From all the reading I've done on Thunderbolt, it's speeds are dependent on motherboard architecture, and PCIe expansion cards will not be able to perform at the peak speeds Thunderbolt promises.
This from MacRumors forums:
"As the Thunderbolt interface uses PCI protocols, it would actually be reasonably straight-forward to devise and implement a PCI-e card to carry a Thunderbolt host controller chip. Unfortunately, because it would not be able to use the high speed interlock channels that are only accessible on the motherboard, the speed of the interface would be severely restricted -- even if a PCI-e x16 slot (normally used for graphics cards) was used, maximum speed would never be able to exceed 1.8 Gbps.
To gain the full speed of Thunderbolt, the host chip must be placed on the main motherboard with direct access to the chipset ... and currently the only chipset that supports PCI interlock is the new 'Sandy Bridge' series (P67, PM67, H67, HM67)."
Michael Kedor
paintingwithlife.com
On Apr 22, 2012, at 4:04 PM, Dylan Reeve wrote:
> You'd need a drive with both Thunderbolt and eSATA interfaces then I guess.
> Not sure if that exists or is likely to.
>
> As I understand it Apple had an exclusive license on Thunderbolt for a
> while (it's not their technology, it's Intel's) but I believe that's
> opening up now, so maybe we'll see more interesting uses of it as well as
> Thunderbolt expansion cards - should be possible I believe.
>
> Dylan Reeve
> http://dylanreeve.com/
>
>
> On Mon, Apr 23, 2012 at 2:38 AM, eli tishberg <etishberg@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> **
>>
>>
>> My problem is that I need to go the other way ( that's what she said!)
>>
>> I want to connect my Mac pro which has a sata card to thunderbolt, so I
>> can migrate footage to a portable drive I can travel with. A card would be
>> fine, but EVERY booth I asked at said Apple won't allow it. Atto, LaCie,
>> etc etc.
>>
>> I recently bought the macpro and assuming another one comes out with
>> thunderbolt, I don't really want to buy it again. Currently I use the
>> sonnet box to a 3/4 card. ( which is held with rubber ands since it doesn't
>> click in) to talk to ESATA graid which I transfer the material to.
>>
>> Thunderbolt has really been kind of a letdown, with not that many storage
>> options available. Promise, LaCie, and the sea gate with the $99 connector
>> option. I'd be happy with a 2tb mini-raid(2-2.5" drives) that had a ESATA
>> AND thunderbolt, but no one wants to go there either.
>>
>> Plus my raid uses a high point card so nothing will see it but a high
>> point card ( hardware raid obviously)
>>
>> eli tishberg
>> live director | editor
>> directoreditor.tv
>>
>>
>>
>
>
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>
>
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