External PCIe Expansion Chassis Sonnet Echo III Silver Steel 1 — Steel housing, Silver, 400 W PSU

Sonnet Echo III Silver Steel 1 is an external PCIe expansion chassis in a silver steel housing with an integrated 400 W power supply. It provides three PCIe slots (one x16 and two x8) and a Thunderbolt interface to connect up to three full‑height, single‑width PCIe cards or a combination of one double‑width and one single‑width card to a computer with Thunderbolt 3 or Thunderbolt 4 ports. The chassis supplies auxiliary power to installed cards, supports automatic power on/off with the host computer, and includes a Thunderbolt cable and a Sonnet ThunderLok 3 connector retainer.

Advantages

The Echo III Rackmount supports a wide range of non‑GPU PCIe cards including video capture, audio DSP, host bus adapters, Ethernet, and storage controllers, enabling professional audio/video, editing, and compute workflows without modifying the host system. Built with a rugged 2U steel enclosure and quiet cooling (Noctua fans rated at 17 dBA), it combines durability and low noise for studio and rack environments. Dual Thunderbolt ports provide a 40 Gbps interface with the ability to daisy‑chain peripherals while the integrated 400 W power supply and 75 W auxiliary power capability deliver stable power for multiple expansion cards.

Suitable for

Key specifications

How to use

Install the required PCIe cards into the chassis slots according to their physical size and the supported slot configuration (up to three single‑width full‑height cards, or one double‑width plus one single‑width card). Connect the Echo III to your computer using the included Thunderbolt cable and secure the connection with the ThunderLok 3 if desired. Power on the chassis; it can power on or off automatically with the host computer. Ensure that any necessary drivers or vendor software for installed PCIe cards are installed on the host system before use.

Recommendations

Place the chassis in a well‑ventilated rack or workspace, allowing clearance for airflow to maintain low fan speeds. Use the included Thunderbolt cable and ThunderLok 3 to prevent accidental disconnection, and install vendor‑provided drivers and firmware updates for connected PCIe cards to ensure system stability and compatibility.