Menu
homeWindows 7

What is a thunderbolt connector for? Which interface to choose: Thunderbolt, FireWire or USB

The Thunderbolt interface - PCI Express and DisplayPort in one cable, developed by Intel together with Apple, was introduced by Intel on February 24, 2011.
According to Intel, Thunderbolt is the fastest technology available today.

The interface provides information transfer speeds of 10 Gbit/s or more.
So, for example, a 30 GB movie with HD video via Thunderbolt can be transferred in 30 seconds.

Technically, Thunderbolt is a combination of PCI Express and Display Port buses in one cable; existing cables and Mini DisplayPort connectors, and the Thunderbolt bus is capable of powering devices similar to the USB bus.

As Intel promises, at Thunderbolt speeds of 10 Gbps we will be able to:

Transfer a full-size HD movie in less than 30 seconds;
. Archive a music library of MP3 files for 1 year of continuous playback in 10 minutes;
. Thunderbolt is 2 times faster than USB 3.0 - the fastest information transfer interface today.

This high speed technology data transfer provides the following capabilities:

Two 10 Gbps (Gbps) channels per port;
. Bidirectional interface;
. Two-in-One (PCI Express and DisplayPort interfaces via one cable);
. Compatibility with existing DisplayPort devices;
. Daisy-chained devices;
. Copper or optical cables;
. Low latency and high accuracy time synchronization;
. Uses its own protocol drivers;
. Powering devices via bus via cables.

Intel's Thundebolt controllers connect PCs and other devices by receiving and transmitting traffic packets from both PCIe and DisplayPort protocols.
Thunderbolt technology processes data streams in both directions simultaneously, so users get full speed in both directions over a single cable.
Using two independent channels, complete throughput 10 Gbit/s is available not only to the first, but also to subsequent devices.

All Thunderbolt devices use a standard connector, allowing users to daisy-chain devices using compatible cables.

You can connect up to 6 devices to one Thunderbolt port, one of which is a monitor.
The power available over the Thunderbolt bus is limited to 10 W.
In addition, Thunderbolt allows you to transmit information over a distance of up to 100 m using an optical cable.

On each side of the Apple branded cable, the connector is not simple, but intelligent - in addition to a bunch of matching resistors, there are also five chips, and a processor with firmware - in general, a rather complex electronic harness.

The main competitor to the Thunderbolt interface at the moment is high-speed USB interface 3.0, also known as SuperSpeed ​​USB.

Among his main benefits of USB 3.0 before Thunderbolt:

Hereditary compatibility with existing USB equipment 2.0;
- latest generation support motherboards and laptop models;
- growing equipment market;
- high power supply voltage, sufficient to start most portable devices.

Disadvantages of USB 3.0 include:

Bandwidth is only 5 Gbps versus 10 Gbps for Thunderbolt;
- lack of “native” support from outside largest producers system logic Intel and AMD at the moment;
- inability to connect devices in series without additional “hubs”.

If you want to connect your laptop to multiple 4K monitors, hook up a GPU, transfer giant files to the fastest external drives, or load RAW video from an expensive camera, you should get Thunderbolt 3. With a maximum speed of 40 Gbps, it's the fastest port on the market today . Over the past six months, we've seen a steady stream of new laptops and hybrids with Thunderbolt 3 ports, while most peripherals and docking stations hit the market. If a high-speed connection is important to you, you want to make sure that your next system supports the new standard.

Here are eight things you should know about Thunderbolt 3:

4 times faster than the fastest USB connections

Thunderbolt 3 is capable of transferring at 40Gbps, which is much faster than USB 3.1 at 10Gbps or USB 3.0 at up to 5Gbps. New format also doubles Thunderbolt 2 bandwidth (20 Gbps). With this kind of bandwidth, you can connect a GPU like Racer Core and turn your lightweight laptop into a bona fide gaming machine, since the system will be able to communicate with the GPU at the same speed as if it were connected directly to the motherboard.

You can copy files to an external SSD at speeds that are faster than most internal drives. The same benefits come into play when you're downloading from a professional-grade 4K camcorder.

