Echo Express III-R (Thunderbolt 3 Edition)

Connect Three Full-Length PCIe Cards to Any Mac with a Thunderbolt 3 Port

For pros working in the creative fields, a computer’s processing power alone is not enough to get the job done. A prime example is the latest MacBook Pro®, which, while offering great performance, lacks the PCIe expansion slots necessary to support specialty cards that connect pro video and audio inputs, transcode data, and connect to high-speed storage and networks. Instead of slots, these computers include ultra high-performance Thunderbolt™ 3 ports to support peripherals. Sonnet’s Echo™ Express III-R (Thunderbolt 3 Edition) leverages the Thunderbolt 3 ports’ PCIe data to connect PCIe expansion slots outside of a computer. This desktop Thunderbolt-to-PCIe card expansion chassis enables you to connect three professional PCIe cards—including video capture, audio interface, SAS or SATA HBA, 16Gb or 8Gb Fibre Channel, 10 Gigabit Ethernet, and RAID controllers—at the same time to any Mac® or Windows®⁽¹⁾ computer with a Thunderbolt 3 port.

The Echo Express III-R (Thunderbolt 3 Edition) features a 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3 interface, which offers double the PCIe bandwidth and connectivity of Thunderbolt 2, and yields up to 2750 MB/s of bandwidth, enabling it to support 4K video capture and processing cards at high frame rates, and 16Gb FC cards and dual-port 10GbE cards at full performance⁽²⁾⁽³⁾. With the ability to handle multiple demanding, highest performance PCIe cards, support for connecting two 4K displays @ 60Hz or one 5K display @ 60Hz⁽⁴⁾, and support for a vast array of Thunderbolt⁽⁵⁾ and USB⁽⁶⁾ devices, Thunderbolt 3 is a leap forward in every way.

Three PCIe 3.0 Slots, No Compromise

Sonnet’s Echo Express III-R supports three full-size PCIe cards, up to 12.28 inches (full-length) long. The III-R integrates a universal 300W power supply and includes a 75W PCIe power connector for cards that require supplementary power, such as the Avid® Pro Tools|HDX or the RED® ROCKET-X.

Even with all that power, the III-R is enviro-friendly; it automatically powers on or off whenever the connected computer powers on or wakes, or powers off or sleeps, respectively.