Intel Shares Additional Details on 20Gbps 'Thunderbolt 2'

[MacRumors]

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.

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'

 

[Eidorian]

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.

 

[cclloyd]

Hope it's in the next gen lineup at WWDC.

 

[B...]

2x the speed, 2x the fun, 2x the price.

 

[lolkthxbai]

Hope it's in the next gen lineup at WWDC.

Doubtful but we'll see. Could be included in a refresh for holiday season or early next year.

 

[Millah]

Hmm, they even dropped the gloss from the lightning logo

 

[KingofGotham1]

Hmm, they even dropped the gloss from the lightning logo

I had to log on for the first time in months just to applaud this! Lol

 

[Icaras]

Hmm, they even dropped the gloss from the lightning logo

Flat design!

 

[demodave]

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.

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]

Intel expects Thunderbolt 2 to begin production before the end of the year, ramping up into 2014.

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

 

[Moonjumper]

A sign of 4K support on Macs?

EDIT: no, apparently

 

[Koulie]

Hope it's in the next gen lineup at WWDC.

This

Intel expects Thunderbolt 2 to begin production before the end of the year, ramping up into 2014

Hmm, they even dropped the gloss from the lightning logo

Very good observation! A definite sign of things to come

 

[iMikeT]

How about better support for and making Thunderbolt 1 more widespread before announcing Thunderbolt 2 Intel?

 

[hlfway2anywhere]

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!

 

[ShiroiShimaTora]

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).

 

[charlituna]

A sign of 4K support on Macs?

EDIT: no, apparently

Or maybe it is. Why wouldn't Apple make the switch in at least the iMacs, display, etc. then when the content is there, the hardware will be ready for it.

 

[Nicky G]

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]

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).

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]

.....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'

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!

 

[Chuck-Norris]

have thunderbolt on my 2011 macbook pro for the past 2 and a half years

never used it

 

[devilcm3]

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?

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.

 

[iphone X]

Hope it's in the next gen lineup at WWDC.

maybe for WWDC 2014 or for a mac refresh in early 2014.

 

[Nicky G]

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.

 

[ShiroiShimaTora]

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).

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.

 

[3282868]

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.