Uses USBType-C connectors

Each Thunderbolt 3 port is also USB 3.1 Type-C and takes advantage of a thin, reversible Type-C connector. You can connect any USB Type-C to any Thunderbolt, because technically, Thunderbolt is an alternate mode USB operation. However, not all USB Type-C ports and cables support Thunderbolt 3. For example, Apple MacBook And Lenovo ThinkPad 13 are equipped with USB Type-C ports, which do not support faster standards, but the HP EliteBook Folio does support Thunderbolt 3.

Connects to two 4K monitors simultaneously

Thunderbolt 3 can carry video over DisplayPort (DP) 1.2, but the technology offers two connections on a single wire. So while one DP 1.2 cable can only handle one 4K monitor at 60Hz at a time, one Thunderbolt 3 connection can output two 4K monitors at 60Hz, one 4K monitor at 120Hz, or one 5K (5120 x 2880) ) monitor at 60 Hz.

You can connect from a Thunderbolt 3 port directly to a single monitor using a Thunderbolt to DisplayPort cable. However, if you want to use multiple monitors over a single cable, you'll need a Thunderbolt dock like the Dell Thunderbolt Dock or the HP Elite Thunderbolt 3 Dock.

High speed networks P2P

You can connect two computers together using one Thunderbolt 3 port and get a 10Gb Ethernet connection. This is 10 times faster than most wired Ethernet ports. So if you need to quickly copy a giant file to a colleague's laptop, you can do it at the fastest transfer speeds.

Lightning Logo - Compatible Products

How do you know if a port, wire, or peripheral supports Thunderbolt 3? regular USB 3.1? Look for a tiny lightning bolt logo on the wire connectors or near the laptop/peripheral port. Uncertified products are prohibited from using the logo.

Unfortunately, while Intel, the developer of Thunderbolt, encourages companies to use logos, they are not a requirement. The Razer Blade Stealth is one of the laptops that comes with an unlabeled Thunderbolt 3 port.

Enough power to charge most laptops

Because they use USB power delivery standards, Thunderbolt 3 ports can send and receive up to 100W, which is more than enough to charge most laptops. Indeed, on some ultra-thin laptops like the HP EliteBook Folio G1 and Razer Blade Stealth, Thunderbolt 3 is the only charging port.

However, workstations and gaming-grade laptops like the Lenovo ThinkPad P70 or ASUS G752 require much more than 100 watts. Thunderbolt 3 can also provide up to 16 watts of power per bus-powered device. Thus, external hard Drives, cameras, and portable monitors can consume significantly more power.

Graphics amplifiers are not for every system

Although they use a standard Thunderbolt 3 connection, the first generation of graphics amplifiers were not designed to work with every Thunderbolt-enabled PC. Razer Core, for example, is only certified to work with the company's own laptops and the Skull Canyon NUC mini PC. ASUS promises that its upcoming XG Station 2 will only work with branded ASUS laptops. However, unless the manufacturer specifically blocked the graphics amplifier, it is quite possible that it will work with an unsupported laptop. Hopefully we'll see graphics amplifiers designed for all Thunderbolt 3 computers in the near future.

Create a chain of up to six devices

You can connect up to six different computers and components using a Thunderbolt 3 cable. Imagine connecting your laptop with high-speed external hard disk, another wire to the monitor, a third from the monitor to the high-speed camera, and so on. If all the devices in the center of the chain have two Thunderbolt ports (one for input and one for output), you should be able to do this.

  • IT companies
    • Translation

    Have you already bought yourself a new MacBook or MacBook Pro? Or maybe Google Pixel? You're about to get confused, thanks to these new "USB-C" ports. This simple-looking port is fraught with confusion, and blessed backwards compatibility uses different cables to various tasks. Buyers will have to choose their cable very carefully!

    USB Type-C: ports and protocols

    USB Type-C ports have spread quite widely, Google started use them on their Pixel and Nexus computers and phones, Apple uses them on the 12" MacBook and now the new MacBook Pro. This is the physical specification for the 24-pin reversible plug and associated cables. In this article I will refer to this physical cable and "USB-C" port as the most commonly used term. Google reports that this port is called "USB-C" 21 million times, "USB C" 12 million times, and correctly, "USB Type-C" a total of 8.5 million times.



