Gigabyte add-on card brings Thunderbolt 5 to existing desktop PCs

Forward-looking: Thunderbolt 5 doubles Thunderbolt 4's bandwidth, offering 80Gbps transportation speeds successful either direction. However, Thunderbolt 5's alternate mode tin transmit astatine 120Gbps while receiving information astatine 40Gbps upon detecting definite devices. The other boost presently only supports cablegram lengths up to 2 meters.

Devices that support Intel's caller Thunderbolt 5 modular are opening to deed nan market. For astir consumers, gaining entree to nan interface's 80Gbps bidirectional transportation speeds will apt impact buying aliases building a caller PC, but adding Thunderbolt 5 support to existing systems is different option.

An add-on paper that brings Intel's Thunderbolt 5 modular to compatible desktops precocious appeared connected Gigabyte's website. This PCIe 4.0 paper adds 5 high-speed relationship ports for accrued flexibility. Gigabyte's Thunderbolt 5 card includes 2 USB-C ports and 3 Mini-DisplayPort outputs. Thunderbolt 5's USB-C connections tin support 2 4K 144Hz monitors, while nan card's DisplayPort outputs tin thrust an 8K show astatine 60Hz via DisplayPort 2.1.

Users tin daisy-chain up to 5 devices from each USB-C port, and Power Delivery 3.1 allows for up to 100W powerfulness transmission. Customers tin besides cheque retired a akin add-on paper connected Asus' website – nan ThunderboltEX 5. It features 3 DP 2.1 ports and 2 USB-C ports, but it besides supports 130W accelerated charging. Future Thunderbolt 5 devices could theoretically scope up to 240W.

Moreover, Asus provides much elaborate accusation astir its daisy-chaining capabilities than Gigabyte. According to Asus, each USB-C larboard tin grip 3 devices and 2 monitors simultaneously, aliases 4 devices pinch 1 monitor.

For early adopters, Thunderbolt 5 will apt beryllium astir useful for other displays and accelerated outer storage. The protocol should besides support outer GPUs, though users pinch a free PCIe slot could simply instal a GPU directly.

The installation requirements for Thunderbolt 5 cards stay unclear. Users will request a motherboard pinch a Thunderbolt header, but Asus and Gigabyte don't mention whether their cards only support definite chipsets.

These add-on cards look to target DIY builders who opted for much affordable Intel Alder Lake Core Ultra 200 motherboards, which only support Thunderbolt 4 retired of nan box. Gigabyte has reserved Thunderbolt 5 support for its flagship Z890 AI Top motherboard. As of writing, nan only Thunderbolt 5 motherboard disposable connected Newegg is nan $1,000 Asus ROG Maximus Z890 Extreme.

While pricing accusation for nan Thunderbolt 5 and ThunderboltEX 5 cards is not yet available, upgrading a lower-end motherboard pinch 1 of these cards will apt beryllium a much cost-effective option.