FirmTek, LLC, a world-leading developer of external storage solutions, today is announcing and shipping the ThunderTek/PX-Q6G. Offering four high-speed 6-Gig eSATA ports using just a single Thunderbolt link, the ThunderTek/PX-Q6G supports both direct-connect and port-multiplier eSATA enclosures.

"Thunderbolt delivers unparalleled performance, flexibility and simplicity to personal computing," said Jason Ziller, Intel's director of Thunderbolt Marketing, "Products like FirmTek's ThunderTek/PX-Q6G help highlight what Thunderbolt makes possible." Thunderbolt technology is the fastest connection possible to your Mac at 10 Gbps in each direction at the same time. Transfer HD movies in less than 30 seconds or backup a terabyte of content in less than 5 minutes. All of this is possible with Thunderbolt.ThunderTek/PX-Q6G Value Equation
During product surveys, it was discovered customers are looking for a low cost solution for unlocking the potential of existing storage solutions. With this in mind, FirmTek designed the ThunderTek/PX for use with numerous PCIe adapters. ThunderTek/PX-Q6G in particular is comprised of the ThunderTek/PX chassis and the SeriTek/Q6G, FirmTek's premiere PCIe adapter with four port-multiplier enabled eSATA ports. "Macintosh and PC users have desired built-in external eSATA ports for years, given the vast amount of eSATA storage options available. Now with the announcement of the ThunderTek/PX-Q6G, high performance eSATA ports and other connection options are possible on a wide variety of Thunderbolt equipped computers," said Chi Kim Stanford, Vice President of Business Development.

Pairing up with existing eSATA enclosures, ThunderTek/PX-Q6G saves time and money. Instantly access multiple projects stored in existing eSATA enclosures and avoid wasting hours transferring data to new and costly enclosures. Extending the life of eSATA enclosures helps save the planet by keeping electronic waste to a minimum in addition to saving time, money and equipment downtime. As new storage technology is released, professionals can simply swap out the storage adapter within the ThunderTek/PX-Q6G rather than replace several expensive enclosures. Leveraging this upgrade path helps to cost-effectively avoid storage technology speed bumps. Future-proofing Thunderbolt has never been easier.

ThunderTek/PX
Many PCIe storage adapters are "Thunderbolt-enabled," meaning that they have been tested and approved to work with Thunderbolt. ThunderTek/PX (P/N TTPX) supports half-size "Thunderbolt-enabled" PCIe adapters such as the SeriTek/Q6G. Existing SeriTek/Q6G adapter customers are free to purchase the ThunderTek/PX and install their adapter to enable ultra-fast 6G eSATA using Thunderbolt.

The SeriTek/Q6G PCIe adapter bundled with the ThunderTek/PX (P/N TTPX-Q6G) delivers four ports for connecting all native eSATA enclosures including the miniSwap/ES, SeriTek/2EN2, SeriTek/2eEN4 and the SeriTek/5PM.

ThunderTek/PX-Q6G Key Features and Benefits:

• Chassis supports compatible single half-length x1, x2 or x4 PCIe 2.0 card
• ThunderTek/PX is Mac OS certified for Thunderbolt
• Supports compatible PCIe cards for eSATA, USB 3.0, 8Gb Fibre Channel, 10G Ethernet, audio and more
• ThunderTek/PX-Q6G is Mac OS and Windows certified for Thunderbolt
• PCIe expansion via Thunderbolt offers up to 10Gb/s dual channel data transfer rates
• Energy Saver Mode: automatically powers on/off with your computer
• Light-weight, rugged, aluminum case for maximum durability and heat dissipation
• Ventilated case and offers quiet fan operation
• Single Thunderbolt connector and power connector
• Perfect for both storage-hungry and speed-sensitive applications
• Expand storage without overloading the computer's power supply or increasing heat within its chassis

Availability
The FirmTek ThunderTek/PX (without PCIe card) and ThunderTek/PX-Q6G (4-port eSATA bundle) are available now from FirmTek and selected resellers.