We can briefly define Thunderbolt as a connection standard that provides power, data, and video streaming with a single port. So we can charge our devices with Thunderbolt, and besides, we have the possibilities to connect more than one high-resolution screen.
Intel announced new details about the Thunderbolt 4 wired connectivity solution, the successor of Thunderbolt 3, which is currently in use. Thunderbolt 4 will be a platform with up to four ports and cables up to 2 meters long. The Tiger Lake family was the first mobile processor Intel used Thunderbolt 4 to integrate. On the other hand, this standard will work with Thunderbolt 3 as well as many PCs and accessories.
However, the new Thunderbolt 4 interface offers speeds of up to 40 GB / s in the same way as its predecessor, keeping the maximum available values. Manufacturers will need to activate some features such as support for two 4K displays or an 8K display to qualify for the new TB 4 certification. Also, with the new standard, support for charging on at least one port on the Thunderbolt 4-based computer (for devices under 100W).
To summarize, although the connection transfer speed with Thunderbolt 4 remains the same, some additional features are offered. So if we see Thunderbolt 4 certification somewhere, we can use the following features;
Thunderbolt 4 Features
- Double the minimum video and data requirements of Thunderbolt 3.
- Video- Support two 4K displays or one 8K display.
- Data- 32 Gbps PCIe support for storage speeds of up to 3,000 MBps.
- Hub support with up to four Thunderbolt 4 ports.
- PC charging on at least one computer port.
- Wake the computer from sleep mode by touching the keyboard or mouse while it’s connected to the Thunderbolt port.
- Intel VT-d based direct memory access (DMA) protection that helps prevent physical DMA attacks.
Intel Thunderbolt 4 8000 Series Controllers
- JHL8540 and JHL8340 host controllers for computer manufacturers.
- JHL8440 device controller for accessory manufacturers.
