Consumercarts

Consumercarts is reader-supported. Learn more

OWC Mercury Helios 3 vs Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 350: Comparison

OWC Mercury Helios 3 and Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 350 separate most on host power delivery: OWC Mercury Helios 3 at 85, Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 350 at 15, 82% in favour of OWC Mercury Helios 3. Max GPU Length splits them by another 24%, again favouring OWC Mercury Helios 3. They match on connection standard and extra ports.

OWC Mercury Helios 3 (Thunderbolt 3 eGPU Enclosure / 400W PSU / Bus-Powered Charging / Predecessor to Helios FX)
OWCOWC Mercury Helios 3
Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 350 (Thunderbolt 3 / 350W PSU / Single-Slot GPU / Ultra-Low-Noise Fan / Compact)
SonnetSonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 350

Specs

Specification
OWC Mercury Helios 3 (Thunderbolt 3 eGPU Enclosure / 400W PSU / Bus-Powered Charging / Predecessor to Helios FX)
OWC Mercury Helios 3
Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 350 (Thunderbolt 3 / 350W PSU / Single-Slot GPU / Ultra-Low-Noise Fan / Compact)
Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 350
Connection StandardThunderbolt 3Thunderbolt 3
BrandOWCSonnet
Extra PortsNone onboard beyond the GPU's own outputsNone onboard beyond the GPU's own outputs
PSU Wattage400350-12%
Host Power Delivery8515-82%
Max GPU Length290220-24%
Cooling TypeActive FanActive, ultra-low-noise Noctua fan
ModelMercury Helios 3eGFX Breakaway Box 350
GPU CompatibilityGTX 10-series through RTX 20-series, dual-slot cardsSingle-slot cards, GTX 1050 Ti to mid-range single-slot workstation and gaming cards
PriceLaunched around $299 (2018)Launched around $299 (2017)

Price comparison

RetailerOWC Mercury Helios 3Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 350
AmazonView on Amazon
Full CompassView on Full Compass

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Solid basic Mac eGPU box, superseded by the Helios FX which OWC still actively sells.

Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 350

6 / 10 Expert Rating

A niche but well-executed pick for single-slot cards and quiet operation, not for gaming-class GPUs.

More comparisons in External GPU Enclosures