Sonnet Echo III Rackmount 3-Slot TB3 PCIe Expansion System

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The Sonnet Echo III Rackmount is a Thunderbolt 3 expansion enclosure with 3 PCIe slots and integrated 400W power supply that provides 75W auxiliary power for PCIe cards that require it. The expansion enclosure supports up to 3 full-length single-wide PCIe cards or one double-wide plus one single-wide PCIe card for connection to any Thunderbolt 3 enabled computer, including video capture, audio interface, SAS or SATA HBA, 16Gb or 8Gb Fibre Channel, 10 Gigabit Ethernet and RAID controllers.

The Echo III Rackmount features two 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3 interfaces, the first is used for connection to your computer, while the second supports daisy-chaining of up to five peripheral devices. The Thunderbolt 3 interfaces offer double the PCIe bandwidth (up to 2,750MB/s) and backwards compatibility with Thunderbolt 2, allowing you to support 4K video capture cards, high frame rate image processing cards, 16Gb FC cards or dual-port 10GbE cards at their maximum performance. It is important to remember that Thunderbolt 3 has the ability to drive multiple demanding, high-performance PCIe cards, allows two 4K 60Hz displays or one 5K 60Hz display to be connected, and is compatible with a wide range of devices equipped with Thunderbolt and/or USB ports. 

Sonnet's Echo III Rackmount supports three full-size PCIe cards, up to 12.28 inches (long). This device integrates a 400W universal power supply and includes a 75W PCIe power connector for cards that require additional power, such as the Blackmagic DeckLink 4K Extreme 12G. It also features a built-in power saving system. Sonnet's Echo III Rackmount automatically turns on and off when the connected computer is powered on or off respectively, avoiding consuming power when it is not needed.

The Echo III Rackmount's case is formed from heavy-duty steel to provide secure mounting and protection for PCIe cards installed inside, and to support maximum airflow for cooling regardless of where it is installed in a rack. Its two large, slow-spinning fans, enhanced with computer-controlled airflow management, ensure that even running cards remain reliably cool without the need to install an additional PCIe fan card, which would prevent the use of one of the three slots. Because the fans automatically speed up and slow down as needed, there are no complex decisions to make or tools to use to change settings. There is no power switch on the chassis, nor is one needed, because this device automatically turns on and off with the computer.

In operation, however, this device is remarkably quiet, can be used comfortably in noise-sensitive environments and is one of the quietest Echo systems. The natural circulation of hot air through the PCIe cards is assisted by ultra-quiet, temperature-controlled, variable-speed fans, and ventilated outside the chassis with reduced air speed and turbulence, resulting in very little fan noise.


Adjustable extension slides allow the chassis to be securely installed in a variety of racks from 16 to 24 inches deep (optional extra-long extension slides are also available that support installation in racks up to 32.5" deep). Locking thumbscrews secure the inner assembly, allowing you to secure, release and slide it without the need for tools. Using an optional mobile device rackmount kit, you can install two 5.25-inch mobile devices (sold separately) in the Sonnet Echo III Rackmount enclosure without taking up additional rack space. 

Sonnet's optional Mobile Rack Device Mounting Kits allow you to add more expansion devices to your rack without taking up additional rack space. The Mobile Rack Device Mounting Kit includes an internal 100W power supply to power the installed devices, a large internal fan to quietly and efficiently cool the expansion kit, and mounting hardware to secure the devices and the kit itself. The pre-configured kits include the necessary rack-mountable peripherals, PCIe card and cables.