Warnings
Performance tests are conducted using specific computer systems and reflect the approximate performance of Thunderbolt 3. Results may vary depending on your specific setup and can change depending on the computer used, macOS version and driver versions, we advise running your own tests with our free demo versions to confirm in your own specific workflow.
Not all Thunderbolt expansion chassis have the same performances. Make sure to check these things:
- the PCIe generation. You will get max speed with PCI gen 3 slots. With PCIe gen 2 slots in your expansion chassis, speed will be much lower.
- in Sonnet expansion chassis, you will see that some slots are x8 electrical, others x4. Make sure to us the x8 slots.
- most expansion chassis will have 2 Thunderbolt connectors, but you can't connect them both to one computer. The second port is used for daisy chain. If you want to connect 2 ports from one chassis to your Mac, only the Sonnet expansion chassis with a model name containing "DV" (such as the Echo II DV Module) allow that. And with these "DV" models, each card will have its own Thunderbolt BUS, each with the limitations below.
What are these numbers about?
The following tables show how many channels of video can transit over one Thunderbolt BUS. They do not tell how many channels you will be able to encode but the number of channels you will be able to receive per Thunderbolt BUS. Encoding is another story... Contact us for any questions regarding this.
Benchmark results table
When using a Thunderbolt expansion chassis with PCIe gen 3 slots
The following tests were conducted by Softron in June 2024 using a Mac mini M2 Pro or a Mac Studio M1 Ultra, running macOS 14.4, with Decklink Quad 2 and Decklink 8K Pro, using drivers 14.0.1, in a Sonnet Echo Express SE III expansion chassis. The cards were placed in the 8 x PCIe gen 3 electric slots.
| Dimensions | Pixel format | FPS | Max number of channels |
|---|---|---|---|
| HD (1920 x 1080) | 8bit | p25 / i50 | 16 |
| p29.97 / i59.94 | 14 | ||
| p50 | 10 | ||
| p59.94 | 8 | ||
| 10bit | p25 / i50 | 14 | |
| p29.97 / i59.94 | 12 | ||
| p50 | 8 | ||
| p59.94 | 7 | ||
| 4K (3840 x 2160) | 8bit | p25 | 5 |
| p29.97 | 5 | ||
| p50 | 3 | ||
| p59.94 | 2 | ||
| 10bit | p25 | 4 | |
| p29.97 | 3 | ||
| p50 | 2 | ||
| p59.94 | 1 | ||
| 8K (7680 x 4320) | 8bit | p25 | 1 |
| p29.97 | 1 | ||
| p50 | 0 | ||
| p59.94 | 0 | ||
| 10bit | p25 | 1 | |
| p29.97 | 1 | ||
| p50 | 0 | ||
| p59.94 | 0 |
When using a Thunderbolt expansion chassis with PCIe gen 2 slots
Some older expansion chassis still use PCIe gen 2 slots (such as the xMac mini Server), and thus the speed will be slower. The following tests were conducted by Softron in June 2024 using a Mac mini M2 Pro or a Mac Studio M1 Ultra, running macOS 14.4, with Decklink Quad 2 and Decklink 8K Pro, using drivers 14.0.1, in a x Mac mini Server expansion chassis. The cards were placed in the PCIe gen 2 slots.
| Dimensions | Pixel format | FPS | Max number of channels |
|---|---|---|---|
| HD (1920 x 1080) | 8bit | p25 / i50 | 15 |
| p29.97 / i59.94 | 12 | ||
| p50 | 5 | ||
| p59.94 | 5 | ||
| 10bit | p25 / i50 | 11 | |
| p29.97 / i59.94 | 9 | ||
| p50 | 5 | ||
| p59.94 | 4 | ||
| 4K (3840 x 2160) | 8bit | p25 | 3 |
| p29.97 | 3 | ||
| p50 | 1 | ||
| p59.94 | 1 | ||
| 10bit | p25 | 2 | |
| p29.97 | 2 | ||
| p50 | 1 | ||
| p59.94 | 1 | ||
| 8K (7680 x 4320) | 8bit | p25 | 0 |
| p29.97 | 0 | ||
| p50 | 0 | ||
| p59.94 | 0 | ||
| 10bit | p25 | 0 | |
| p29.97 | 0 | ||
| p50 | 0 | ||
| p59.94 | 0 |
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