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Sonnet xMac Mini Server Thunderbolt 3 Rackmount Enclosure

BH #SOXMACMSATB3 • MFR #XMAC-MS-A-TB3
4 reviews
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Sonnet xMac Mini Server Thunderbolt 3 Rackmount Enclosure
Key Features
  • Use Mac Mini as Rack-Mounted Server
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 3
  • 2 x PCIe 2.0 Slots
  • 3 x USB 3.1 Type-A
Convert your Thunderbolt 2- and Thunderbolt-compatible Mac mini into a full-size server using the xMac Mini Server Thunderbolt 3 Rackmount Enclosure from Sonnet. This 1U rackmount enclosure expands the capabilities of your Mac mini by connecting to its Thunderbolt 3 port for a transfer rate of up to 40 Gb/s, with 1.75 Gb/s PCIe bandwidth to installed cards. Connect a USB 3.1 Gen 2 storage drives to the second Thunderbolt port using a compatible adapter or cable for up to 10 Gb/s throughput.
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Sonnet XMAC-MS-A-TB3 Overview

Convert your Thunderbolt 2- and Thunderbolt-compatible Mac mini into a full-size server using the xMac Mini Server Thunderbolt 3 Rackmount Enclosure from Sonnet. This 1U rackmount enclosure expands the capabilities of your Mac mini by connecting to its Thunderbolt 3 port for a transfer rate of up to 40 Gb/s, with 1.75 Gb/s PCIe bandwidth to installed cards. Connect a USB 3.1 Gen 2 storage drives to the second Thunderbolt port using a compatible adapter or cable for up to 10 Gb/s throughput.

Two PCIe 2.0 slots are available for installing compatible expansion cards for fiber optic connections, RAID controllers, video capture devices, and more. An auxiliary PCIe power connector is included to supplement the 150W power supply for cards that require extra power. In addition to its two USB Type-A connectors for peripherals such as keyboards, mice, and flash drives, the xMac Mini Server features an RJ45 port that supports up to 10Gb Ethernet and a HDMI port for external displays.

Ready for the Server Room
xMac Mini Server 1U rackmount enclosure features a user-replaceable 150W power supply, variable speed fans, and built-in cable management.
Energy Efficiency
The rackmount enclosure includes variable-speed fans that automatically adjust to each configuration. It can also automatically turn itself on and off to help conserve power when the Mac mini is in sleep mode or turned off.
USB 3.1 Gen 2
Doubling the speed of its predecessor, USB 3.1 Gen 2 features a maximum throughput of 10 Gb/s when used with compatible devices.
ThunderLok
The included Thunderbolt cable features Sonnet's ThunderLok technology, which keeps the Thunderbolt connector securely attached to the port and minimizes the chance of it being accidentally unplugged.
Compatibility
  • Mac mini (late 2018)
  • Thunderbolt and Thunderbolt 2 supported through separate adapters
  • MacOS 10.14.4
  • MacOS Mojave compatible
  • PCIe 1.1, 2.0, and 3.0 cards supported
UPC: 732311012846

Sonnet XMAC-MS-A-TB3 Specs

Key Specs
Total Installed Storage
No
Storage Expansion
No
Inputs/Outputs
2x USB-C (Thunderbolt 3)
3x USB-A 3.0 / 3.1/3.2 Gen 1
Network I/O
1x RJ45 (10 GbE)
OS Compatibility
macOS
Drives
Total Installed Storage
No
Storage Expansion
No
PCI Expansion
1x PCIe 2.0 (x8 Electrical)
1x PCIe 2.0 (x16 Electrical)
External Bays
No
Inputs/Outputs
Inputs/Outputs
2x USB-C (Thunderbolt 3)
3x USB-A 3.0 / 3.1/3.2 Gen 1
Network I/O
1x RJ45 (10 GbE)
Display I/O
1x HDMI Input
Audio I/O
No
General
OS Compatibility
macOS
Rack Form Factor
1 RU
Fans
4
Power Supply
1x 150 W
Input Power
90 to 260 VAC, 50 / 60 Hz
Operating Conditions
32 to 67°F / 0 to 35°C
Dimensions (W x H x D)
19.0 x 17.8 x 1.7" / 48.3 x 45.1 x 4.4 cm
Weight
16.01 lb / 7.26 kg
Packaging Info
Package Weight
19.25 lb
Box Dimensions (LxWxH)
23.1 x 23 x 6.6"

