PCIe extensions for Thunderbolt 5 on the Mac
Graphics cards are still taboo, but Sonnet has the first PCIe enclosures for Apple Silicon with TB5 on offer. There are four models.
Echo II DV Thunderbolt 5 modules: Two cards for PCIe.
(Image: Sonnet)
Most Macs do not have expansion slots – with the exception of the now obsolete Mac Pro M2 Ultra. The accessory specialist Sonnet has now introduced a total of four new models for the external use of PCIe cards. The special feature: They are the first systems with Thunderbolt 5 and have been developed specifically for Macs with Apple Silicon: Mac mini M4 Pro, Mac Studio 2025 and MacBook Pro M4 Pro and M4 Max come with the fast interface.
Four devices for different applications
The output variant is always a so-called Echo II DV Thunderbolt 5 module. It is either inserted into a desktop housing or a rackmount. Finally, the module also fits into the xMac Studio, a rackmount specially designed for the Mac Studio. Thunderbolt 5 is backwards compatible, so it can also be used on Macs that still have Thunderbolt 3 or 4. So if you are planning to buy a new Mac at a later date, you could go straight for this expansion box.
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The Echo II DV Thunderbolt 5 module comes with a dual Thunderbolt interface that is designed to achieve two gross speeds of 6000 MB/s. A 400-watt power supply with two 75-watt auxiliary power ports is integrated. As usual, the PCIe expansion on Apple Silicon Macs does not work with graphics cards (GPUs).
Full height and length for x16 cards
Instead, audio cards, multimedia accelerators or flash module cards can be used, with the corresponding drivers if necessary. The slots are each designed for two x16 PCIe 4.0 cards, full height and length (up to 12.28 inches). Two TB5 cables are supplied. DV I/O cards, NVMe SSD memory and 25 Gb multiport Ethernet adapters are already available.
However, the fun doesn't come cheap. The module alone costs 1462 euros (without cover). With a desktop housing it costs 1608 euros, with a rackmount (two height units) 1754 euros –, whereby a second module (for four cards) also fits in the latter. The variant that combines xMac Studio and the TB5 housing for two cards costs 2266 euros. Deliveries will start at the end of the second quarter. Sonnet sells directly or via professional sales partners.
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