In the world of USB ports, Intel has been establishing its future with Thunderbolt 3. For
some time now Intel has been in an attempt to solidify a high-speed universal port and cable
for all PCs. This process looked far-fetched until the company took a different approach to USB
protocol and the USB-C port. After much needed changes, Thunderbolt 3 could be ready to
dominate the USB port world.
What is Thunderbolt 3?
Thunderbolt 3 (created under the original name Light Peak), brings Thunderbolt to USB-C port
at speeds of up to 40Gbps, establishing a single compact port for every need. It presents the
quickest and most adaptable connection to any dock, display or data device. Tech giants Apple
and Intel had a common goal of creating an affordable yet prominent USB port. With a little
over 5 years of production, Thunderbolt 3 has been christened the USB-C that does it all due to
its ability to handle USB, data, video and power. Thunderbolt 3 dissipates performance issues
while observing high resolutions and offers a single cable connection for users. So, if love high
definition displays without performance issues, Thunderbolt 3 is your solution.
What’s New?
- Supports Thunderbolt, USB, DisplayPort and Power Delivery on the USB-C
connector - 10GbE full duplex (Built-In) connection between computers
Low latency for PCI Express audio - Power delivery of up to 100W bi-directional system charging
Link up to six devices to a single Thunderbolt 3 port - Up to 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3 data transfer speeds
- USB 3.1 Gen2 data support (10 Gbps) – compatible with existing USB devices
and cables - Eight lanes of DisplayPort 1.2 (HBR2 and MST) – supporting two 4K displays at
60Hz or a single 5K display at 60Hz
Thunderbolt 3 vs USB-C
USB-C has become the focal port used in almost every device after 2015. Most new storage
devices ditched the USB-B ports in exchange for C. Nearly every device supported by USB 3.1
uses a USB-C port. With a top speed of 10Gbps, USB 3.1 can deliver a power output of up to 20
volts (100 watts) and 5 amps. Thunder bolt 3 simply bring Thunderbolt to USB-C. Thunderbolt
is the latest technology for connecting external devices to your PC. While replacing Firewire as
the standard connection for audio recording interfaces and pro video devices, Thunderbolt was
made to daisy-chain up to 6 pro devices without loss of performance. Thunderbolt 3 can also
provide up to 10-100 watts of power to those devices.
Thunderbolt 3 is only scratching the surface with what technology is capable of. In 2 decades,
the way we intermingle with electronic devices has been transformed by USB interfaces. Solely,
if you are an innovative novice or expert and especially if you’re already feeling controlled by
outdated port solutions; most likely your capacity, presentation, and safeguard needs will grow.
When they expand, you will need Thunderbolt 3’s aptitudes.