    USB-C Compatible: Multiple protocols supported, and each layer is backwards compatible with the layers below

    USB-C allows various signals to pass through:

    USB 2.0 – Oddly enough, the earliest USB-C devices, including the Nokia N1, only supported USB 2.0 signals and power. Almost all new computers support at least USB 3.0, but some phones and tablets still have limitations.

    USB 3.1 gen 1 – very similar to “SuperSpeed” USB 3.0, 5 Gbps serial communication for all sorts of peripherals, from hard drives to network adapters and docking stations. Backwards compatible with “SuperSpeed” USB 3.0, “Hi-Speed” USB 2.0 and even the original USB 1.x from 1996! This protocol is used by Apple in the 12″ MacBook.

    USB 3.1 gen 2 – the confusingly named version doubles the bandwidth of USB peripherals to 10 Gbps. Backwards compatible with all previous ones USB versions. Only the newest ones support it USB-C devices. I wonder who came up with such a name for it.

    Alternate Mode ( alternate mode) – The physical USB-C connector supports other non-USB protocols, including DisplayPort, MHL, HDMI and Thunderbolt. But not every device supports the Alternate Mode protocol, which is very confusing for buyers.

    Power Delivery is not a data protocol, but USB-C allows up to 100 W of power. But again, there are two different specifications and many different configurations.

    Audio Accessory Mode – A specification for use with analog audio.

    home USB-C problem– confusion. Not every USB-C cable, port, device, and power supply will be compatible with each other, and many combinations will have to be considered. The newest most sophisticated devices (for example, MacBook Pro with Touch Bar) will support most various uses port, but common older devices only support USB 3.0 and, if you're lucky, Alternate Mode DisplayPort.

    But that's not all. Many USB-C peripherals also have their limitations. Introduce USB-C HDMI adapter. It can implement HDMI over USB 3.0, or it can use native Alternate Mode HDMI. It can also multiplex HDMI with Thunderbolt Alternate Mode, and even, in theory, HDMI over Thunderbolt using an external graphics chip! I was the one who advertised the idea Thunderbolt Display with built-in GPU. And only the newest computers will support all three modes. Imagine how confused it would be for a consumer who bought a “USB-C HDMI adapter” to discover that it doesn’t work with a MacBook or Pixel or whatever?

    Cable nightmare


    StarTech Thunderbolt 3 USB-C Cable (40 Gbps)


    Monoprice Palette Series 3.1 USB-C to USB-C with PD (10 Gbps, 100 Watts)


    Monoprice Palette Series 3.0 USB-C to USB-C (5 Gbps, 15 Watts)


    Monoprice Palette Series 2.0 USB-C to USB-C (480 Mbps, 2.4 Amps)

    These cables look the same, but they have very different capabilities! (I think Monoprice posted one photo for two different cables)

    Cable compatibility problems are even more serious. Many companies, including my favorite Monoprice, make cables USB-C miscellaneous quality and compatibility. If you're not careful, you can limit your capabilities or even damage your devices with the wrong cable. Seriously: the wrong cable can damage your device! This shouldn't happen, but here it is.

    Some cables with USB-C on both ends can only transfer 5 Gbps, others are compatible with 10 Gbps USB 3.1 gen 2. Others cannot be used for power, or are not compatible with Alternate Mode Thunderbolt. Check out the Monoprice 3.1 10 Gbps/100-Watt USB-C to USB-C, 3.0 5 Gbps/15 Watt USB-C to USB-C, and 2.0 480 Mbps/2.4 A USB-C to USB-C. Why do they even exist? Why is it needed? USB cable-C on USB-C with only 2.0 support?

    There are also cables with different connectors at the ends. Monoprice sells cool USB-C adapter on USB 3.0 10 Gbps, but it also has one that supports 5 Gbps, and even the limited 480 Mbps USB 2.0. And they look almost the same. What a consumer nightmare! Monoprice incorrectly refers to every 5 Gbps cable as USB 3.0 and every 10 Gbps cable as USB 3.1. On the other hand, such names are more understandable to the user than the official ones.

    I don't knock Monoprice. I like their cables. But their huge range of USB-C cables illustrates the incompatibility problem perfectly. Almost all manufacturers and sellers have these problems.

