Tag Archives: Thunderbolt 4

Intel Introduces Thunderbolt Share Technology

For users juggling multiple PCs, the dream of seamless file sharing, screen control, and peripheral access might seem far-fetched. However, Intel‘s latest announcement, Thunderbolt Share, aims to bridge this gap. Let’s delve into this technology and explore its potential benefits and limitations.

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Source: Intel

Thunderbolt Share builds upon the robust foundation of Intel’s Thunderbolt technology. Renowned for its high bandwidth and versatility, Thunderbolt allows for blazing-fast data transfer, high-resolution display connectivity, and device charging through a single cable. Thunderbolt Share leverages this existing infrastructure to establish a direct connection between two Thunderbolt-equipped PCs.

Imagine being able to control your work PC from your laptop at home. With Thunderbolt Share, this vision becomes a reality. Users can access and manage files on both PCs, synchronize folders, and even drag and drop content seamlessly. Additionally, the technology allows for shared screen control, enabling users to work on one PC while viewing the display on another.

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Source: Intel

While the potential of Thunderbolt Share is enticing, it’s important to acknowledge current limitations. This technology is primarily compatible with PCs equipped with Thunderbolt 4 or 5 ports, potentially excluding older devices. Additionally, not all manufacturers may offer Thunderbolt Share functionality on their PCs, even if they have Thunderbolt ports as it looks to be an add-on feature OEMs will need to pay for. Users should check for specific compatibility details with their PC models.

Interestingly, while initially announced as a Windows-focused solution, Macworld reports that Apple has integrated similar functionality into macOS Sonoma. This integration allows M-series Macs with Thunderbolt ports to connect directly and utilize features like file sharing and screen control between devices, mirroring some of the core functionalities of Thunderbolt Share. Whether this integration represents a shift in strategy for Intel’s technology or a coincidence remains to be seen.

Dell Unveils New UltraSharp Monitor Line-Up Ahead of CES 2024

Dell’s monitors have long been one of the most sought-after monitors available. Dell’s most popular is the top-of-the-line Dell UltraSharp Monitors. The lineup is packed with cutting-edge features and features most users are looking for when it comes to productivity. The UltraSharp Monitors also set the pace for Dell’s monitors every year.

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The Dell UltraSharp 40 Curved Thunderbolt Hub Monitor (U4025QW) leads the way this year. Yep. It’s a mouthful but comes with everything – including the kitchen sink; which in this case is the whole USB-C hub functionality. This USB-C Hub functionality allows for power pass-through to charge devices as well as extend your connectivity options – particularly if you’re coming from a thin and light laptop like the Dell XPS laptop. With Thunderbolt 4 support, you’ll be able to power the monitor with a single cable. The hub also supports high-speed ethernet connectivity through an RJ45 port, and display inputs with HDMI 2.1 FRL (Fixed Rate Link) and DisplayPort 2.1

The new monitor has improvements over its predecessor including a doubled refresh rate of 120Hz. It comes with an improved version of Dell ComfortView Plus. This helps further reduce blue light exposure from 50% to lower than 35% in the new Dell UltraSharp Monitors. The built-in ambient light sensor also helps preserve eye health as it automatically adjusts screen brightness and colour temperature according to the ambient conditions of the room.

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Of course, Dell’s UltraSharp Monitor Line-up continues to have a display panel with high resolution and a wide colour gamut. It is the line’s signature feature. This year’s edition comes with a 99% coverage of the DCI-P3 colour space. The colour accuracy can also be calibrated using the Dell Color Management software. The Dell UltraSharp 40 Curved Thunderbolt Hub Monitor comes with an IPS panel with VESA DisplayHDR 600 and IPS Black Panel technology. It’s also a 5K resolution display.

You may be wondering, we’ve been saying lineup for so long but only talking about a single monitor, well, if 40 inches is too much for you, Dell is also launching a smaller 34-inch monitor. The new Dell UltraSharp 34 Curved Thunderbolt Hub Monitor (U3425WE) comes with a WQHD resolution of 2560×1440 pixels. It comes with mostly the same specifications including IPS Black technology and Thunderbolt 4 connectivity. However, it has a lower power delivery over Thunderbolt 4 of only 90W.

Pricing & Availability

Dell Technologies has not announced any pricing details for the monitors just yet. However, they will be available in the market starting end of February 2024.

The Next Thunderbolt is Here Supporting DisplayPort 2.1 Specifications, but it is Confusing

The invention of USB Type-C is a significant one. It brought the USB invention to the modern world. It ushered in a new era of standard connectivity. It is also a rather important aspect in the world of high wattage fast charging devices. It also allowed a single USB port to turn into so much more than just one port. It is a charging port, data port, DisplayPort, and even an HDMI port. Intel calls their own proprietary technology for a multipurpose USB Type-C the Thunderbolt technology.

Thunderbolt technically did not start out as a USB technology though. Thunderbolt needed its own proprietary port to work on its own. That never really caught on. The USB Type-C 3.1 standards brought in an entirely new possibility with Thunderbolt. In its current standard, with the latest available Intel processor, Thunderbolt is in its fourth generation; hence, Thunderbolt 4.

Thunderbolt 4 brings about DisplayPort 1.4 capabilities alongside HDMI 2.0, up to 40Gbps data transfer speeds, and even 10 Gigabit networking. You can even charge laptops that require less than 100W charge speeds. All that, and you still have USB 3.0 capabilities with a USB dongle.

Thunderbolt 4 is impressive, but to keep up with the times, it needs an update. It needs to keep up with HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 2.0 standards. Intel does one better with USB4 v2. We are guessing that the next generation Thunderbolt would be named Thunderbolt 5 and still go along with USB Type-C port, but Intel might have a different idea when the first laptops arrive with USB4 v2 standards.

Instead of keeping up to DisplayPort 2.0, the new USB4 v2 standard is capable of DisplayPort 2.1 port standards. That also means that it can transfer up to 80 Gigabits every second in either direction. One way, up to 120 Gigabits of data can be transferred every second for the best type of display experience you can find on any device.

Like Thunderbolt 4, the new Thunderbolt standard can also support PCIe data throughput. That means you can plug in your GPU externally and make use of more powerful GPUs to run with your thin-and-light laptop. In this case, USB4 v2 is now capable of the lates PCIe 5.0 standards for twice the throughput from the previous Thunderbolt 4.

Intel says that the USB4 v2 standards will also be compatible with previous versions of Thunderbolt, USB, and DisplayPort. While it might simply mean that it will still be able to work with devices in the previous generation, it could also mean that Intel is sticking with USB Type-C as its main connection method. Even if they decided not to stick with USB Type-C, they might be able to get manufacturers and accessory makers play ball with their new designs.