The core features of Thunderbolt 4 were reason enough for Intel to be cheered. The new standard not only offers a data transfer rate of up to 40 GB/s. It should also allow the connection of two displays and expand the performance in the PCIe area.
The new standard from Intel
The official presentation of Thunderbolt 4 has made big waves. If one imagines that the new standard was only mentioned briefly in passing at the beginning of the year, the presentation now came as a surprise. However, Intel can certainly afford the elaborate release. After all, Thunderbolt 4 offers a lot of practical features.
Much of the old one
USB-C is becoming more and more popular and will sooner or later finally replace its predecessor standard USB-A. Accordingly, Intel also relies on a USB-C connection in Thunderbolt 4. Thunderbolt thus offers a data transfer rate of up to 40 GBit/s. The successor doesn’t differ from the previous third generation in this respect, though. All the more pleasing is the fact that old Thunderbolt 3 cables will also support the new standard.
Two 4K displays and more Gigatransfers
Intel is breaking new ground, especially in the area of display support. The manufacturer relies on Displayport 1.4a as the so-called alternate mode for Thunderbolt 4. However, this is not enough as a prerequisite for a device to be allowed to adorn itself with the Thunderbolt 4 logo. For this it must now be able to support two simultaneously connected displays with a 4K resolution. Not only here something has changed. In addition, the corresponding devices also have to meet higher PCIe requirements. In opposition to Thunderbolt 3, the gigatransfers doubled to 32 GT/s in the new standard. PCIe Gen3 x4 with Thunderbolt 4 is thus obligatory.
More features
But Thunderbolt 4 is not only supposed to bring more power. Intel has obviously also put an eye on the user experience. Thus, a device connected to a Thunderbolt 4 dock must automatically wake up from sleep mode after keyboard or mouse input. In this regard, the manufacturers of corresponding gadgets will still have to do some work. After all, everyone wants to be able to advertise with the new standard. Due to the new controllers from Intel, the dock manufacturers can now even install four instead of the previously maximum of two Thunderbolt connections.
End 2020 it should start
At the end of the year the first products with Thunderbolt 4 Standard will be available. However, the manufacturers of corresponding accessories also need the right conditions for this. Accordingly, Intel is bringing three different controllers onto the market just in time for the launch of Thunderbolt 4. Features equipped with the corresponding controllers should then also be available in stores at the end of the year. One of the previously known manufacturers is Acer.
