Intel's next-gen Thunderbolt: based on USB4 v2 + DisplayPort 2.1 specs

It must be the month for connectivity and cable upgrades with USB4 v2 specifications announced yesterday, while the day before we had DisplayPort 2.1 and its beefed-up specs teased, and today we have Intel with a tease of the next generation of Thunderbolt connectivity.

Intel's next-gen Thunderbolt connectivity was aligned to the USB Implementer's Forum's (USB-IF) release of the new USB4 v2 specifications, with the next-gen Thunderbolt driving up to 80Gbps of bi-directional bandwidth, which will unleash up to 120Gbps for totally next-gen display and connectivity experiences.

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The next-gen Thunderbolt will have up to 120Gbps of bandwidth

Thunderbolt 4 currently pumps out up to 40Gbps of bandwidth, so the drive up to 80Gbps is a doubling in bandwidth, while the huge 120Gbps of bandwidth is 3x what Thunderbolt 4 is capable of today. Intel's new Thunderbolt standard will also support the just-released DisplayPort 2.1 specification and is backward compatible with previous versions of Thunderbolt, USB, and DisplayPort.

• Read more: USB4 specs upgraded: 80Gbps can handle 4K 240Hz, 10K 60Hz displays
• Read more: DisplayPort 2.1 specs released, just before AMD unleashes RDNA 3 GPUs

Intel says that its recent prototype demonstration it reached a major milestone in delivering next-generation Thunderbolt to the industry, and the world... gamers and content creators need this bandwidth, especially if they are transferring huge amounts of files (videos, pictures) or gamers and enthusiasts who want bleeding edge next-gen displays that push 4K 240Hz, 8K 120Hz, and 16K 60Hz.

Jason Ziller, general manager of the Client Connectivity Division at Intel said: "Intel has always been the industry pioneer and leader for wired connectivity solutions, and Thunderbolt is now the mainstream port on mobile PCs and integrated into three generations of Intel mobile CPUs. We're very excited to lead the industry forward with the next generation of Thunderbolt built on the USB4 v2 specification, advanced to this next generation by Intel and other USB Promoter Group members".

Intel's next-gen Thunderbolt improvements:

• Two times the total bandwidth of Thunderbolt 4 to 80 Gbps, while providing up to three times the bandwidth to 120 Gbps for video-intensive usages.
• Support for the newly released DisplayPort 2.1 for the best display experience.
• Two times the PCI Express data throughput for faster storage and external graphics.
• Works with existing passive cables up to 1m via a new signaling technology.
• Compatible with previous versions of Thunderbolt, USB and DisplayPort.
• Supported by Intel's enabling and certification programs.