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Intel Shares Additional Details on 20Gbps 'Thunderbolt 2'

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MacRumors

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Apr 12, 2001
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thunderbolt.jpg
Intel announced the next generation of Thunderbolt, codenamed "Falcon Ridge," back in April, but today the company shared some a few additional details about the upcoming release.

As previously announced, Falcon Ridge, now officially dubbed Thunderbolt 2, supports up to 20Gbps bi-directionally, doubling the bandwidth of the original Thunderbolt. The new version of Thunderbolt will support both DisplayPort 1.2 and 4K video.
Named "Thunderbolt(TM) 2", this next generation of the technology enables 4K video file transfer and display simultaneously - that's a lot of eye-popping video and data capability. It is achieved by combining the two previously independent 10Gbs channels into one 20Gbs bi-directional channel that supports data and/or display.

Current versions of Thunderbolt, although faster than other PC I/O technologies on the market today, are limited to an individual 10Gbs channel each for both data and display, less than the required bandwidth for 4K video transfer. Also, the addition of DisplayPort 1.2 support in Thunderbolt 2 enables video streaming to a single 4K video monitor or dual QHD monitors.
Click to expand...
Thunderbolt 2 is backwards compatible with current generation cables and connectors, so existing hardware will continue to function with the updated controller. Intel expects Thunderbolt 2 to begin production before the end of the year, ramping up into 2014.

Article Link: Intel Shares Additional Details on 20Gbps 'Thunderbolt 2'
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2013/06/04/intel-shares-additional-details-on-20gbps-thunderbolt-2/
Eidorian

Eidorian

macrumors Penryn
Mar 23, 2005
29,190
386
Indianapolis
And now we wait for this even though we are never going to use it. My desktop might have a pair of these next year on Z97 alongside SATA Express.
 
demodave

demodave

macrumors 6502
Jan 27, 2010
295
129
Dallas, TX
Eidorian said:
And now we wait for this even though we are never going to use it. My desktop might have a pair of these next year on Z97 alongside SATA Express.
Click to expand...

This is seriously what's killing me, though: sitting here in this "wait till the next announced update, because the rumors sounds too cool to be true, but I believe that Apple might could do it, because Apple does things that are way too cool to be true" mode. (And it may not even be worth it. [Looks left, looks right, hopes the Cabal Thuggies aren't hiding in a dark corner.])

I think I may just give up after WWDC 2013 and buy a new laptop. This one is starting to feel kind of schleppy (heavy). I think an MBA is in my near future. (The hardware is correct, but the software is 10.8.3, probably going to 10.8.4. I upgrade. McCain just doesn't get it.)
 
Tankmaze

Tankmaze

macrumors 68000
Mar 7, 2012
1,707
351
Intel expects Thunderbolt 2 to begin production before the end of the year, ramping up into 2014.
Click to expand...

There goes any hope the new rmbp would be able to use those 31" 4k Asus screen :(
 
H

hlfway2anywhere

Cancelled
Jul 15, 2006
1,544
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cool, now there can hardly be any Thunderbolt 2 accessories instead of their hardly being any Thunderbolt 1 accessories! And they'll be non-existent even faster on Thunderbolt 2!
 
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ShiroiShimaTora

macrumors newbie
Jul 13, 2012
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Even though DisplayPort 1.2 still doesn't provide enough bandwidth for a Retina 27" Thunderbolt display (5120x2880 required, 3840x2160 provided), they could utilize a dual-link Thunderbolt connection to provide the appropriate bandwidth (kinda like how the 30" Cinema Display used a dual-link DVI connector).
So a 21.5" Retina ThunderBolt display requiring a single-link ThunderBolt 2.0 connection and a 27" model requiring a dual-link connection is very possible (if they can get a good enough yield from manufacturing). Though, they would need new Macs to drive them (iMac refresh, long awaited Mac Pro, maybe Mac Mini).
 
