If you’re a busy laptop or desktop user and you want a high-speed, low-latency, external PCIe expansion solution, there are plenty of options out there for you but, some of the most compelling solutions are those that operate using Thunderbolt technology. Thunderbolt is a revolutionary interface that allows you to share raw PCIe, audio, and video data between your devices and right now its one of the fastest ways to do so.
Who was Thunderbolt technology designed for?
When it comes to data-intensive applications like video editing and music producing, latency is a big issue, but not with the exceptionally high speeds of Thunderbolt. Capable of pumping data between your devices at up to 10Gb/s it is sure to get the job done. What’s more is the upcoming Thunderbolt 2 technology will double that speed at 20Gb/s. For video editors, audio engineers, and the like, Thunderbolt’s sheer quickness makes it perfect for on-the-go professionals that are constantly editing and sharing their data.
What benefits can a Thunderbolt solution offer over other types of external storage?
USB has been the industry standard way to connect devices for quite some time and consequently, most other forms of external storage use USB technology instead of Thunderbolt technology. However, countless tests have shown that when it comes to both reading and writing data, Thunderbolt is faster. Period. This is in part due to the fact that Thunderbolt processes raw PCIe data, which is essentially a direct link to your computer’s processor. USB on the other hand must first communicate with your OS in various ways in order to reach the processor. This means slower speed, higher latency, and more CPU usage.
What are the technical justifications for going with Thunderbolt?
Thunderbolt boasts 10 Gb/s bi-directional data transfer rates and that’s already fairly impressive but it’s really not about the Thunderbolt’s speed. Thunderbolt was not intended as a USB or Firewire replacement. Rather, Thunderbolt was meant to revolutionize the way expansion is accomplished. Instead of gutting your desktop every time you want to install a new card, you can simply connect your card via Thunderbolt and acquire virtually no latency. Couple that with the fact that Laptops are now essentially capable of all the expansion opportunities available to desktops and you’ve got something rather special.