Thunderbolt 5 | Intel brings data transfer speeds up to 120 Gbps

Today, Intel unveiled Thunderbolt™ 5, marking the evolution of Thunderbolt technology, and showcased a prototype laptop and dock. Thunderbolt 5 ushers in a new era of connectivity, promising substantial enhancements in speed and bandwidth for computer users.

Jason Ziller, the general manager of the Client Connectivity Division at Intel, expressed excitement about Thunderbolt 5, stating, “Thunderbolt 5 will deliver industry-leading performance and capabilities, enabling seamless connections between computers, monitors, docks, storage, and more.

Thunderbolt has become the primary port for mobile PC connectivity, and the introduction of Thunderbolt 5 will further empower even the most demanding users.”

Key Features of Thunderbolt 5

• Thunderbolt 5 offers a remarkable 80 gigabits per second (Gbps) of bi-directional bandwidth, with the added feature of Bandwidth Boost, which elevates performance to an impressive 120 Gbps for a superior display experience. This advancement in bandwidth is three times greater than the current best connectivity solutions, ensuring exceptional display and data connections.
• Thunderbolt 5 caters to the escalating bandwidth requirements of content creators, gamers, and professionals who seek high-resolution displays and low-latency visuals while managing increasingly large video and data files.
• Thunderbolt 5 adheres to industry standards, including USB4 V2, ensuring broad compatibility with previous Thunderbolt and USB versions.

What makes Thunderbolt 5 significant?

The significance of Thunderbolt 5 lies in addressing the escalating bandwidth demands of content creators, gamers, and professionals. These users require top-tier visuals and immersive experiences while working with large files.

Thunderbolt 5 aims to provide them with lightning-fast connectivity and bandwidth, ensuring an uninterrupted and high-quality computing experience.

Ian LeGrow, corporate vice president of Core OS product management at Microsoft Corp., expressed Microsoft’s enthusiasm for collaborating with Intel to bring the latest USB4 standard to Windows customers.

He noted, “Thunderbolt 5 fully complies with the USB 80Gbps standard, enabling support for the next generation of high-performance displays, storage, and connectivity.”

Thunderbolt 5 foundation

Thunderbolt 5 builds upon the foundation laid by Thunderbolt 4, offering several enhancements:

• Doubles the total bi-directional bandwidth, with Bandwidth Boost providing up to three times the throughput for video-intensive tasks, reaching up to 120 Gbps.
• Doubles the PCI Express data throughput, resulting in faster storage and external graphics performance.
• Built on industry standards such as USB4 V2, DisplayPort 2.1, and PCI Express Gen 4, Thunderbolt 5 maintains full compatibility with previous Thunderbolt iterations.
• Doubles the bandwidth of Thunderbolt Networking, facilitating high-speed PC-to-PC connections.
• Utilizes innovative signaling technology, PAM-3, to deliver these substantial performance improvements with existing printed circuit boards, connectors, and passive cables up to 1 meter in length.

In summary, Thunderbolt 5 represents a significant leap forward in connectivity technology, addressing the evolving needs of modern computing by offering unprecedented speed and bandwidth capabilities.