is there any thunderbolt card available for mac pro?

Intel is claiming that they will use the PCIe 2 specification -which has not changed even though there is now PCIe 3- without any problem. Thus, there should be no problem connecting to 3 channel 1366 motherboards. Socket 2011 motherboards are not, of necesity, all that different as to the chipset with the exception of the extra channel and associated management. Thus, if anything, why would it work on a PC socket 2011 but not on a Mac Pro 5,1? Further, since all manner of hardware that is socket 2011 but PCIe 2 will work on socket 1366 PCIe 2 -the limit often being the power supply- I have a hard time understanding why (The Hatter) feels that no thunderbolt cards will work when they become available. Moreover, since there are none to examine except at labs at Intel and ASUS, it would seem that the apparent certainty with which you speak might be unwarranted. Indeed, I draw hope from this in as much as I might not need it but if I do, I would like it to be available.

This is the article that started me thinking about this and the graphics are clearly lifted -blatantly so- lifted from Intel's website: http://vr-zone.com/articles/thunderbolts-great-pcie-hope/50677.html It would also seem that ASUS is onboard even though their prototype, for reasons unknown, did not make it to market.

Frankly, since SATA 3 would be available to me -I have to change the wiring harness behind the motherboard- and I have slots for the PCIe based SSDs, I might never come to need thunderbolt. Still, if I do, it would be nice if it was available, don't you think?

Hatter: why do you feel that it would not be possible to produce an effective thunderbolt PCIe 2 card to retrofit to Mac Pro 4, 1 and 5,1?

1WhoLovesHisMacs wrote:

why do you feel that it would not be possible to produce an effective thunderbolt PCIe 2 card to retrofit to Mac Pro 4, 1 and 5,1?

There is no "feel", its a fact.

It is impossible to add thunderbolt to any computer not designed for it. Hence your link's "All add in cards and motherboards must be certified together".

The cards they are talking about are simply a "feature enabler". It lets motherboard manufacturers reduce production cost and retail price by not installing TB while allowing people who want the feature to add it later.

TB communicates directly to the CPU and GPU, it is not an extension of the PCIe bus like eSATA or a USB hub.

In other words the idea of adding TB to a 3 to 8 year old Mac Pro is like wanting to put an i7 CPU into a Pentium 4 computer, its simply flat-out not possible because of hardware technology incompatibility.

HI George,

Were you ever able to find a solution for running an Apollo using Thunderbolt with a Mac Pro 5,1? I'm in the same boat and would prefer not to have to upgrade machines to the black garbage can if I can avoid it. Thanks.

scott

As already said the silver tower Mac Prod do not support Thunderbolt.

In order to use ThunderBolt Peripheral devices, a computer must have left the factory with ThunderBolt capability on board. There are not now and are not likely to be in the future, any adapters that add ThunderBolt capability as an add-on. The one or two cards identified are specific to a particular computer that is ThunderBolt capable, but the card has been made optional to save initial cost.

Intel, who control the specification, patents, and certification process, has said they are not interested in providing chips to do this. (You cannot run ThunderBolt without special chips) and so the issue is dead.

😢

Such a shame to let such a good Mac Pro mid-2010 whither.

As a work-around, we connected the Mac Pro to a Thunderbolt external hard drive through my mid-2011 iMac on the network. With the application of OS X Server (Mavericks) on my iMac, we are able to run the Time Machine backups onto that external drive. I lose some desk space, but, get Thunderbolt capabilities for my Mac Pro, sort of.

See my other post in reply to Gran Bennet-Alder on the work-around (through) my iMac.