPU's own outputs
- PowerColor Devil Box
- None beyond the PCIe slot; bare-bones enclosure
PSU Wattage
- OWC Mercury Helios 3
- 400 W-20%
- PowerColor Devil Box
- 500 WBest
Cooling Type
- OWC Mercury Helios 3
- Active Fan
- PowerColor Devil Box
- Active fan, vented steel chassis
Price
- OWC Mercury Helios 3
- Launched around $299 (2018)
- PowerColor Devil Box
- Launched around $299.99 (2017)
Which one should you pick?
Choose OWC Mercury Helios 3 if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Choose PowerColor Devil Box if you want the higher PSU wattage (500 W vs 400 W).
Price comparison
| Retailer | OWC Mercury Helios 3 | PowerColor Devil Box |
|---|---|---|
| Consumercarts listing | $299.00 View on Consumercarts listing | $299.99 View on Consumercarts listing |
Disclaimer: The price and specification of the given product may differ from the actual product. Please confirm on the retailer's website before buying.
Verdict
OWC Mercury Helios 3
6 / 10 Expert Rating
Solid basic Mac eGPU box, superseded by the Helios FX which OWC still actively sells.
PowerColor Devil Box
5 / 10 Expert Rating
A historically significant early Thunderbolt 3 eGPU box, but bare-bones even by the standards of its own era and long discontinued.