Intel announces the next generation of Thunderbolt technology, which could release in 2023

Intel has demonstrated the early prototype for the next generation of Thunderbolt protocol. It is based on the USBB4 v2 and DisplayPort 2.1 specifications, which have also come out recently. The next-generation Thunderbolt 5 technology will enable users to transfer more data in less time, relay output to high-resolution displays and take advantage of external graphics processors even better. 

Features of Thunderbolt 5

• Thunderbolt 5 has two times the total bandwidth of Thunderbolt 4 and up to three times the bandwidth for video-intensive usage. 
• It supports DisplayPort 2.1.
• It doubles the PCI Express data throughput for faster storage and external graphics. 
• Thunderbolt 5 also works with existing passive cable up to 1m and is compatible with previous versions of DisplayPort, USB, and Thunderbolt. 

What does this mean for regular users? Well, since Thunderbolt 5 supports more bandwidth than the previous generation, from 40 Gbps to 80 Gbps bi-directional and, when needed, up to 120Gbps unidirectional. With that bandwidth, it should be able to handle dual 8K displays, as opposed to dual 4K displays with Thunderbolt 4. The ability to simultaneously output two 8K displays will benefit professionals and users who work with multiple monitors daily.

Thunderbolt 5 will launch in 2023

Without going into more technicality, the new Thunderbolt 5 improves all the aspects of the existing technology, allowing users to do even more with the tiny USB port on their computers. For those who use external graphics processors, Thunderbolt 5 comes with twice the PCIe bandwidth of Thunderbolt 4. It will enable users to extract more from their GPUs as the latest Thunderbolt standard has more room for carrying data. 

In the official press release, Intel mentions that the “prototype demonstration marks a major milestone in the journey to delivering next-generation Thunderbolt to the industry.” Indeed, the Thunderbolt 5 will help users with their needs for high-resolution displays, low latency visuals, backing up or transferring large video or data files across computers and much more. More details about the next-generation Thunderbolt’s brand name, features and capabilities will be released in 2023.