Intel thunderbolt 3 update
SuperSpeed USB is USB 3.2 Gen 1, SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps is USB 3.2 Gen 2, and SuperSpeed USB 20Gbps is USB 3.2 Gen 2x2. See how confusing this is? At least the USB-IF was kind enough to add more digestible names. Otherwise, you were looking at 5Gbps and 10Gbps respectively for the first two standards. There's also a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 standard released more recently with speeds up to 20Gbps. Previous USB versions have been on a wild naming ride, with USB 3.1 Gen 1 becoming USB 3.2 Gen 1 and USB 3.1 Gen 2 becoming USB 3.2 Gen 2.
#INTEL THUNDERBOLT 3 UPDATE SERIAL#
USB4 is the next update to the Universal Serial Bus (USB) standard, as named by the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF). USB4 is the next high-performance USB standard Thunderbolt 3 is still an excellent alternative and can do a whole lot, but buying Thunderbolt 4 is the way to go if you want the best option heading into the future. The bottom line here is that laptops with Thunderbolt 4 can guarantee better port performance. And laptops below the 100W charging mark will need to include at least one port capable of charging. Thunderbolt 4 will also work with cables that measure up to two meters, with longer support expected in the future.
#INTEL THUNDERBOLT 3 UPDATE PC#
If you have a desktop setup, you'll be able to pull your PC out of hibernation just by touching the accessories. The best Thunderbolt 4 docking stations add support for up to three downstream Thunderbolt 4 ports, and it adds Direct Memory Access (DMA) protection via Intel's Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d) to help deal with threats. This extra bandwidth will also help anyone who uses an external GPU to turn their Ultrabook into a gaming machine. If you often use removable storage - like something from our best external hard drive collection - you should see theoretical transfer speeds up to about 3,000MB/s with Thunderbolt 4.
There's also double the amount of PCIe bandwidth required, bumping Thunderbolt 4 up to 32Gbps from Thunderbolt 3's 16Gbps. Thunderbolt 4 takes things to the next level with a new set of minimum performance requirements for video support, PCIe bandwidth, and more. Thunderbolt 3 can handle dual 4K displays with the right setup, but it only needs to handle at least a single 4K display to be called Thunderbolt 3. Minimum video support has been upped, with Thunderbolt 4 now boasting at least support for two 4K displays at 60Hz or one 8K display at 30Hz.