Sonnet Echo SE I T5 Thunderbolt 5 to PCIe Card Expansion System

Sonnet Echo SE I T5 – 1-Slot Thunderbolt 5 PCIe Expansion Enclosure (Plus Daughter Card Support)

Sonnet Echo SE I T5 – 1-Slot Thunderbolt 5 PCIe Expansion Enclosure brings full PCIe card expansion to laptops and mini computers that lack internal slots. This compact single‑slot desktop system lets creative professionals connect a wide range of Thunderbolt‑compatible, non‑GPU PCIe cards—video capture/playback, audio interfaces, multiport 10G/25G Ethernet, RAID controllers, and more—via the included Thunderbolt 5 cable.

Inside a rugged aluminum chassis you get an x8 PCIe 4.0 slot with room for a half‑length+ or full‑length single‑width card (up to 7.75"), plus space for a daughter card and an auxiliary PCIe power connector for power‑hungry cards. Engineered for near‑silent operation, automatic power‑on with the host, and secure ThunderLok cable retention, Echo SE I T5 delivers pro performance in a small footprint so you can add critical I/O and processing power to your Thunderbolt or USB4 computer workflows.

Features and Benefits

• Thunderbolt 5 to PCIe device providing up to 6000 MB/s bi‑directional PCIe bandwidth to the installed card.
• One x8 PCIe 4.0 slot supporting half‑length+ (max 7.75"), full‑height, single‑width cards, plus space for a daughter card. PCIe Cards Compatibility PDF.
• Auxiliary PCIe power connector for cards that require additional power (e.g., AJA Kona 5, Blackmagic DeckLink 4K/8K examples cited by vendor).
• Includes 0.8 m Thunderbolt 5 cable engineered to deliver Thunderbolt 5/4/3 and USB4 compatibility, plus a ThunderLok connector lock.
• Dual Thunderbolt ports: one to the computer and a second for daisy‑chaining additional Thunderbolt or USB peripherals (supports up to five additional Thunderbolt devices).
• Compact, rugged aluminum housing with temperature‑controlled, variable‑speed fan for nearly noiseless cooling.
• Automatic power on/off with the host computer; no manual power switch.
• Supports connecting one 8K display (display bandwidth depends on host capabilities).

Sizing Information

Exterior dimensions (W × D × H): 3.0 × 11.13 × 5.75 in (8.5 × 28.3 × 14.6 cm).

Maximum supported card length: 7.75 in (half‑length+ / full‑length single‑width where applicable).

Weight: 9.7 lbs (4.40 kg).

What's in the box

• Echo SE I T5 Thunderbolt 5 Expansion System
• Universal power adapter
• Region‑specific power cable
• 6‑pin to 6‑pin auxiliary power cable
• 0.8‑meter Thunderbolt 5 cable
• ThunderLok‑A connector lock
• Documentation PDF

Product Q&A

• Q: What types of PCIe cards can I use with Echo SE I T5?
  A: The enclosure supports almost any Thunderbolt‑compatible, non‑GPU PCIe card including video capture/playback, audio interfaces, SAS/SATA/Fibre Channel HBAs, multiport 10G/25G Ethernet, and RAID controllers—cards must fit the x8 PCIe 4.0 slot and meet the enclosure's physical and power constraints. PCIe Cards Compatibility PDF
• Q: What size and power limitations exist for installed cards?
  A: The system supports cards up to 7.75" long (half‑length+ or full‑length single‑width) and includes an auxiliary PCIe power connector to accommodate power‑hungry cards. Refer to Sonnet’s compatibility list for checks against specific card models.
• Q: Which host computers work with this enclosure?
  A: Echo SE I T5 is compatible with Apple M series Macs, Intel Macs with Thunderbolt 3 ports, and Windows and Linux computers that have Thunderbolt 5, Thunderbolt 4, or USB4 ports. (See Compatibility section for details and note about OS version specifics.)
• Q: Is the Thunderbolt cable included capable of full Thunderbolt 5 performance?
  A: Yes—the unit ships with a Sonnet‑supplied 0.8 m Thunderbolt 5 cable engineered to deliver Thunderbolt 5’s full bandwidth and power delivery and is compatible with Thunderbolt 5, 4, 3, and USB4 hosts.

Specification

• Part Number: ECHO-EX-SE1-T5
• Interface: Dual Thunderbolt 5 ports (one host, one downstream)
• PCIe Slot: x8 PCIe 4.0 slot (supports single‑width cards and daughter cards; max card length 7.75")
• PCIe Bandwidth to Card: Up to 6000 MB/s bi‑directional
• External Connectors: Thunderbolt 5 (host), Thunderbolt 5 (downstream), auxiliary PCIe power connector
• Included Cable: 0.8 m Thunderbolt 5 cable
• Power: Universal power adapter included; auxiliary 6‑pin power cable included
• Dimensions (W × D × H): 3.0 × 11.13 × 5.75 in (8.5 × 28.3 × 14.6 cm)
• Weight: 9.7 lbs (4.40 kg)
• Package Contents: See "What's in the box" section above
• Warranty: 2‑year product warranty
• Customer Support: Lifetime technical support
• Technical Notes
   USB4 support requires that your computer have a “USB4 Host Router (Microsoft)”. Navigate to Device Manager and expand the Universal Serial Bus controllers category to confirm.

Compatibility

Device / Port Compatibility:

• Mac: Apple M series Macs (with Thunderbolt/USB4 ports); Intel‑based Macs with Thunderbolt 3 ports.
• PC: Windows computers with Thunderbolt 5 or Thunderbolt 4 ports, or USB4 ports.
• Linux: Linux computers with Thunderbolt 5 or Thunderbolt 4 ports, or USB4 ports.
• Peripherals: Downstream Thunderbolt 5 port supports Thunderbolt 5/4/3 peripherals and USB devices (up to five additional self‑powered Thunderbolt devices in a daisy chain). Provides 15 W to bus‑powered devices on the downstream port.

Important — OS Version Details:

• Mac Compatibility

  • Mac (M series)
  • Mac (Intel) with Thunderbolt 3 ports
  • macOS 14+
  • macOS Tahoe compatible

• Windows Compatibility

  • Windows computer with Thunderbolt 5 or 4 ports
  • Windows computer with USB4 or USB4 V2 ports(1)
  • Windows 11

• Linux Compatibility

  • Linux computer with Thunderbolt 5 or 4 ports
  • Linux Kernel 6.1, 6.12

• PCIe Card Compatibility

  For a list of compatible PCIe cards, see the following PDF