Subsequent-gen Thunderbolt can generally attain 120Gbps, similar to USB4 2.0

Backside line: Sizzling on the heels of the recently-published USB4 2.0 specification, the subsequent era of Thunderbolt guarantees related capabilities. Thunderbolt and USB4 have been in lock-step for some time when it comes to bandwidth because of their shut relationship.

Intel shed extra gentle on the successor to Thunderbolt 4 on Wednesday. Like USB4 2.0, the brand new normal gives a connection bandwidth of as much as 80Gbps, whereas in some circumstances in can attain as much as 120Gbps.

Subsequent-generation Thunderbolt – Intel hasn’t correctly named it but, so Thunderbolt 5 will not be a given – helps bidirectional bandwidth as much as 80GBps, which Intel first demonstrated in Israel final month. Nonetheless, this week, the corporate additionally introduced the brand new Thunderbolt’s capability to transmit at 120Gbps whereas receiving at 40Gbps.

The USB Promoter Group, which incorporates the likes of Apple, HP, Intel, Microsoft, Renesas Electronics, STMicroelectronics, and Texas Devices, briefly talked about the identical functionality for USB4 2.0 when it revealed its specs earlier this week. The asymmetrical connection could also be helpful for USB4-based high-performance shows and different video intensive workloads. Intel particularly factors out Thunderbolt’s usefulness for avid gamers and content material creators who want to maneuver giant recordsdata round.

In keeping with Intel’s charts, one distinction between USB4 and next-gen Thunderbolt is that the latter requires 80Gbps bidirectional and 120Gbps uneven connections. In distinction, the chart reveals the USB4 specification solely optionally helps bandwidths above 20Gbps however does not distinguish between USB4 1.0 or 2.0.

The 2 applied sciences appear related as a result of USB4 1.0 relies on Thunderbolt 3. Each enabled 40Gbps connections, and their successors are upgrading to 80Gbps and 120Gbps nearly concurrently (Thunderbolt 4 maintained the identical bandwidth as TB 3, however added extra show and safety capabilities).

Like USB4 2.0, next-gen Thunderbolt is suitable with earlier variations of USB and Thunderbolt. With new signaling expertise, it helps present passive cables underneath 1m.

Subsequent-gen Thunderbolt additionally works with DisplayPort 2.1, one other connection specification launched this week. VESA up to date all DisplayPort 2.0 merchandise to the brand new normal, which makes use of the identical bodily layer specification as USB4.

Intel plans to disclose the official title of next-gen Thunderbolt, together with extra of its options, subsequent 12 months. The corporate might name it Thunderbolt 5 or label it a subdivision of Thunderbolt 4, just like USB4 2.0’s naming. Nonetheless, some think about USB4’s branding complicated.