Nicky G

Nicky G

macrumors 65816
Mar 24, 2002
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This is nice I guess, but I was hoping it was TWO channels 20Gbps each, in each direction. It's probably a better arrangement than Thunderbolt 1.0, but not greater overall throughput.
 
thekev

thekev

macrumors 604
Aug 5, 2010
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ShiroiShimaTora said:
Even though DisplayPort 1.2 still doesn't provide enough bandwidth for a Retina 27" Thunderbolt display (5120x2880 required, 3840x2160 provided), they could utilize a dual-link Thunderbolt connection to provide the appropriate bandwidth (kinda like how the 30" Cinema Display used a dual-link DVI connector).
So a 21.5" Retina ThunderBolt display requiring a single-link ThunderBolt 2.0 connection and a 27" model requiring a dual-link connection is very possible (if they can get a good enough yield from manufacturing). Though, they would need new Macs to drive them (iMac refresh, long awaited Mac Pro, maybe Mac Mini).
Click to expand...

That assumes they maintain the same desktop scale with doubled pixels. They don't have to do that. There is no dual-link spec for thunderbolt or displayport. DVI had one. It wouldn't be unheard of either. Some 27" displays use 1080. 1080 doubled is 4k. The term retina is just an Apple marketing trademark combined with a bit of faux science (leaves out too much math).
 
macs4nw

macs4nw

macrumors 601
Sep 21, 2010
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Next-door from the little old lady from Pasadena..
MacRumors said:
.....Thunderbolt 2 is backwards compatible with current generation cables and connectors, so existing hardware will continue to function with the updated controller. Intel expects Thunderbolt 2 to begin production before the end of the year, ramping up into 2014.

Article Link: Intel Shares Additional Details on 20Gbps 'Thunderbolt 2'
Click to expand...

So if I understand this correctly, there is no bandwidth increase, but rather just a combining of two bi-directional channels @ 10Gbs each, into one bi-directional channel @ 20Gbs, in order to support DisplayPort 1.2 and 4k video. Good to know this is backward compatible!
 
D

devilcm3

macrumors 6502a
Jan 3, 2011
642
7
South Melbourne, Australia
just another i-won't-use-it-anytime port other than for display.

thunderbolt peripherals are horribly overpriced for the benefits the brought, $200 for a hub? :confused:

unless intel willing to step down to mainstream market instead of all the high end exclusivity ************ i don't see how this interface would survive the market in after 5 years.
 
Nicky G

Nicky G

macrumors 65816
Mar 24, 2002
1,148
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For some people's edification

I feel it's important to mention, in such threads...

Thunderbolt is really mostly oriented at pro users. If you don't use it, big whoop. Most people don't use a fraction of the power their computers offer. For the folks who need it, it's a Good Thing, and not "overpriced," in that Thunderbolt peripherals are actually pretty reasonably priced, compared with PCIe alternatives.

Used to be a day, people really liked the fact that Macs were a "Pro" platform. I guess now that Apple is all hip and trendy, people just want to moan about everything. And ironically, the casual users moan about Thunderbolt being there, and the "Pros" moan about the platform not being "Pro" enough.

:rolleyes:
 
S

ShiroiShimaTora

macrumors newbie
Jul 13, 2012
15
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Virginia
thekev said:
That assumes they maintain the same desktop scale with doubled pixels. They don't have to do that. There is no dual-link spec for thunderbolt or displayport. DVI had one. It wouldn't be unheard of either. Some 27" displays use 1080. 1080 doubled is 4k. The term retina is just an Apple marketing trademark combined with a bit of faux science (leaves out too much math).
Click to expand...

But in every Retina display to date, it's just pixel-doubled from the non-Retina display of the previous generation. No reason to not follow this trend in the future (especially since they chose an unusual resolution for the 15" Pro, 2880x1800). As for no dual-link, there's no reason why it shouldn't be possible with a little bit of custom silicon. Yes, "Retina" is a marketing term (HiDPI isn't too consumer-friendly), but every Retina Display has exactly 4 times the number of pixels (2x vertical, 2x horizontal resolutions) of the original non-Retina display. That's not psuedoscience, it's basic multiplication.
 
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3282868

macrumors 603
Jan 8, 2009
5,281
0
It's embarrassing that the top line professional system, the Mac Pro, doesn't have Thunderbolt while the entire line currently does. If there is a Mac Pro refresh announced this month, it better include Thunderbolt along with the hints at a return to the pro-market.
 
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