Thunderbolt™ 4 is a different upgrade than Thunderbolt™ 3, but brings more new features to user device connections. For users who use Thunderbolt™ 3 or USB-C docking systems, there are some important factors to consider when upgrading your devices.
The Revolution of Thunderbolt™
For nearly a decade, Thunderbolt™ has ushered in a new era of data, video, and charging capabilities. While other manufacturers were still struggling to integrate HDMI ports into laptops, Apple was quick to adopt Thunderbolt™ technology for all types of connections, including video output. With its high-speed data connection, Thunderbolt™ has quickly gained widespread use in high-end devices such as MacBooks.
From Thunderbolt™ to Thunderbolt™ 3, the connection port has undergone a huge evolution. In 2013, Thunderbolt™ 2 doubled the 10Gbps connection speed to 20Gbps; two years later, Thunderbolt™ 3 doubled the speed again to 40Gbps. One of the main advantages of the Thunderbolt™ 3 connection port is that it adopts the USB-C form factor, which enables manufacturers to implement a unified connection port without making major changes to the internal components. Today, Thunderbolt™ has become part of Intel's 10th Generation Ice Lake CPU, each CPU can support up to four Thunderbolt™ ports and provide 40G USB 4 data transfer, ushering in a new era of universal compatibility of devices.
Updates and changes to Thunderbolt™ 4
Intel has clarified the changes that Thunderbolt™ 4 will bring to consumers in mid-2020, eliminating people's confusion. Thunderbolt™ 4 complies with the USB4 specification, using the 8000 series controller to improve performance and provide universal compatibility; increases the PCIe data transfer rate from 16Gbps to 32Gbps, reaching a rate of 3000Mbps; also includes sleep wake-up function, and uses Intel VT-d direct memory access to enhance security and prevent DMA attacks. Thunderbolt™ 4 is designed to make Thunderbolt™ technology ubiquitous, but laptops with the new protocol and controllers aren’t shipping until late 2020, so expect more devices to hit the market in 2021.
The Thunderbolt™ 4 port also offers architectural improvements and a unified, universal connectivity solution. Whether you’re using an Apple product or a Windows-based PC, with Thunderbolt™ 4 we’re getting closer to the same functionality. Additionally, the new minimum standard requires Thunderbolt™ 4 ports to support dual 4K or single 8K video, be reversible, use the USB-C connector type, and deliver up to 90 watts of power.
When it comes to docking systems, Thunderbolt™ 4 doesn’t bring any changes. Intel ensured that the new architecture is compatible with previous Thunderbolt™ 3 systems, allowing you to continue to use your existing docking stations with new Thunderbolt™ 4 devices. Thunderbolt™ 4 offers four Thunderbolt™ ports (one upstream and three downstream), a significant improvement over Thunderbolt™ 3 (one upstream and one downstream). So you can connect one Thunderbolt™ 4 port to your laptop, then connect multiple monitors as well as external SSDs directly to the other three Thunderbolt™ 4 ports on the dock.
Since backward compatibility is one of Intel’s design criteria, a Thunderbolt™ 4 laptop will work with any Thunderbolt™ 3 docking solution, with no additional adapters or connection types required, and will perform the same as a Thunderbolt™ 3 device. Devices equipped with Thunderbolt™ 4 technology will use the same connection ports, and no physical changes to your desktop setup will be required.
Docking Stations Compatible with the Latest Thunderbolt™ Connections
As work arrangements and routines change, having a universal docking solution will help you stay productive anywhere. Purplelec’s docking stations support universal connections with either USB-C or Thunderbolt™ technology. If you upgrade to a Thunderbolt™ 4 laptop, your docking system will still work fine. The Thunderbolt™ 3 docking station series offers maximum data transfer rates (40Gbps), multiple power supply options (up to 100W), and supports dual 4K 60Hz video and single 8K 60Hz video output.
