Sonnet Thunderbolt 2 Upgrade Card For Xmac Mini Server

Product Code: eq21172
Availability: In Stock

$599.97 $935.95

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Description
Reviews (7)

The BRD-UPGRTB2-XM Thunderbolt 2 Upgrade Board for xMac mini Server from Sonnet is designed to upgrade an existing 10 Gb/s Thunderbolt xMac mini Server to 20 Gb/s Thunderbolt 2. You can simply replace the existing Thunderbolt interface board with the BRD-UPGRTB2-XM Upgrade Board, and your xMac mini Server will support the new Mac mini’s Thunderbolt 2 interface at full speed. A Thunderbolt 2-upgraded xMac mini Server works conveniently with an existing Mac mini Server.

Thunderbolt 2 Upgrade Card For the xMac mini Server 1G

Parameters
For Use with	xMac mini Server
Interface	20 Gb/s
Card	PCI
Number of Ports	2 x 20 Gb/s Thunderbolt 2
Packaging Info
Package Weight	0.35 lb
Box Dimensions (LxWxH)	8.583 x 5.354 x 1.339"

Easy-to-install, the 20 Gb/s Thunderbolt 2 Upgrade replaces an existing 10 Gb/s Thunderbolt Interface Board in the xMac mini Server

The Thunderbolt 2 Upgrade is compatible with all Thunderbolt Equipped Mac Mini Servers including the 2014 Mac mini Server with Thunderbolt 2, and also supports new Mac mini's Thunderbolt 2 interface at full speed

When used with the 2014 Mac mini Server, the Thunderbolt 2 Upgrade delivers improved performance with more bandwidth for installed PCIe cards

Related Questions and Answers

Q: 1. Does this enclosure work for the M1 chip Mac mini?

A: Yes, this will work with the M1 chip.

Q: 2. Can I use this card to add two more Thunderbolt 3 ports to a Echo Express III-R (Thunderbolt 3 Edition), so that I have a total of four Thunderbolt 3 ports available for use?

A: These cards only compatible as replacement cards within our chassis, and can not be used as a generic Thunderbolt Add-In-Card to add more Thunderbolt ports to our chassis, nor other computers and devices And only one of these upgrade cards can be installed at a time in our chassis.

Q: 3. 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?

A: The Blackmagic Design DeckLink Quad 2 8-Channel 3G-SDI Capture & Playback Card would fit in the Sonnet xMac Mini Server Thunderbolt 3 Rackmount Enclosure. However, according to Sonnet, this configuration is "not recommended. These cards are supported, but the resolution and/or number of video streams may be limited."

Q: 4. Will this work with a regular Thunderbolt Mac Mini and a Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt adapter?

A: No, it is not compatible.

Q: 5. If I use this in a Thunderbolt 2 Chassis connected (via TB2) to a computer's TB2 port, will there actually be a performance upgrade from 20GB/s to 40GB/s or will the TB2 connection bottleneck with a max 20GB/s throughput?

A: There will be a bottle neck at the T2 connection.

Q: 6. Will this work with the MacPro 2019?

A: Per Sonnet, this is only compatible with the xMac Mini Server and Mac Mini 2018.

Q: 7. Will this read ExpressP2 B Series cards?

A: No, this reader will only support P2, P2-E Series, P2-F Series, and Micro P2 (with adapter sold separately) cards.

Q: 8. 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?

A: This would be heavily dependent on the use case scenario. However I would say it would be on par with the thunderbolt 2 variant.

Q: 9. Will this work on a mac pro 09 ?

A: The Sonnet BRD-UPGRTB2-XM is not compatible with a Mac Pro.

Q: 10. If I upgrade using this card can I use my Blackmagic Design Decklink Mini Monitor 4k card in it?

A: No it is not compatible.

Daniel	22/09/2024
[0.35 lb] Using this to transfer P2 cards to a Mac out in the field, 64GB cards take only 10 minutes! 5

anyonymous	19/09/2024
[20 Gb/s] As someone who has used the P2 Card reader in the past. I must say that theSonnet Thunderbolt Pro P2 Card Reader trounces it by far. This was the best investment for importing or ingesting media from Panasonic cameras. 5

anyonymous	19/09/2024
[0.35 lb] I was skeptical buying a 3rd party product, but after using it now at least 50 times, It's flawless. I transfer an almost full 64 gig card in about 10 to 12 minutes. The USB 3 seems to be making the difference. I am downloading to a 500g external SSD through my I7 macbook pro. The Sonnet P2 reader has beaten Panasonic on this. Being USB 3 and not 2 like Panasonic's has me sold. I would recommend this product to anyone. FYI the case is metal. Very durable. and has safety USB screw down so your cable can be attached securely and never come unplugged. Well done Sonnet. 5

Philip R.	08/08/2024
[PCI] I love this thing, hats off to Sonnet. I used to have to come in to work a couple of hours early to download my media after every shoot. P2 Cards are very reliable. However downloading your media is painfully slow. Until Now. The Thunderbolt P2 Reader is lightening fast. It works with both the Standard P2 Cards and P2 Adapter SDXC Cards. If you can use a lightening connecter this will speed up your work flow. I stopped using my P2 cards after the adapter came out because of the time it saved me. Now I can use my P2 Cards again. I can unload my 64 GB Cards in about 15 mins. Using a USB2 it took nearly 40. It would be nice if they also had a USB 3 port but that's a small complaint. If it did, every other editor in my office would steal it! 5

AVL Supervisor	25/06/2024
[PCI] Works Great! Moved a 61GB file off the P2 card (from Panasonic AG HPX 250 camera) to the Macbook Pro (2014 model-loaded) in 13 minutes via thunderbolt. Serious time saver. 5

Camro	08/04/2024
[20 Gb/s] It's a great hub, it maintains the same speed as if it were not. 5

Robert	30/11/-0001
[20 Gb/s] In considering all of the other options for P2 media readers this one is the best and fastest. The Panasonic one is only USB 3.0 and is over $450. The build quality is great and it is bus powered so no extra cables needed. I only wish it came in USB-C for the new MacBook Pro but works great with the adapter from Apple. B&H had the best price I could find and with free shipping and no tax its a win. 5