StarTech TB31PCIEX16 Thunderbolt 3 to PCIe Expansion Box

StarTech TB31PCIEX16 Thunderbolt 3 to PCIe Expansion Box

Overview

The StarTech TB31PCIEX16 is a high-performance external expansion chassis that allows you to add a PCI Express card to your Thunderbolt 3 equipped laptop or desktop. By leveraging the 40Gbps bandwidth of Thunderbolt 3, this enclosure provides a PCIe 3.0 x16 slot (operating at x4 speeds), enabling the use of high-speed peripherals such as SSDs, 10GbE network cards, video capture cards, and USB 3.1 expansion cards that typically require a desktop motherboard slot.

This chassis is designed to maximize productivity with a built-in DisplayPort output and a secondary Thunderbolt 3 port, allowing for dual 4K 60Hz monitor setups or a single 5K display. The secondary Thunderbolt port also supports daisy-chaining for up to six additional Thunderbolt devices. Its durable aluminum and steel construction includes an internal 60mm cooling fan to maintain optimal operating temperatures for high-performance cards.

Note: While the physical slot is x16, the data throughput is limited to PCIe 3.0 x4 (approx. 3.94 GB/s) due to Thunderbolt 3 specifications. This chassis is not intended for high-power video cards (GPUs).

Key Features

• Adds one external PCIe 3.0 x16 slot (x4 lanes) to Thunderbolt 3 computers.

• Thunderbolt 3 interface provides up to 40Gbps of bandwidth.

• Dedicated DisplayPort and a secondary Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) port for 4K/5K video.

• Supports daisy-chaining of up to six Thunderbolt 3 devices.

• Internal 60mm fan for active cooling of the installed PCIe card.

• Rugged aluminum and steel desktop enclosure.

Specifications