    Thunderbolt 3

    Let's move on to an even more confusing topic. Since the launch of MacBook Pro sales in 2011, Mac owners have become accustomed to the Mini DisplayPort connector, which works as both a graphics port and a data port. They're also used to plugging a Thunderbolt cable into a Mini DisplayPort only to find that nothing works.

    The same experience awaits us with the new USB Type-C port:

    Not all USB-C ports have the same capabilities. Many are designed only for data, some are capable of data and video, very few are capable of data, video and Thunderbolt 3!

    Thunderbolt 3 required special cable. Although it looks exactly the same as regular USB-C!

    Thunderbolt 3 devices look exactly the same as USB-C devices - regular devices with a USB-C cable are limited to speeds of 5 Gbps or less, but devices with Thunderbolt 3 transfer PCI Express at 40 Gbps!

    Thunderbolt 3 ports and cables must be backwards compatible with cables, ports and USB devices 3.1 Type-C. But they will work slower. Let's praise the creator for backwards compatibility. This, by the way, is a simplification. In fact, Thunderbolt 3 is an “Alternate Mode” for the cable and Type-C port, just like HDMI. But in practice, Thunderbolt 3 is a superset of USB 3.1 to USB-C, since there are no Thunderbolt 3 implementations that support only USB 2.0.

    Therefore, owners of Thunderbolt 3-enabled machines must be careful when purchasing devices and cables to avoid running out of bandwidth. Most of Apple's current USB-C accessories and cables will work with the new MacBook Pro (it's backwards compatible), but may not provide full speed. And owners of old 12″ Retina MacBook even worse, since devices with Thunderbolt 3 will not work there at all!

    Because Thunderbolt 3 includes data and video, it can be easy to get confused about the compatibility of computers, cables, and devices. For example, a Thunderbolt 3 cable can support two 4K 60Hz monitors, or even a 5K monitor, while a USB-C cable is limited to one 4K monitor. It's funny that USB-C Alternate Mode does not have the same video compatibility as Thunderbolt 3. The latter supports HDMI 2.0, while USB 3.1 only supports HDMI 1.4b. But in the case of DisplayPort, USB 3.1 will have the advantage that it supports version 1.3, and not just 1.2, like Thunderbolt 3. It all depends on the implementation on a particular machine.


    Thunderbolt icon on new MacBook Pro Apple I didn’t do it, which confused consumers even more!

    Note that Thunderbolt 3 cables are available in both 40 and 20 Gbps. And the MacBook Pro is not compatible with the first generation of Texas Instruments Thunderbolt 3 controllers used in many early Thunderbolt 3 devices!

    My opinion

    Given this insane level of "compatibility" for the new USB Type-C port, buyers will have to be very careful. While it's a good thing that the industry is moving toward simple, reliable, two-way ports for data, video, and power, this mess of devices and cables will frustrate consumers and annoy technicians.

    Addition: if it’s stuck, it should work

    I received a lot of criticism of the original version of the article, and it is that it doesn’t seem to be as bad as I describe. This is mostly true as long as people have USB-only Nexus phones and the like. But I think there's a problem with the many uses for this versatile cable and port.

    Electronics is no longer an area of ​​interest only for geeks. Most computers, phones, tablets and peripherals are purchased by people who are not technically savvy. They will not distinguish a protocol from an interface and are not required to understand how “USB Type-C” differs from “Thunderbolt 3” or “USB 3.1”. They want to buy things, connect them, and have everything work. They judge compatibility by the shape and fit of connectors, not by specifications or logo.

    Historically, the industry has been good at this. After its initial rough patches, USB has become a boon for the average user. Cables, devices, peripherals - for the most part they just work. Although the experience from using USB 3, Mini USB, Micro USB and chargers high power is not ideal, then the user expectation “it fits, it works” is still true for USB today. I myself am using a string of cheap USB cables right now. And the reason is that USB was both a cable and a protocol. Power aside (how many iPads are slowly charged by iPhone cubes?), USB worked because USB is USB.

