Tech Specs

Product Specfications

Mac, Windows, and Linux Logos

Compatibility

Mac Compatibility

  • Mac Pro 14,8 (2023)
  • x16 Slot 1 or 2 (recommended slots)
  • macOS 13 - macOS 14.1+
  • Mac Pro 7,1 (2019)(1)
  • x16 Slot 3, 4, or 5 (recommended slots)
  • macOS 10.15 - macOS 12; macOS 14.4.1+
  • Not compatible with macOS 13
  • Mac Pro 5,1 (2010 & 2012)(2)
  • x16 Slot 2 (recommended slot)
  • macOS 10.13 - macOS 10.14
  • Thunderbolt Expansion System
  • x16 Full-length
  • macOS 10.13 - macOS 14

Windows Compatibility

  • Windows computer with an available full-length, full-height x16 PCIe slot (PCIe bifurcation not required)
  • Windows 11 and 10

Linux Compatibility

  • Linux computer with an available full-length, full-height x16 PCIe slot (PCIe bifurcation not required)
  • Linux Kernel 5.0+

Thunderbolt Expansion System Compatibility

  • Thunderbolt Expansion System with an available full-length x16 PCIe slot
  • Any Mac, Windows, or Linux computer with Thunderbolt ports

Power Requirements

  • When seven or eight SSDs are installed on the M.2 8x4 Silent Gen4 PCIe Card, connecting the included 6-pin PCIe auxiliary power cable between the computer’s and the card’s power connectors is  required (optional when up to six SSDs installed).

M.2 NVMe SSDs Compatibility(3)(4)

  • For a list of compatible M.2 NVMe SSDs, see the following PDF
M.2 NVMe SSDs Compatibility PDF Download Link

Hardware

Part Number

  • FUS-SSD-4X4-E3S

Warranty

  • 2-year

Form Factor

  • Single-slot, full-height, 238mm PCIe Card

Internal Connectors

  • Four M-keyed (NVMe) M.2 sockets

SSDs Supported(3)(4)

Boot Support (From a Single SSD)

  • macOS
  • Mac Pro 5,1 or Mac Pro 7,1
  • Any Thunderbolt Mac
  • Windows, Linux
  • Computers with UEFI BIOS

RAID Support

  • macOS(5), Windows, Linux
  • RAID 0 (Stripe), 1 (Mirror), 5 (Parity), or 1+0

NVME Support

  • Yes

S.M.A.R.T. Status Data Reporting Support

  • Yes

RoHS Compliant

  • Yes

Package Contents

  • Sonnet M.2 4x4 PCIe Card
  • Thermal transfer pads
  • SSD mounting screws
  • Documentation

Support Links

Support Knowledge Base

Sonnet M.2 4x4 PCIe Card (Silent) Support

Product Manual

Sonnet M.2 4x4 PCIe Card (Silent) Manual PDF Download Link

Technical Notes

  • Mac Pro 7,1 (2019) does not currently support RAID or more than one PCIe card with SSDs. Sonnet is working with Apple to resolve the issue.
  • See this Mac Pro installation video for instructions to install a full-length PCIe card in the Mac Pro 5,1.
  • You may install any number of SSDs now and add more later without needing to reformat existing ones. This product’s performance will vary based on the type and number of SSDs used, the CPU speed, and the PCIe architecture.
  • Double-sided SSDs (SSDs with components on both sides) supported on FUS-SSD-4X4-E3S with serial number A01298070001890+. FUS-SSD-4X4-E3S with lower serial numbers (except serial numbers A01298060001200 to A01298060001698 inclusive) require a thermal pad modification to support double-sided SSDs.
  • RAID 5 support under macOS requires third-party software such as SoftRAID, sold separately.

Videos & Reviews

Online Reviews

Bare Feats

REVIEW: Sonnet Technologies M.2 4x4 PCIe Card for Mac Pro

The best way to create a fast storage array for your Mac Pro is to install an M.2 PCIe board populated by multiple M.2 PCIe-based flash modules in a striped array. Perfect example: The new Sonnet M.2 4x4 PCIe Card. Apple includes it in a list of ‘blessed’ PCIe boards for the 2019 Mac Pro, but it also works in the 2010 - 2012 Mac Pro.

…because of the 2010 Mac Pro’s PCIe bus speed limit, we observed that three striped 970 PRO modules transferred as fast as four. So that opens the door to using the fourth M.2 flash module as a separate volume. For example, you could have a single module as a boot drive running macOS Mojave and the remaining three striped (RAID 0) modules serving as a very fast read/write working project volume and/or scratch volume.
Read Review

9 to 5 Mac

Sonnet's M.2 4x4 PCIe Card Brings Absolutely Ridiculous SSD Speeds to Mac Pro


If you’re looking for the fastest SSD available for the Mac Pro, then this may be the solution for you. When paired with the right SSDs, the Sonnet M.2 4×4 PCIe Card produces speeds of the bonkers variety.

During benchmark tests with the Blackmagic Disk Speed Test utility, I was getting write speeds in that easily surpassed 6,000 MB/s, and read speeds that eclipsed 7000 MB/s.

For comparison’s sake, Apple’s fastest 8 TB SSD produces speeds “only” up to 3400 MB/s, so this setup is capable of running circles around the Mac Pro’s fastest built-in SSD for less money. Watch our hands-on video review for the details.
Read Review

Sonnet M.2 4x4 PCIe Card (Silent)