Sonnet's Echo SE I T5 gives Mac mini and MacBook Pro users a way to add the kind of PCIe hardware normally reserved for larger workstations without giving up the compact Mac they already have.
The Thunderbolt 5 enclosure supports video capture cards, professional audio hardware, RAID controllers, and high-speed networking adapters. Sonnet says the system can deliver up to 6,800 MB/s of bidirectional PCIe bandwidth over Thunderbolt 5.
Thunderbolt 5 gives demanding PCI-E cards substantially more bandwidth than older Thunderbolt connections can provide.
The Echo SE I T5 gives compact Macs a practical path to PCIe expansion without making bandwidth the whole story. Because the Mac mini and MacBook Pro don't have internal PCIe slots, adding specialized hardware usually means using an external enclosure or moving to a larger workstation.
Thunderbolt 5 makes external PCIe less of a compromise
The enclosure has an x8 PCIe 4.0 slot and supports single or double-width cards up to 7.75 inches long. Compatible uses include video capture and playback, professional audio, SAS and SATA storage, RAID controllers, and multiport 10GbE or 25GbE networking.
A six-pin auxiliary PCIe power connector is available for cards that need more power. Sonnet specifically points to hardware such as Blackmagic Design's DeckLink 8K Pro G2 as the kind of card the enclosure can accommodate.
Thunderbolt 5 is the key improvement for demanding hardware. Sonnet claims up to 6,800 MB/s of bidirectional PCIe bandwidth.
The company doesn't describe a hardware revision or explain why the newer performance figure is higher. Either way, the practical benefit is more bandwidth for PCIe cards that can take advantage of it rather than a change to what the enclosure is designed to do.
The enclosure has an x8 PCIe 4.0 slot and supports single or double-width cards up to 7.75 inches long.The Echo SE I T5 also has a second Thunderbolt port for connecting another peripheral or daisy-chaining additional Thunderbolt devices. The second Thunderbolt port can provide up to 15 watts of power to bus-powered accessories.
The enclosure works with Apple Silicon Macs as well as Intel Macs with Thunderbolt 3. Compatible Windows and Linux computers can also use it through Thunderbolt or USB4.
A temperature-controlled fan adjusts its speed automatically based on the installed card's cooling needs. The aluminum enclosure also turns on and off with the connected computer, so there's no separate power switch.
The Sonnet Echo SE I T5 is available for $399.99 from Amazon. It's also available through B&H Photo.