    And now there is a “universal” cable that can become the only port on the device. Data, video, power – there’s just one USB Type-C port for everything. And Intel has shifted into higher gear by adding an entirely separate world of data and video support, Thunderbolt 3. It's unrealistic to expect all ports, cables, and devices to work correctly with each other, especially when it's much cheaper to make a USB 3.1 gen 1 device or cable. or even USB 2.0.

    From now on (since Thunderbolt 3 devices started being sold), we have a port that does not meet user expectations. The cables are not compatible, the devices do not support any peripherals, although the ports look the same. It's a nightmare: a consumer will pull the wrong cable out of a drawer, magazine, or backpack, and assume the device or charger is broken when it won't work. We will face disappointments, returns and confused tech support.

    This old story with compatibility. We're improving compatibility to raise consumer expectations that everything will just work. But USB Type-C will never just work because USB-C is too many things at once. And it's a nightmare.

    Thunderbolt is an input/output interface found primarily on Apple computers and laptops, promising incredible throughput and data transfer speeds. On the other hand, the universal standard USB 3.0, which represents a huge step forward compared to its predecessor, is compatible with previous versions, and is available in wide range. In this article, I will describe the capabilities of both of these devices and try to conclude which one is better.

    Do you know that?
    The Thunderbolt interface was originally designed to work with fiber optic cables, and was previously called Light Peak.

    The Universal Serial Bus (USB) needs no introduction. Since USB ports and connectors first appeared on PCs in 1995, they have come a long way and are now ubiquitous. Every computer and laptop comes with a range of USB ports. Devices such as USB hubs that allow users to access more more ports have become widespread. USB ports are even found on non-traditional electronic devices such as televisions, DVD players and stereo systems. Now that all types of electronic devices, including Cell phones and cameras also use a mini or micro USB interface for charging or data transfer, calling this technology "universal" is more than appropriate.

    On the other hand, "Thunderbolt" is a term whose popularity is largely limited to Apple products. Although this technology, which was conceived and developed by Intel, is not as widely used as the USB interface, this fact in no way reflects its ability or performance. In fact, no amount of praise can do justice to the unrivaled bandwidth and data transfer speeds of the Thunderbolt interface.

    It may seem surprising that latest standard Thunderbolt 2.0, which has so much potential, hasn't had as much luck as its competitor, USB 3.0.

    Thunderbolt interface vs USB 3.0

    Main technical characteristics

    ♦ USB 3.0 interface, classified as increased speed data transmission, which has no cable length restrictions, improved power management, and is compatible with previous standards.

    ♦ USB 3.0 achieves "Super Speed" with the help of additional parallel data buses. This accessory not only increases system throughput, but it also provides full duplex data transmission (that is, data can be transmitted in both directions simultaneously). Both of these factors contribute to USB 3.0 achieving data transfer speeds much higher than USB 2.0.

    ♦ Energy efficiency is the main point, USB 3.0 has the ability to deliver one and a half times more power than its predecessors, for optimized devices (such as those that use USB charging ports). In addition, ports can be switched to energy saving mode when they are not in use.

    ♦ Compared to USB 2.0, this standard is better suited for any application that requires high bandwidth, from high-capacity storage devices to video transmission over DVI.

    Thunderbolt

    ♦ Thunderbolt, combines PCI Express, a high speed, two-way serial data connection standard, and DisplayPort, which is used to connect to a display device (the technology is the same as HDMI, except that it is compatible with VGA and similar older video formats ) V unified system port/socket.

    ♦ This means that it supports high-speed data transfer between devices, has the ability to function as an Ethernet link (with an adapter, of course), supports hot plugging (the ability to connect and disconnect equipment without rebooting the system), and can also be used to connect display devices , such as monitors, including those with 4K HD resolution.

    ♦ Thanks to its high bandwidth, one port can be used to connect up to six high-speed compatible hardware devices, without any loss of bandwidth.

    ♦ On top of all this, it has the ability to provide up to 10W of power.

    Winner: In terms of features and specifications, USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt seem to be very promising and I have no choice but to call it a tie.

    Speed

    **Note: The speeds mentioned in this section are theoretical or maximum values. The actual data transfer rate may be much lower.

