Right now, the best physical connection for your PC is Thunderbolt. Since 2010 or 2011, this Intel technology has undergone several revisions, ending with Thunderbolt 4.
Although Thunderbolt 4 was only introduced in 2020 and initially supported laptops with Intel's 11th Gen Tiger Lake platform (since moving to Alder Lake systems), rumors of a next-generation Thunderbolt specification have been circulating since 2021. An Intel executive unintentionally revealed some information.
When it debuts in 2023 or later, the new version of Thunderbolt will allow for high-speed data transfer rates and enhanced support for external displays on Macs.
Details
Intel has introduced the replacement for Thunderbolt 4 as its new Thunderbolt technology. The Thunderbolt 5 name has not been given formally; instead, the term "next-gen" has been used. For gamers and creators that require a lot of bandwidth through a single cable, the new Thunderbolt technology will depend on the new USB4 v2 data and DisplayPort 2.1 standards to give exceptional performance. Thunderbolt 2 will have four lanes with bi-directional bandwidth of up to 80Gb/s. It can switch one lane's direction if necessary to achieve speeds of 120 Gbps and receive speeds of 40 Gbps, which is perfect for high-resolution monitors. Following the lab leak from last year, speculation that the new technology used PAM3 signal modulation was validated by Intel.
Until Intel formally announces and launches the product, Thunderbolt 4 will remain the current standard as the new {technology is still developing.
Features
- Since some laptops with high power requirements are already available, and USB-IF (Implementer Forum) has allowed USB-C to provide up to 240W, Thunderbolt 5 will follow suit and provide the same. Although we wouldn't anticipate Intel to alter the 15W minimum that Thunderbolt 3 and 4 currently give to charge devices requiring less power, it is still a good starting point.
- What it aims to give gamers and content providers is evident by the increase in speed from 40 Gbps to 80 Gbps, and possibly 120 Gbps. Due to the large bandwidth, you will experience unprecedented picture quality with better resolutions and refresh rates.
- Maintaining your video and gaming library would be incredibly easy with speedier data transfers. Gamers may anticipate the next evolution in handheld gaming while providing subscribers and followers with high-resolution material to watch.
- Very few use cases would call for daisy-chaining more than six devices, which Thunderbolt 4 supports. However, you can blame our poor imagination for that. However, given Thunderbolt 5's massive bandwidth and PAM-3 signalings, you could only notice an increase if there are legitimate use cases.
Speeds of Data and Bi-Directional Channels
Thunderbolt 5 will, according to Intel, support data transfer rates of 80 Gbps, which is twice as fast as Thunderbolt 4. Thunderbolt 5 can even achieve data speeds of 120 Gbps in some circumstances, for example, when using 8K display panels. Consequently, Thunderbolt 5 more than doubles and even triples Thunderbolt 4's overall bandwidth, significantly surpassing USB in terms of minimum speeds.
Four bi-directional channels, two in each direction, each with a bandwidth of 40Gbps, will be used by Thunderbolt 5. Intel employs dynamic rebalancing, which will let one of the channels change the direction of transmission on-the-fly, to achieve the 120Gbps data transfer speed. Therefore, when watching 8K videos, you'll experience more excellent refresh rates, improving your viewing quality. Gamers will also enjoy an exceptional gaming experience.
Innovation
Pulse-Amplitude Modulation, or PAM 3, will be used for signaling in Thunderbolt 5—this was one of the leaked details. In essence, this means that PAM-3 signalings are used because Thunderbolt 5 is based on USB 4 v2, as mentioned by Intel.
DisplayPort v2.1 standards will also be used by Thunderbolt 5To support high-resolution and fast refresh rates. Games and entertainment producers will benefit from improved graphics and immersive experiences.
Connector
Intel affirms that passive wires up to 1m in length are compatible with Thunderbolt 5. (3.2 feet). Furthermore, you can be guaranteed that it will continue to supply PCIe, display, and power over a single cable and employ USB-C connectors. In essence, this is all that is currently known about Thunderbolt 5. Thunderbolt 5, which Intel admits is still under development, has only been shown off in an early iteration. This implies that there are still many unanswered questions regarding the technology.
Release Date
Intel does not yet have a release date for Thunderbolt 5, which is still under development. Intel claims that Thunderbolt 5 is still in development, so you'll have to wait till after testing and development before Intel decides to deploy this technology. Little is known about the project's status, but if professional comments indicate, nothing should be expected to happen quickly. We'd hazard a prediction in late 2023.
