Thunderbolt 3 upgrade

Step Up to 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3

Sonnet designed Echo Express Thunderbolt 2-to-PCIe card expansion systems (and select Thunderbolt 2 adapters) to be easily upgraded to 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3⁽¹⁾. Simply replace the existing Thunderbolt interface board with the upgrade board, and then your chassis will instantly support higher performance, and connect to your Thunderbolt 3-equipped computer⁽²⁾ without needing an adapter. 

Increased Bandwidth, Better Performance

With a Thunderbolt 3 interface card installed, your upgraded Echo Express Thunderbolt 2 system gains from 30% to 100% more bandwidth over the original system (see performance Tab for details). Installed in an upgraded system, PCIe cards with high bandwidth requirements, such as 16Gb Fibre Channel and 4K Video I/O cards supporting high frame rates, will be able to perform even better than before⁽³⁾.

Key Features

Easy to Install 40Gpbs Thunderbolt 3
Upgrade Card—Replaces existing 20Gbps Thunderbolt interface board in your Thunderbolt 2-to-PCIe card expansion system⁽¹⁾

Improved Performance with High-Bandwidth
PCIe Cards—Your upgraded expansion system will provide from 30% to 100% more bandwidth for installed PCIe cards

Two Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) Ports—One port reserved for connection to the computer; second port supports daisy-chaining of up to five additional Thunderbolt⁽⁴⁾ devices, attaching a single USB peripheral device⁽⁵⁾, or connecting up to two 4K displays or one 5K display⁽⁶⁾

ThunderLok 3-Compatible—Thunderbolt connector retainer clip secures cable from accidental disconnections

Connect computer to one port on your Thunderbolt 3-upgraded system and daisy chain up to 5 additional Thunderbolt devices
(plus two 4K monitors, one 5K display, or one USB 3.0 device)

Upgrade Instead of Adapting
Why adapt when upgrading offers more? With the Thunderbolt 3
upgrade card installed you get:

Connect USB Devices

Sonnet's Thunderbolt 3 upgrade cards also include 10Gbps USB 3.1 Gen 2 support, meaning you can connect a USB device to the second port using the proper cable or adapter⁽⁵⁾; they also provide full support for connecting two 4K displays @ 60Hz or one 5K display @ 60Hz⁽⁶⁾.

Connect a USB device to the second Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) port on your upgraded system with a USB-C to USB-A adapter or cable (sold separately)

ThunderLok™ 3-Compatible

Sonnet’s Thunderbolt 3 upgrade cards support the ThunderLok 3 Thunderbolt connector retainer clip. The ThunderLok 3 (sold separately) secures the Thunderbolt cable (sold separately) to the chassis⁽⁷⁾, and is easy to install and use—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 3 remains on the cable so it won’t get lost when not in use.

Sonnet Thunderbolt Expansion Partners

Sonnet works closely with the following partners to ensure Thunderbolt compatibility for their products. See the PCIe Card Thunderbolt Compatibility Chart for a list of products that have passed Thunderbolt compatibility testing with Sonnet products.