3-slot Desktop Thunderbolt to PCIe Card Expansion System for Computers with Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 3 Ports
Although Mac®, Windows®, and Linux® computers with Thunderbolt™ 4 or Thunderbolt 3 ports offer processing power to spare, for many users (such as pros in the creative fields) onboard processing power alone is not enough. The computers lack the PCIe expansion slots needed to install specialty cards that add video and audio inputs, transcode data, and connect to high-speed shared storage and networks. Sonnet’s Echo™ Express SE IIIe is a compact, desktop Thunderbolt to PCIe card expansion system that enables you to connect three professional PCIe cards to your computer at the same time, via a single Thunderbolt cable.
Smaller than the 3-slot Echo III Desktop, the Echo Express SE IIIe is still large enough to support nearly every Thunderbolt compatible, non-GPU card available. With its three x8 slots, the SE IIIe supports PCIe 4.0, 3.0, PCIe 2.0, and PCIe 1.1 cards up to 7.75 inches long. Do you have a card in mind but aren’t sure it’s compatible? We’ve put together a list in our supporting PCIe Card Thunderbolt Compatibility Chart (PDF). There you’ll find cards identified as conforming to Thunderbolt technology requirements, and organized by fit and power compatibility with specific expansion system.
Aluminum Enclosure. Auto Power On/Off.
The inside of the Echo Express SE IIIe is wrapped in a rugged, yet lightweight aluminum outer shell, resulting in a lightweight system small enough to carry in your backpack, yet durable enough to protect the installed PCIe cards securely. Since Echo Express products automatically power on and off with your computer, there is no power switch on the chassis, ensuring you don’t waste energy by forgetting to turn it off.
Echo Express SE IIIe’s PCIe 3.0 x8 slots support three half-length+, full-height, single-width PCIe cards, or one single-width card plus one double-width card.
Some specialty cards, such as RME’s HDSPe MADI FX, Blackmagic Design’s DeckLink 4K Extreme, and the Lynx AES16e 50, include a daughter card that mates with and provides additional external connections to the main card.
Echo Express SE IIIe includes an auxiliary PCIe power connector, enabling you to install a card requiring extra power, such as the AJA® Kona® 5 or Blackmagic DeckLink 4K Extreme 12G, and Bluefish444’s Epoch and KRONOS SDI cards.
All the Right Connections
Sonnet includes a Thunderbolt cable that supports Thunderbolt's full 40Gbps bandwidth, and is fully compatible with Thunderbolt 4 and Thunderbolt 3 computers. Sonnet also provides a ThunderLok™ 3 Thunderbolt connector retainer clip(1) that prevents accidental cable disconnections—just slide it over one end of the cable, and then plug in the connector and secure it to the chassis by turning a thumbscrew. Because of its unique design, ThunderLok remains on the cable so it won’t get lost when not in use.
Mac Compatibility
Windows Compatibility
- Windows 10 computer with Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 3 ports
- Windows 11 does not support multiple-slot Thunderbolt expansion systems. We are working with Microsoft to resolve the issue.
Linux Compatibility
- Linux computer with Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 3 ports
- Linux Kernel 5.0+
Part Number
- ECHO-EX-SE3E-T3
- ECHO-EX-SE3E-EU (for EU countries)
Warranty
Form Factor
- Thunderbolt desktop enclosure
External Connectors
- Two Thunderbolt ports
- 12V power port
Internal Connector
- 6-pin Mini-Fit Jr (same type as on legacy Mac Pro motherboard; provides power for PCIe card that requires supplemental power)
Expansion Slots
- One x8 mechanical (x4 electrical) PCIe 3.0
- Two x8 mechanical (x8 electrical) PCIe 3.0
PCIe Cards Supported
- One half-length+ (up to 7.75 inches long), double-width, full-height x8 PCIe card, plus one single-width card or
- Three half-length+, single-width, full-height x8 PCIe cards
Power Adapter
- Universal 120W, 100-240V, 50-60 Hz
- NRTL Certified
Fan
Operating Temperature
- 0ºC to 35ºC (32ºF to 95ºF)
Dimensions (WxDxH)
- 6.5 x 11 x 4.6 in. (16.5 x 27.9 x 11.7 cm)
Weight
Compliance
- RoHS 3 (Directive 2015/863)
- EC62368-1 and IEC62368-2 Safety
Package Contents
- Echo Express SE IIIe Desktop Enclosure
- Universal power adapter
- Region-specific power cable for US, Australia, Europe, Japan, Switzerland, or UK
- 6-pin PCIe auxiliary power cable
- Thunderbolt cable
- ThunderLok 3 Thunderbolt connector retainer clip(1)
- Documentation
