Thunderbolt is a computer interface created and developed by Intel. The main feature of Thunderbolt is that it is capable of transmitting power and data at the same time. Thunderbolt also has the ability to be daisy chained (up to 6 devices). It was firstly introduced to consumers in early 2011; Apple's MacBook Pro line was one of the first consumer computers to offer this interface.
With Thunderbolt, the users has access to PCI Express technologies. That means that the user will be able to access PCI Express-like speeds without having to actually install any PCI card into the motherboard. Everything is handled by a single port. This flexibility for instance means that if a computer doesn’t have a port, with Thunderbolt you can purchase an adaptor for that port and just plug in into your system.
Due to the high bandwidth available, Thunderbolt devices can be daisy chained without the necessity of using a switch or a hub. This advantage simplifies setups and removes the extra cost of buying additional hardware.
Since 2011, there has been three versions of Thunderbolt:
Version 1.0: Used the standard Mini-Display Port connector and had a bandwidth of 10 Gb/s.
Version 2.0: Used the standard Mini-Display Port connector and had a bandwidth of 20 Gb/s. It featured two channels of 10 Gb/s each with throughput in both directions.
Version 3.0: The latest version of Thunderbolt features the brand new USB Type-C connector and has a total bandwidth of 40 Gb/s.
Current Version: Thunderbolt 3
The current itineration of Thunderbolt provides the user four times the data (compared to USB 3.1) and twice the video bandwidth (compared to Thunderbolt 2 )while also providing power. In real life terms, a user can connect up to 2 4K 60Hz monitors, also deliver power of up to 100W with a single cable. For example, by using Thunderbolt 3 it would take less than one minute to copy 12 hours of HD videos; less than one minute to copy 25,000 photos; or less than one minute to copy 10,000 songs. The amount of accessible bandwidth means users will be able to work with larger file transfers seamlessly.
Features:
USB Type-C connector and cables.
40 Gbps of bandwidth. Bi-directional, dual protocol.
4 lanes of PCI Express Gen 3
8 lanes of DisplayPort 1.2 (Up to 2 4K Displays @ 60 Hz or a single 5K Display)
Compatible with USB 3.1, DisplayPort 1.2 and HDMI
Power of up to 100 W system charging and 15W to bus-powered gadgets.
Daisy chaining (up to 6 devices) without needing to add a hub or a switch.
Possibility of attaching external GPUs.
Advantages over other Protocols/Interfaces
The current version of Thunderbolt has an plenty of advantages over standard USB 3.0 ports, HDMI/VGA ports:
It can drive power and data in the same cable.
The USB Type-C connector used can be plugged in any direction and it is noticeably smaller than other connectors. This is especially important because it means it can be used in smaller/thin devices such smartphones, tablets and ultrabooks.
The increased data-transfer speeds creates a new array of possibilities for this interface. For example, External GPUs can be now plugged effortlessly into thin laptops. That was not possible before without requiring a proprietary connector. Now any computer with Thunderbolt 3 will have that option.
Thunderbolt will start getting more popularity as Intel latest generation of CPUs codenamed "Skylake" (6th Core Generation) will offer native support for Thunderbolt, meaning OEMs will not need to add additional controllers to the motherboards in order to offer the Thunderbolt Interface.
External GPUs
The most unique feature of Thunderbolt 3 over other protocols is the ability to connect external GPUs through it. Since the interface offers enough bandwidth for a GPU. This kind of implementations was not possible before without having to use a proprietary connector. Razer's Core was the first true plug and play Thunderbolt 3 external graphics enclosure.
Razer's Core
Disadvantages over other Protocols/Interfaces
Thunderbolt is a technology developed mainly by Intel. That means that only devices with Intel CPUs will be able to have this feature. Currently, there is no Thunderbolt 3 implementation for AMD CPUS or for ARM SoCs (System On a Chip). This is completely different from other interfaces, such as USB or HDMI, as they do not require to be on a specific hardware.
Also, since Thunderbolt uses the newly released USB Type-C connector, so it will take time for manufacturers to adopt it and embrace it and in the meantime users will be force to use dongles or adaptors to be able to use their old devices.
History
Thunderbolt is a computer interface created and developed by Intel. The main feature of Thunderbolt is that it is capable of transmitting power and data at the same time. Thunderbolt also has the ability to be daisy chained (up to 6 devices). It was firstly introduced to consumers in early 2011; Apple's MacBook Pro line was one of the first consumer computers to offer this interface.
With Thunderbolt, the users has access to PCI Express technologies. That means that the user will be able to access PCI Express-like speeds without having to actually install any PCI card into the motherboard. Everything is handled by a single port.
This flexibility for instance means that if a computer doesn’t have a port, with Thunderbolt you can purchase an adaptor for that port and just plug in into your system.
Due to the high bandwidth available, Thunderbolt devices can be daisy chained without the necessity of using a switch or a hub. This advantage simplifies setups and removes the extra cost of buying additional hardware.
Since 2011, there has been three versions of Thunderbolt:
Current Version: Thunderbolt 3
The current itineration of Thunderbolt provides the user four times the data (compared to USB 3.1) and twice the video bandwidth (compared to Thunderbolt 2 )while also providing power. In real life terms, a user can connect up to 2 4K 60Hz monitors, also deliver power of up to 100W with a single cable. For example, by using Thunderbolt 3 it would take less than one minute to copy 12 hours of HD videos; less than one minute to copy 25,000 photos; or less than one minute to copy 10,000 songs. The amount of accessible bandwidth means users will be able to work with larger file transfers seamlessly.
Features:
Advantages over other Protocols/Interfaces
The current version of Thunderbolt has an plenty of advantages over standard USB 3.0 ports, HDMI/VGA ports:
Thunderbolt will start getting more popularity as Intel latest generation of CPUs codenamed "Skylake" (6th Core Generation) will offer native support for Thunderbolt, meaning OEMs will not need to add additional controllers to the motherboards in order to offer the Thunderbolt Interface.
External GPUs
The most unique feature of Thunderbolt 3 over other protocols is the ability to connect external GPUs through it. Since the interface offers enough bandwidth for a GPU. This kind of implementations was not possible before without having to use a proprietary connector. Razer's Core was the first true plug and play Thunderbolt 3 external graphics enclosure.
Disadvantages over other Protocols/Interfaces
Thunderbolt is a technology developed mainly by Intel. That means that only devices with Intel CPUs will be able to have this feature. Currently, there is no Thunderbolt 3 implementation for AMD CPUS or for ARM SoCs (System On a Chip). This is completely different from other interfaces, such as USB or HDMI, as they do not require to be on a specific hardware.
Also, since Thunderbolt uses the newly released USB Type-C connector, so it will take time for manufacturers to adopt it and embrace it and in the meantime users will be force to use dongles or adaptors to be able to use their old devices.
-
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_Type-C
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunderbolt_(interface)
http://www.apple.com/thunderbolt/
https://thunderbolttechnology.net/blog/thunderbolt-3-usb-c-does-it-all
http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-systems/razer-blade-stealth#ultrabook-desktop