After a brief teaser about it during the company’s CES 2020 keynote, Intel today has revealed more information regarding Thunderbolt 4 standard. For starters, the company once again confirmed that Thunderbolt 4 will be integrated into Intel’s new family of laptop processors which are codenamed Tiger Lake.
In terms of data speed, Thunderbolt 4 still delivers up to 40Gb/s which is the same rate as per Thunderbolt 3. However, the minimum requirement for Thunderbolt 4 certification is much higher which includes two 4K displays for video as compared to just one 4K display for Thunderbolt 3.
The minimum requirement for PCIe data speed on Thunderbolt 4 is also much higher at 32 Gb/s. Not to forget, Thunderbolt 4 also able to provide charging capability to notebooks at up to 100W.
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Here is a quick summary of the differences between Thunderbolt 4, Thunderbolt 3, USB4, and USB3 standards:
Alongside today’s revelation, Intel has also announced the Intel 8000 series Thunderbolt controllers which comes in three different models. Two of them, the JHL8540 and JHL8340 host controllers are designed for computer manufacturers while the JHL8440 device controller is meant for accessory makers.
According to Intel, consumers can expect to see systems and accessories with Thunderbolt 4 in the market later this year. Not surprisingly, the company has also noted that some Project Athena laptops will also able to support Thunderbolt 4.
