AKITIO today unveiled their new Thunderbolt 3 PCIe box, the Node Lite. The new Node Lite is an upgraded version of their popular Thunder2 PCIe Box. The Node Lite features PCIe Gen 3, which provides much improved performance when using new PCIe cards such as video capture cards, RAID cards, NVME SSD storage, 10G and even 40G network cards. The Node Lite is compatible with both macOS and Windows computers, making it the ideal companion for the new 2016 MacBook Pro as well as new Thunderbolt 3 Windows PC's.
The Node Lite features the same compact, tool-less design as the Thunder2 PCIe Box in a stylish new space gray outer case. Inside the case, the Node Lite features two Thunderbolt 3 ports, which can be used to daisy chain other Thunderbolt 3 devices as well as USB3-Type C devices. Another new addition is a DisplayPort version 1.2 port which can be used to connect an additional 4K@60Hz monitor.
The Thunderbolt 3 Node Lite combines the full PCIe Gen3 bandwidth with the 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3 interface, which drastically improves the performance of newer PCIe cards. The Thunderbolt3/USB3 Type-C ports on the Node Lite also provide 15 watts of power to help charge the laptop that it is connected to.
"The Node Lite was designed for creative professionals and others who need to use a variety of PCIe cards," said Richard Wright, VP of Sales & Marketing for Akitio. "The revolutionary 40Gb/s bandwidth is essential for many of the new video capture cards as well as new network cards used by professionals in the audio/video, photography and various other creative fields. The strong adoption of Thunderbolt 3 in the latest generation of PCs as well as the new Apple MacBook Pro line-up means that more and more people will be in need of external PCIe solutions such as the Node Lite."
Pricing and Availably
The Akitio Node Lite will be available in late Q2'17 for $269.99
The new Node Lite will be on display at the 2017 NAB Show in Las Vegas at Akitio booth SL13417
