Connect a High-Performance Graphics Card or Other Bandwidth-Hungry PCIe Card to a Thunderbolt 3 Equipped Computer

Sonnet’s eGFX Breakaway Box, a Thunderbolt 3 to PCIe card expansion solution, supports any Thunderbolt compatible PCIe card, but is designed specifically for bandwidth-intensive graphic video cards. The Breakaway Box enables all the popular GPU cards that support connecting to a computer over Thunderbolt such as AMD Radeon R9 and RX and NVIDIA GeForce GTX7, 9 and 10 series, providing GPU support for computationally-intensive applications and games.

Work or Play – The Coolest and Quietest eGFX Graphics Card Box on the Market
The Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box is the coolest and quietest eGFX box on the market - with its large variable-speed, temperature-controlled fan that quietly and effectively cools the installed card, the Breakaway Box can box can be comfortably used in noise-sensitive environments. For professionals, the Breakaway harnesses the computational engine in today’s GPU cards that are essential for supporting the acceleration of special effects, animation, color grading, rendering, and editing. For gamers, the Breakaway Box is ideal for enabling graphic-intensive gaming on computers (such as thin/light notebooks) that otherwise would not be able to produce an acceptable gaming experience. Additionally, the eGFX Breakaway Box supports graphics cards with 120mm water block coolers. Water block coolers run quieter than active fans; plus water block coolers enable higher overclocking.

eGFX Breakaway Box: Thunderbolt Certified for Mac and Windows
Sonnet's eGFX Breakaway Box operates under both macOS and Windows environments and includes a 0.5-meter Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps) cable to connect to a Thunderbolt 3 port. Additionally, the eGFX Breakaway Box has the following key features:

• Thunderbolt 3 Interface (one Thunderbolt 3 [USB-C] port)


• Equivalent to ~600W recommended system power


• One 8-pin (6+2 pin) plus one 6-pin power connector


• One PCIe 3.0 slot


• Supports up to 300W card


• Support for one full-length, full-height, double-width PCIe card


• Supports 120mm Water Block Coolers (for liquid cooling)


• Provides laptop charging up to 15W


• Quiet, Temperature-Controlled Fan

Windows Compatibility

• Windows PC with a Thunderbolt 3 port (GPU card requires an eGFX-enabled Windows PC)


• 64-bit Windows 10, version 1703 or later

Note:

• While the eGFX Breakaway box features a 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3 interface, some computers equipped with Thunderbolt 3 use an x2 PCIe lane implementation of Thunderbolt 3 technology that limits PCIe performance to 20Gbps. Find more computer information here. Full performance also requires the use of the included Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps) cable, or other Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps) cables; look for the Thunderbolt icon AND the number 3 on the connector housings to identify these cables


• Other than macOS High Sierra Developer Beta, macOS does not yet support connection of GPU cards over Thunderbolt and GPU card drivers are not yet officially Thunderbolt compatible for macOS.

Compatible Graphics Cards and Laptop PC list
For a list of compatible laptop computers and graphics card, please click here