PCIe extensions for Thunderbolt 5 on the Mac

Most Macs do not have expansion shafts – with the exception of the now outdated Mac Pro M2 Ultra. The accessory specialist Sonnet has now presented a total of four new models for the external use of PCIe cards. The special thing: It is the first systems with Thunderbolt 5. They have been specially developed for Macs with Apple Silicon: Mac Mini M4 Pro, Mac Studio 2025 and MacBook Pro and M4 Max come with the fast interface.

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Four devices for different applications

The starting variant is always a so -called Echo-II-DV-Thunderbolt-5 module. It is either inserted into a desktop housing or a rack mount. After all, the module also fits into the XMAC Studio, a rack move especially for the Mac Studio. Thunderbolt 5 is downward 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 later, you could go for this expansion box.

The Echo-II-DV-Thunderbolt-5 module. Comes with a dual dog interface that is supposed to create 6000 MB/s gross twice. A 400-watt power supply with two 75-watt auxiliary power ports is integrated. As usual, the PCIe extension of Apple-Silicon-MACs does not work with graphics cards (GPUS).

Full height and length for X16 tickets

To do this, you can use audio cards, multimedia accelerators or flash module cards, possibly with the corresponding drivers. The slots are each provided for two X16 PCIE 4.0 cards, in full and length (up to 12.28 inches). Two TB5 cables are included. DV I/O cards, NVME-SSD memory or 25 GB-multiport-Ethernet adapter are already available.

However, the fun is not cheap. The module alone costs 1462 euros (without cover). With desktop housing, 1608 euros are to be paid, with Rackmount (two units) 1754 euros-although a second module (for four cards then) fits in the latter. The variant combined the XMAC Studio and the TB5 case for two cards costs 2266 euros. Delivery starts from the end of the second quarter. Sonnet sells directly or via a professional sales partner.