Intel Thunderbolt 4 Lifts Bar For USB-C Devices
Intel’s Thunderbolt 4 connection standard is poised to significant raise the bar for USB-C devices, building upon the forthcoming USB4 specification.
Thunderbolt 4 will support speeds up to 40 Gbps, but notably gain higher video and data requirement support including for multi-port hubs.
Intel will reportedly add more stringent hardware requirements for Thunderbolt 4 laptops to make the user experience more pleasurable.
For example, under the new standard ‘ultra-slim and light’ laptops which require less than 100W of power to charge will need to offer Thunderbolt 4 USB-C charging on at least one port.
Thunderbolt 4 computers will have to support either one 8K display or two 4K displays, with PCIe data transfer speeds of up to 32 Gbps – double the requirements of Thunderbolt 3.
The first computers and tech accessories to incorporate Thunderbolt 4 ports are slated to unveil later this year, commencing with Intel’s forthcoming 11th Gen Tiger Lake processors.
The news comes as the USB Implementers Forum gears up to launch USB4 specifications, which seeks to bring many of the Thunderbolt 3 capabilities to an open standard.
The forthcoming Thunderbolt 4 seeks to deliver beyond USB4, likely accompanied by a higher end-user price.