Sonnet XMAC-MS-A-TB3 Reviews

Not Full Thunderbolt 3 Speeds

By Daniel
Rated 3 out of 5
Date: 2024-03-03

Talked with Sonnet and confirmed that the backplane card that the Thunderbolt 3 card attaches to does not support full modern PCI speeds and will not get full TB3 speeds to your PCI cards. The backplane card is their old model used on the TB2 version and was never maxed out for bandwidth for TB2 but is not fast enough for full TB3 speeds. This rack model only supports approximately 1750 MB/s max. Their newer larger racks support up to 2750 MB/s. So if you are ok with these speeds get this because they don't have any other option in a 1U enclosure. But if you want to full speed to do video input/output and write to m.2 cards on another PCI card you probably should look at some other rack for best performance.

Great For Expansion

By James
Rated 4 out of 5
Date: 2020-07-01

I like this Thunderbolt 3 version of the enclosure much better than the Thunderbolt 2 version (which we also have). The spring didn't work in the Thunderbolt 2 version so we have issues with power and always having to take the lid off. But the Thunderbolt 3 version is great, I love the expandability and what we can do with it. We have both a PCIe SSD expansion as well as a BlackMagic Decklink Duo 2 card in there and this combination works great. Giving it only four stars because not all four thunderbolt 3 ports have a pass-through and are accessible from the back. You can still plug in but you would have to go through the hole and have it permanently installed

See any errors on this page?

Will this work with Blackmagic Design DeckLink 8K ...

Will this work with Blackmagic Design DeckLink 8K Pro G2?
Asked by: Matt
The Sonnet xMac Mini Server Thunderbolt 3 Rackmount Enclosure, B&H # SOXMACMSATB3, is not compatible with the Blackmagic Design DeckLink 8K Pro G2 Capture Card, B&H # BLDLKP8K12G2.
Answered by: Miguel M
Date published: 2025-04-24

How loud are the fans on this unit? I have the ...

How loud are the fans on this unit? I have the Thunderbolt 2 version of this and the fans are louder than I'd like them to be on it. Does anybody know what the comparison is like?
Asked by: Cole
This would be heavily dependent on the use case scenario. However I would say it would be on par with the thunderbolt 2 variant.
Answered by: Darius
Date published: 2021-02-21

Does this enclosure work for the 2023 M2 chip Mac ...

Does this enclosure work for the 2023 M2 chip Mac mini?
Asked by: Mikhail
Yes, this Sonnet Xmac Mini Server Thunderbolt 3 Rackmount Enclosure is compatible with the mac mini M1 as well as M2: https://bit.ly/3Z3t5N4 .
Answered by: Jordan K
Date published: 2023-03-01

Will this work with a regular Thunderbolt Mac ...

Will this work with a regular Thunderbolt Mac Mini and a Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt adapter?
Asked by: Caleb
No, it is not compatible.
Answered by: Sagi C
Date published: 2020-12-09

Can you mount a Blackmagic Design DeckLink Quad 2 ...

Can you mount a Blackmagic Design DeckLink Quad 2 8-Channel 3G-SDI Capture & Playback Card Blackmagic Design DeckLink Quad 2 8-Channel 3G-SDI Capture & Playback Card in this enclosure?
Asked by: bo
Not an answer but follow up question on this subject. Why would it not work? The card is pci2.0 card and this enclosure has same slot capability. The mac mini m2 2023 is able to handle the card (i currently use it). Isnt this simply an enclosure to connect a video card and mac mini? Wouldnt just the card and mac mini used determine compatibility? Sorry if my knowledge in this is wrong.
Answered by: Pablo
Date published: 2024-08-08

Can you install a graphics card in to this ...

Can you install a graphics card in to this enclosure? (a la eGPU?)
Asked by: Shane
This is an enclosure for Apple Mac Mini computers. There are PCIe slots for additional expansion including GPUs (limited compatibility). Please look for proper external GPU chassis..
Answered by: Gregorio M.
Date published: 2020-11-03

Does this enclosure work for the M1 chip Mac ...

Does this enclosure work for the M1 chip Mac mini?
Asked by: Eric
Yes
Answered by: Chris
Date published: 2021-04-30
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