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Small green PCIe add-in card with a USB-C port, USB-A port, and internal headers

ASUS

ASUS ThunderboltEX 3 Thunderbolt expansion card

SKU CH-MYY7-4E5J1

Adds Thunderbolt 3, USB 3.1 Type-C and DisplayPort 1.2 to compatible ASUS motherboards via a PCIe 3.0 x4 slot

  • External connectors1 × 9 pin TB header
  • Internal portsPCI Express 3.0 x4 (compatible with PCI Express x16/x8/x4 sl
  • Supported operating systemsWindows 10 Windows 8.1 64-bit Windows 8 64-bit Windows 7 32-
  • Product typePCI Express to USB Card
  • Compatible withROG RAMPAGE VI EXTREME PRIME X299-DELUXE PRIME X299-A TUF X2
  • Details1 x Thunderbolt 3 port (USB TypeC) - up to 40 Gbit/s for Thu
  • Adds Thunderbolt 3 at 40 Gbps via PCIe 3.0 x4
  • Single reversible USB-C port carries Thunderbolt 3, USB 3.1 Gen 2 and DisplayPort 1.2
  • Charges devices up to 36 W through USB Power Delivery
  • Extra USB-A port delivers 10 Gbps for legacy peripherals
  • Works with listed ASUS X299, Z370, Z270, Z170 and WS C422 boards

What this card adds

The ASUS ThunderboltEX 3 is a PCI Express 3.0 x4 add-in card that brings Thunderbolt connectivity to compatible ASUS motherboards with a TB header. It provides a single Thunderbolt 3 port using USB Type-C and a USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A port. The card fits into x16, x8 or x4 slots. It is intended for builders who need high-speed external storage, docking or display support on a supported platform.

Sustained throughput and daisy-chaining

The Thunderbolt port delivers up to 40 Gbps for Thunderbolt devices and up to 10 Gbps for USB 3.1 Gen 2 devices. The USB Type-A port also supports up to 10 Gbps. The card supports daisy-chaining of multiple Thunderbolt devices. When a monitor is present in the chain, the included cable must connect the card's miniDP input to the system's DisplayPort output. USB Power Delivery supplies up to 36 W through the Thunderbolt port for charging.

Installation steps and common issues

Installation requires three steps: insert the card into a PCIe 3.0 x4 slot, connect the supplied system-link cable to the motherboard TB header, and attach the supplied DisplayPort cable between the card and the onboard DisplayPort connector. The card only works with the listed ASUS motherboards. Builders without a TB header or using a non-listed board cannot use this card. Windows 7 through Windows 10 are supported.

How it compares

Measured against everything we stock in PCIe Expansion Cards, at today’s prices. Recalculated every night.

Price $113.99
Pricier than about 86% of the 891 comparable items (median $30.99).

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Specifications

Product
Brand nameAsus
Model nameThunderboltEX 3
Product typePCI Express to USB Card
Ports & slots
Thunderbolt 3 supportYes
External connectors1 × 9 pin TB header
Internal portsPCI Express 3.0 x4 (compatible with PCI Express x16/x8/x4 slots)
Compatibility
Supported operating systemsWindows 10
Windows 8.1 64-bit
Windows 8 64-bit
Windows 7 32-bit
Windows 7 64-bit
Compatible withROG RAMPAGE VI EXTREME
PRIME X299-DELUXE
PRIME X299-A
TUF X299 MARK 1
TUF X299 MARK 2
PRIME Z370-A
MAXIMUS IX HERO
PRIME Z270-A
PRIME Z270-AR
TUF Z270 Mark 1
Z170-PREMIUM
Z170-DELUXE
Z170-PRO
Z170-A
Z170-AR
SABERTOOTH Z170 MARK 1
SABERTOOTH Z170 S
MAXIMUS VIII EXTREME
MAXIMUS VIII HERO
MAXIMUS VIII RANGER
X99-DELUXE II
X99-DELUXE
X99-DELUXE/U3.1
X99-PRO/USB 3.1
X99-PRO
X99-A/USB 3.1
X99-A
X99-A II
X99-E
SABERTOOTH X99
RAMPAGE V EXTREME/U3.1
RAMPAGE V EXTREME
X99-E WS/USB3.1*
X99-E WS*
* X99-E WS/USB 3.1 and X99-E WS support ThunderboltEX 3 card at PCIEX16_2 slot.

Questions about this item

Does the ASUS ThunderboltEX 3 card need extra power cables or active cooling when running all day?

The card draws power through the PCIe 3.0 x4 slot and has no external power connector or fan, so it runs silently without additional cables.

Which motherboard header must my board already have for this ThunderboltEX 3 to function?

Your motherboard needs a 9-pin Thunderbolt header; the card connects to it with the supplied system-link cable and only works with the listed ASUS models.

If I keep my current graphics card, how does the ThunderboltEX 3 pass DisplayPort 1.2 video to the Thunderbolt port?

You connect the included DisplayPort cable from your graphics card's DisplayPort output to the miniDP input on the ThunderboltEX 3, enabling video over the Thunderbolt 3 port.

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