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Sonnet Echo Express SE I Thunderbolt 3 to Full-Height/Half-Length PCIe Card Expansion System

BH #SOEEXPSE1T3 • MFR #ECHO-EXP-SE1-T3
24 reviews
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Sonnet Echo Express SE I Thunderbolt 3 to Full-Height/Half-Length PCIe Card Expansion System
Key Features
  • Thunderbolt 3 Interface
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 3 (USB Type-C) Ports
  • 1 x PCIe 3.0 x8 Slot
  • Supports Full-Height, Half-Length Cards
The Echo Express SE I Thunderbolt 3 to PCIe Card Expansion System from Sonnet provides a PCIe 3.0 x8 slot for Thunderbolt 3-equipped notebooks, SFF desktop systems, and other computers without a PCIe slot. The Echo Express SE I supports full-height PCIe cards, featuring a length up to 7.75". For supporting a wide variety of PCI cards, it sports one expansion slot that can accommodate double-width PCI cards or single-width PCI cards coming with a daughter card. It is suitable for connecting one professional video capture, audio interface, SAS or SATA HBA, 16Gb or 8Gb Fibre Channel, 10Gb Ethernet, or RAID controller PCIe card, which operates over the Thunderbolt connection. There's also an integrated variable-speed fan for cooling your PCI card and the SE I's internal components.
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Sonnet Express SE I Thunderbolt 3 Overview

The Echo Express SE I Thunderbolt 3 to PCIe Card Expansion System from Sonnet provides a PCIe 3.0 x8 slot for Thunderbolt 3-equipped notebooks, SFF desktop systems, and other computers without a PCIe slot. The Echo Express SE I supports full-height PCIe cards, featuring a length up to 7.75". For supporting a wide variety of PCI cards, it sports one expansion slot that can accommodate double-width PCI cards or single-width PCI cards coming with a daughter card. It is suitable for connecting one professional video capture, audio interface, SAS or SATA HBA, 16Gb or 8Gb Fibre Channel, 10Gb Ethernet, or RAID controller PCIe card, which operates over the Thunderbolt connection. There's also an integrated variable-speed fan for cooling your PCI card and the SE I's internal components.

The Echo Express SE I Thunderbolt 3 to PCIe Card Expansion System comes with two Thunderbolt 3 ports, letting you daisy chain up to six Thunderbolt devices to your computer. Each of the two Thunderbolt 3 ports transmits data at a rate of up to 40 Gbps and offers a USB Type-C design, so you can connect the included 1.6' Thunderbolt 3 cable on the first try. Moreover, a ThunderLok 3 Thunderbolt connector retainer clip is supplied to help ensure the cable stays connected to the chassis.

Note: The Echo Express SE I is not compatible with the DeckLink 4K Extreme 12G card due to daughter card mounting requirements.

General Features
PCIe 3.0 Slot and Space for a Daughter Card
The Echo Express SE I's PCIe 3.0 slot supports a half-length (up to 7.75" long), full-height, single- or double-width PCIe card. Some specialty cards, such as Blackmagic Design's DeckLink 4K Extreme, and RME's HDSPe MADI FX card, include a daughter card that mates with and provides additional external connections to the main card. The daughter card occupies the adjacent expansion slot space without requiring a PCIe slot.
Thunderbolt 3 Technology
The Echo Express SE I - Thunderbolt 3 edition includes two Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports; the first connects it to your computer, while the second supports daisy chaining of up to five additional Thunderbolt peripheral devices to a single port on your computer. The SE I comes with USB 3.1 (10 Gbps) support, meaning you can connect a USB device to the second port using a proper cable or adapter. The SE I also provides full support for connecting two 4K displays @ 60 Hz or one 5K display @ 60 Hz. For connected devices requiring extra power, 15 watts is provided to connected bus-powered devices.
Smart Design
The Echo Express SE I - Thunderbolt 3 Edition's lightweight, yet rugged aluminum outer shell securely protects the installed PCIe card. Inside, the card is protected with a variable-speed, temperature-controlled fan, which ensures that the card and SE I's internal components remain reliably cool. The fan automatically speeds up as necessary to cool the optional PCIe card when it's hot, and slows down when it's cool. Since Echo Express products automatically power on and off with your computer, there is no power switch on the chassis, ensuring you don't waste energy by forgetting to turn it off.
Compatibility
Designed to accommodate cards up to 7.75" long, the Echo Express SE I - Thunderbolt 3 Edition supports most PCIe 3.0, PCIe 2.0, and PCIe 1.1 cards, which are compatible over a Thunderbolt connection.
Quiet Cooling
The Echo Express SE I is designed to be quiet so that it can be comfortably used in noise-sensitive environments. The airflow path within the chassis has been specially designed to enable the temperature-controlled, variable speed fan to quietly and efficiently cool the PCIe card at all times.
Thunderbolt Cable and ThunderLok Included
To connect the Echo Express SE I - Thunderbolt 3 Edition to your computer, Sonnet includes a 1.6' (0.5m) Thunderbolt 3 (40 Gbps) cable and a Sonnet ThunderLok 3 Thunderbolt connector retainer clip to secure the cable to the Echo chassis. Accidental cable disconnection can lead to data loss. Sonnet's ThunderLok 3 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.
UPC: 732311012051

