Intel has showcased the prototype version of its new Thunderbolt protocol which will be released in 2023. The Thunderbolt 5 technology is based on the recently released DisplayPort 2.1 and USBB4 v2 specifications. Users will be able to transmit more data in less time, send output to high-resolution screens, and make better use of external graphics processors thanks to the next-generation Thunderbolt 5 technology.
Thunderbolt 5 is said to support double the bandwidth of the Thunderbolt 4 protocol and is designed to be especially useful for the users who make use of graphic-intensive productions and work his high-resolution displays.
More bandwidth is supported by Thunderbolt 5 than by its predecessor, ranging from 40 Gbps to 80 Gbps bi-directionally and, if necessary, up to 120 Gbps unidirectionally. As opposed to two 4K monitors with Thunderbolt 4, it should be able to support dual 8K screens with that bandwidth. Professionals and users who regularly utilize several monitors will benefit from the ability to concurrently output two 8K displays.
The new Thunderbolt technology enhances every component of the prevailing protocol. This, in turn, enables consumers to utilize the humble USB port even more. Thunderbolt 5 offers twice the PCIe bandwidth of Thunderbolt 4 for customers who use external graphics processors. Users will be able to get better performance out of their GPUs because the most recent Thunderbolt standard provides more space for data transfer.
Intel in its official memo has stated that the “prototype demonstration marks a major milestone in the journey to delivering next-generation Thunderbolt to the industry.” It’s no surprise that from a technological upgradation point of view, the Thunderbolt 5 protocol will help users with their needs for high-resolution displays, low latency visuals, backing up or transferring large video or data files.
