AKiTiO Thunder2 PCIe Thunderbolt 2 Expansion Chassis Review

We take a look at the latest Thunderbolt solution from AKiTiO in the Thunder2. This device allows you to add PCIe devices to your Macbook at full speed.

Published
Updated
Manufacturer: AKiTiO
2 minutes & 2 seconds read time
AKiTiO Thunder2 PCIe Thunderbolt 2 Expansion Chassis Review 99

For the prosumer and enthusiast alike, Thunderbolt has been a way to expand their storage capacity, without taking the traditional performance hit that USB 3.0 encompasses. For those wanting the utmost in flexibility with their solutions or want the very best, AKiTiO has recently launched their latest solution, the Thunder2.

The AKiTiO Thunder2 is a PCI Express expansion chassis, allowing you to install and utilize any number of PCIe solutions with your Thunderbolt enabled Mac. This means you have the ability to install PCIe based storage solutions, or even a multiple port network card, if you so desire. The one downfall of the Thunder2 is that it does not support expansion of video cards.

MSRP of the AKiTiO Thunder2 is listed at $269.99 with a one-year warranty.

AKiTiO Thunder2 PCIe Thunderbolt 2 Expansion Chassis Review 02

Packaging for the Thunder2 houses an image of the chassis front and center, around we have several features listed.

AKiTiO Thunder2 PCIe Thunderbolt 2 Expansion Chassis Review 03

Scope of delivery includes a Thunderbolt cable and power adapter.

AKiTiO Thunder2 PCIe Thunderbolt 2 Expansion Chassis Review 04

The front of the Thunder2 houses a mesh front panel to allow air to circulate inside the enclosure.

AKiTiO Thunder2 PCIe Thunderbolt 2 Expansion Chassis Review 05

The back of the Thunder2 houses dual Thunderbolt 2 ports and the power input below.

AKiTiO Thunder2 PCIe Thunderbolt 2 Expansion Chassis Review 06

Internally, the chassis houses an x16 PCIe slot and room enough for dual slot cards.

AKiTiO Thunder2 PCIe Thunderbolt 2 Expansion Chassis Review 07

The Thunderbolt controller used in the Thunder2 is the four lane DSL5520.

AKiTiO Thunder2 PCIe Thunderbolt 2 Expansion Chassis Review 08

To test the AKiTiO Thunder2, we installed a Samsung XP941 512GB m.2 SSD.

AKiTiO Thunder2 PCIe Thunderbolt 2 Expansion Chassis Review 09

The second device we installed in the Thunder2 was the 960GB OWC Mercury Accelsior.

AKiTiO Thunder2 PCIe Thunderbolt 2 Expansion Chassis Review 10

Here, we have our first benchmark run with the XP941. As you can see, we were able to surpass the original Thunderbolt performance specs and pass into Thunderbolt 2 range at 950 MB/s read and 958 MB/s write.

AKiTiO Thunder2 PCIe Thunderbolt 2 Expansion Chassis Review 11

Moving over to the OWC Accelsior, results came in at 685 MB/s read and 422 MB/s write.

The Thunder2 is definitely one of the most versatile enclosures we have seen in quite a while. In fact, I cannot think of the last time we have seen something that is as flexible. If you are one that wants control of your storage solutions or enjoy video editing and only have the latest MBPr, then the Thunderbolt 2 enabled Thunder2 may be for you. With this device, you can install some of the quickest PCIe storage solutions available on the market, and access them through any Thunderbolt enabled device.

As you saw in our testing using the 512GB XP941, we were able to reach close to 1 GB/s in both read and writes. Of course, your performance will truly depend on what you install, but then again, if you want to use any other PCIe device apart from a GPU, then that option is available as well.

PRICING: You can find the Akitio Thunder2 PCIe Box for sale below. The prices listed are valid at the time of writing but can change at any time. Click the link to see the very latest pricing for the best deal.

United States: The Akitio Thunder2 PCIe Box retails for $269.99 at Amazon.

What do TweakTown.com awards mean? Click for details!

AKiTiO Thunder2 PCIe Thunderbolt 2 Expansion Chassis Review 100

PRICING: You can find products similar to this one for sale below.

USUnited States: Find other tech and computer products like this over at Amazon.com

UKUnited Kingdom: Find other tech and computer products like this over at Amazon.co.uk

AUAustralia: Find other tech and computer products like this over at Amazon.com.au

CACanada: Find other tech and computer products like this over at Amazon.ca

DEDeutschland: Finde andere Technik- und Computerprodukte wie dieses auf Amazon.de

Tyler joined the TweakTown team in 2013 and has since reviewed 100s of new techy items. Growing up in a small farm town, tech wasn't around, unless it was in a tractor. At an early age, Tyler's parents brought home their first PC. Tyler was hooked and learned what it meant to format a HDD, spending many nights reinstalling Windows 95. Tyler's love and enthusiast nature always kept his PC nearby. Eager to get deeper into tech, he started reviewing.

Newsletter Subscription
We openly invite the companies who provide us with review samples / who are mentioned or discussed to express their opinion. If any company representative wishes to respond, we will publish the response here. Please contact us if you wish to respond.