Sonnet Express SE I Thunderbolt 3 Specs

Key Specs
Expansion Slots
1x PCIe 3.0 x8 (x4 mode)
System Connection
Thunderbolt 3
Inputs/Outputs
2x USB-C (Thunderbolt 3)
General
Expansion Slots
1x PCIe 3.0 x8 (x4 mode)
Supported PCI Card Sizes
Full-Height, Half-Length, Single-Width
Maximum GPU Length
7.75" / 19.68 cm
System Connection
Thunderbolt 3
Inputs/Outputs
2x USB-C (Thunderbolt 3)
Data Transfer Rates
Thunderbolt 3: 40 Gb/s
OS Compatibility
Windows 11 (64-Bit Only)
Windows 10 (64-Bit Only)
macOS 10.12.6 or Later
Linux 5.4 or Later
Power
Power Source Type
60 W External Adapter
Input Power
100 to 240 VAC, 50 / 60 Hz at 1.8 A
Cooling
Fans
1
Physical
Form Factor
Desktop
Color
Black
Certifications
RoHS
Operating Conditions
32 to 95°F / 0 to 35°C
Host Cable Length
1.64' / 0.5 m
Dimensions
8.6 x 5.6 x 3.5" / 21.8 x 14.2 x 8.9 cm
Weight
2.6 lb / 1.18 kg
Packaging Info
Package Weight
4.495 lb
Box Dimensions (LxWxH)
11.3 x 7.1 x 5.8"

Sonnet Express SE I Thunderbolt 3 Reviews

Pretty simple and it works

By Norman
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2026-05-07

We were initially hesitating going for a Thunderbolt enclosure, but it actually has been working well. I connected a hub into the second port and can connect everything to my Mac with a single cable, which is great.

This is the (excellent) One

By Thomas
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2025-04-21

This unit performs perfectly with video cards and sound cards (and probably anything else such as a PCIe PCMCIA cardbus card, if you can still find one, or a PCI PCMCIA cardbus card on a PCIe to PCI adapter). From my research, other PCIe boxes probably won't do the trick. I wouldn't have minded getting Sonnets 3/PCIe enclosure or one of their dual DV enclosures but as it turned out this one is enough for my needs. I use this for a BlackMagic 4k mini playback or 4k mini capture card when I want to use that format anyway.

See any errors on this page?

question

Is this compatible with the new MacBook Pro tb3?
Asked by: Benny K.
Yes, this is compatible with the new Macbook Pros that feature Thunderbolt 3. Note that they must be running OSX Sierra or newer.
Answered by: James B.
Date published: 2018-08-27

Can I fit a graphic card to this Sonnet Echo ...

Can I fit a graphic card to this Sonnet Echo Express SE I expansion System?
Asked by: Carlos
does not support the power requirements for a graphic card.
Answered by: shmuel
Date published: 2020-06-11

I'm looking to put a Blackmagic Design DeckLink ...

I'm looking to put a Blackmagic Design DeckLink Duo in this. Would it need to connect and internal power supply to the chassis or would the power supplied by the Thunderbolt be sufficient?
Asked by: Nathan
Yes, the Sonnet Echo Express SE I Thunderbolt 3 to Full-Height/Half-Length PCIe Card Expansion System BH #SOEEXPSE1T3 includes the power supply. You will need to connect it to the wall to power any card you want to use with it.
Answered by: Miguel M
Date published: 2021-02-01

I currently on the Echo Express III-D. The noise ...

I currently on the Echo Express III-D. The noise is unbearable. How much noise does this unit produce in comparison?
Asked by: Matthew
It's not very noisy, but noisy enough that I had to move the device further away because my microphone did pickup the noise during live streaming. I'm actually thinking about replacing the fan with another one or eventually plugging it off to see if my Cam Link Pro can handle the heat without fan.
Answered by: Samuel
Date published: 2022-03-09

Would the DeckLink Quad 2 card work in this? It's ...

Would the DeckLink Quad 2 card work in this? It's a 8 lane pcie card.
Asked by: Nathaniel
That card is 6.3" and this enclosure can support up to 7.75" so it could work.
Answered by: Reuben K
Date published: 2022-06-09

Will Black Magic Decklink 8K work in this?

Will Black Magic Decklink 8K work in this?
Asked by: Gudjon
From the information found at SonnetTech, it does not appear the card will work in 'this' version. Please refer to SonnetTech's compatibility chart at: https://www.sonnettech.com/support/downloads/manuals/TB_PCIe_Card_Compatibility.pdf From the chart, it appears the DeckLink 8K would require the SE IIIe expansion system.
Answered by: Dan
Date published: 2022-09-15

Can I put two PCIe x4 cards in here? I want a ...

Can I put two PCIe x4 cards in here? I want a chassis for a Blackmagic Decklink and a 10g ethernet connection.
Asked by: Raymond
The Sonnet Echo Express SE I Thunderbolt 3 to Full-Height/Half-Length PCIe Card Expansion System, B&H # SOEEXPSE1T3, has only 1 x PCIe 3.0 x8 (x4 mode) slot. It can only physically hold 1 x PCIe card.
Answered by: Miguel M
Date published: 2024-01-11

Is this compatible with the new M1 MBP?

Is this compatible with the new M1 MBP?
Asked by: Eric
Yes, this is compatible with the M1 MBP, however, this is just the shell. You will need to check the compatibility of the card that you want to use in the shell with your system. If you are looking at a DeckLink card from Black Magic Design you are good to go.
Answered by: Benjamin
Date published: 2021-05-13
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