    ♦ USB 3.0 has a maximum speed of almost 5 GB/sec, which means a channel bandwidth of 675 MB per second, about ten times faster than its predecessor, USB 2.0.

    ♦ This capability makes it ideal for use in scenarios that require higher throughput, including RAID storage devices, which was previously unimaginable.

    Thunderbolt

    ♦ Unlike USB 3.0, in which data transfer is limited to only one channel, the Thunderbolt interface has four independent channels, that is, if more than one device is connected, each of them will be provided maximum speed data transfer 10 GB/sec.

    ♦ On already released (and available in a number of recent Mac/MacBook devices) Thunderbolt 2 - this technology has the ability to offer a maximum speed of 20 GB/sec, which is four times faster than USB 3.0, and 2 times faster than USB 3.1. This phenomenal speed is achieved by combining two bidirectional data lanes with the same bandwidth of one Thunderbolt channel into one channel with twice the bandwidth.

    Winner: I have no doubt about who is superior in this regard; Thunderbolt is the clear winner in terms of speed.

    Price

    **Note: prices shown in this section, are relative and subject to change.

    ♦ The biggest factor in the popularity of USB 3.0 is its low cost. Also USB ports already installed by manufacturers on every Intel and AMD chipset.

    ♦ Being a universal standard, almost every device comes with a USB connector, and therefore cables of all varieties, including mini and micro USB connectors, are easily available at low prices.

    ♦ approximate cost any universal USB 3.0 compatible external hard a disk with 1 TB capacity starts at USD 60 (4,000 rubles at the time of writing this article).

    Thunderbolt

    ♦ The cost of including just one Thunderbolt port in any printed circuit board will cost USD 60.

    ♦ Computers that are equipped with Thunderbolt ports are quite expensive. Most of Apple's recently released desktop devices that are equipped with these ports fall into price range from USD 1000 to 4000.

    ♦ In fact, to use these Thunderbolt ports, you need to purchase compatible peripherals in addition to the computer itself. And they don't come cheap either. The 27-inch Apple Thunderbolt Monitor, for example, costs USD 999.

    ♦ What is a port without cables, connectors and adapters? When a 2-meter cable costs USD 39 and a Gigabit Ethernet adapter costs USD 29, it becomes clear that investing in Thunderbolt can be very expensive.

    Winner: Taking advantage of its versatility that is nearly impossible to replicate, USB 3.0 is the clear winner in this category.

    Compatibility

    USB 3.0 interface

    ♦ USB 3.0 and its predecessor USB 2.0, fully compatible interfaces. This means that if there is a mismatch between the port and the standard cable, data transmission takes place according to the lower standard.

    ♦ In general, the USB interface is present in almost every electronic device that exists today. Additionally, USB 3.0 has expanded the usability of USB on a larger scale. Thanks to its design, which improves its energy efficiency, the USB platform can now be used to connect powerful devices, such as monitor displays, as well as in areas requiring high speeds data transfer such as video and audio interfaces and Blu-Ray recordings.

    Thunderbolt

    ♦ Thunderbolt and Thunderbolt 2 technology are compatible with each other in the same manner that USB 3.0 is compatible with all its previous versions. Thunderbolt cables are also interchangeable. Computer, interface and peripheral device (and all devices in series circuit) must support Thunderbolt 2.0 for maximum speed to be achieved.

    ♦ Any monitor that supports the mini-DisplayPort standard can be directly connected to a computer equipped with a Thunderbolt port. However, a cable with a mini DisplayPort connector cannot be used with a Thunderbolt peripheral.

    ♦ Since Thunderbolt technology is not widely used, it is limited to computers and peripherals that support the protocol. To connect other monitors that support other standards such as VGA, DVI and HDMI, etc., to the Thunderbolt port, adapters with Thunderbolt ports for the corresponding format are required.

    ♦ The corresponding adapters are not always easy to find, not to mention their cost, and if you want to connect, for example, an Xbox or PlayStation to Apple monitor Thunderbolt is absolutely required different adapters produced by third party companies.

    Winner: Thanks to its unrivaled ubiquity, USB 3.0 wins by a landslide.

    My verdict

    Before publishing my conclusion, I would like to draw your attention to the following facts.

