Thunderbolt 4

Thunderbolt 4 offers subtle enhancements over Thunderbolt 3.

Thunderbolt 4 and Thunderbolt 3 similarities
• Use the USB Type-C physical connector
• Maximum throughput of 40Gbps
• At least 15 watts and up to 100 watts of charging power
• Support for 10Gbps networking

Thunderbolt 4 enhancements over Thunderbolt 3
• Support for two 4K displays, or to one 8K display (some, but not all Thunderbolt 3 computers supported this as well)
• Support 32Gbp data rate via PCI Express (vs. 16Gbps for Thunderbolt 3)
• Wake a computer up from sleep by a connected keyboard or mouse
• Thunderbolt 4 cables support 40Gbps throughput at up to two meters (6.5 feet) in length (up from the 0.5-meter maximum of a passive Thunderbolt 3 cable)
• Support for docks with up to four Thunderbolt 4 ports

Double the PCI Express data rate will certainly be put to good use by anyone who regularly transfers gigantic files of high-resolution video and other large data sets from storage drives to their PC for editing.

Unlike Thunderbolt 3, the ability to wake a computer with the shake of a mouse or the tap of a keyboard is now standard on Thunderbolt 4.

Thunderbolt 4 also works harder to keep your data safe by requiring Intel VT-d-based direct memory access (DMA) protection.

Thunderbolt 4 is fully compatible with prior generations of Thunderbolt and USB peripherals.