Sonnet Technologies ECHO-EXP-SEL-T3 Thunderbolt 3 PCIe expansion chassis 1 low-profile slot

Thunderbolt 3 PCIe expansion

The Sonnet Echo Express SEL adds a single low-profile PCIe slot to any Mac or Windows computer with a Thunderbolt 3 port. It connects through a 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3 interface and delivers up to 2750 MB/s of PCIe bandwidth. The chassis uses a robust black aluminum enclosure for quiet, fanless operation. It is built for professionals who need to attach capture cards, network adapters or storage controllers without opening the host system.

Replaces internal PCIe slots

This expansion chassis replaces the need for an internal PCIe slot when the host computer lacks one or when all slots are occupied. The upgrade is worth it when you must add a Fibre Channel, 10 Gigabit Ethernet, SAS or SATA host bus adapter, RAID controller or video capture card to a laptop or compact desktop. It supports Thunderbolt-compatible 16Gb and 8Gb Fibre Channel cards and enables 4K video capture at high frame rates. Buyers who need multiple full-height cards or more than one slot cannot use this model.

Fits into a Thunderbolt 3 workflow

The unit connects to the host with a single Thunderbolt 3 cable and requires no additional drivers for the chassis itself. It frees up internal space by moving the PCIe card outside the computer, which helps in small-form-factor builds or rackmount environments. The low-profile slot accepts half-height cards up to the length allowed by the enclosure. Cards that need auxiliary power or full-height brackets are not compatible with this chassis.