    Thunderbolt, in terms of speed, technology, design and published endurance testing, is a far superior and futuristic I/O standard that truly deserves the title of "Best Interface". It was so ahead of its time that many "compatible" devices available today are not even capable of taking full advantage of Thunderbolt and Thunderbolt 2.0 ports. However, in terms of audience reach, Thunderbolt falls short of USB. Apart from specific peripherals, Thunderbolt can only be used to connect limited number alternative interface standards, even when using adapters. The cost factors are of course interrelated, and that is why the Thunderbolt has only limited use, although its potential is enormous.

    While USB 3.0 can't match Thunderbolt's speed levels, it does offer a very noticeable improvement over the previously common standard! USB 3.1 already has excellent speed, not to mention its cross-compatibility with a number of other standard interfaces via adapters, and hence consumers are hesitant to switch to other standards, even if they may perform better.

    I believe that although the maximum data transfer speed that USB 3.0 offers is not a huge figure, it is enough to greatly increase its range of applications, and with additional features, such as energy saving, and, of course, its popularity, USB 3.0 is the best interface nowadays. As for Thunderbolt, only time will tell if it's worth the investment.

    I hope you enjoyed my comparison between these two of the world's largest communication interface devices and that you were able to decide which one is most suitable for you. If you have anything to add to my comparison, write in the comments.

    With the launch of the MSI GT72 and MSI GT80 gaming laptops, Thunderbolt 3 is no longer an outlandish rarity and has become the new standard for connecting high-speed devices for anyone interested in cutting-edge technology. Gaming MSI laptops High-end class are designed to satisfy the growing demands of users and have already been appreciated by many leading media portals. It took Intel several years to develop the third generation of the Thunderbolt interface, and now you can appreciate a qualitative technological breakthrough. The new USB Type-C connector and impressive throughput of up to 40 gigabits per second make it possible to use Thunderbolt 3 for a variety of tasks. For example: high-speed data transfer, charging and powering energy-intensive devices, connecting external monitors equipped with a DisplayPort port, as well as professional devices with a Thunderbolt port. Unlike ports USB previous generations, USB-Type connector C has a symmetrical design and can be connected to either side. Imagine, you can connect various Thunderbolt devices, monitors to one port high resolution and a great variety of USB devices! This has never happened in the history of the computer industry.

    Technically, Thunderbolt combines the functions of the PCIe bus and the DisplayPort port, and can also be used as a power channel. Up to six devices in different configurations can be connected to one port. Thunderbolt technology opens up incredible connectivity possibilities external devices. Today there are many amazing devices with Thunderbolt interface: monitors, cameras and 4K video capture devices, docking stations with the function of charging external devices and a built-in hard drive, external containers for powerful video cards, 10Gb Ethernet network adapters and many other devices. And it is Thunderbolt 3 technology that will allow you to take full advantage of the capabilities of the new USB Type-C port.

    4K Video: Are You Ready?
    Thunderbolt 3 allows you to connect 4K displays with a 60Hz refresh rate. This means you'll experience stunning image detail, contrast and color depth when viewing any type of content, from photos, videos and movies to professional apps and websites.

    Universal compact port
    The Thunderbolt 3 interface is capable of more than just high-speed data transfer. The high bandwidth of this interface will allow you to connect two 4K monitors at once with a screen refresh rate of 60 Hz. On this moment is the most advanced and universal solution for connecting devices with USB connector Type-C.

    Connecting an external video card
    Now you can connect external graphic cards to enjoy the latest games with high system requirements. This connection scheme is not yet very popular despite the fact that the throughput of Thunderbolt 3 technology exceeds its capabilities PCI-Express buses Gen3.



    High speed network connection via Thunderbolt

    This remarkable interface allows the use of 10Gb Ethernet network technology for fast transfer large files point-to-point, migrate entire systems, or organize a small working group With shared access to the data storage system.

    Not many gaming laptops were equipped with Thunderbolt 3 technology in 2015, but MSI has its own unique take on what a good laptop should be. gaming laptop. This company is amazingly good at making high-end, cutting-edge technology available to consumers. And it is likely that right now its employees are preparing several more impressive new products for us. So keep your finger on the pulse!