Thunderbolt 5 Announced With Up to 3x More Bandwidth

Intel today announced Thunderbolt 5, the next-generation version of the connectivity standard present on all Macs and iPad Pro models, promising significant improvements in connectivity speed and bandwidth.

thunderbolt 5
Thunderbolt 5 delivers 80 Gbps of bi-directional bandwidth and, with Bandwidth Boost, can provide up to 120 Gbps for video-intensive usage. This enables considerably better display support, allowing for more and higher-resolution displays with higher refresh rates. Thunderbolt 4 has maximum speeds of 40 Gbps, making Thunderbolt 5 a significant improvement of at least double the bandwidth.

The latest specification also features double the PCI Express data throughput and double the bandwidth of Thunderbolt Networking. It also uses a new signaling technology, PAM-3, to increase performance with printed circuit boards, connectors, and passive cables.

thunderbolt 5 specifications
Thunderbolt 5 continues to be built in industry standards such as USB4 V2, DisplayPort 2.1, and PCI Express Gen 4, enabling it to be compatible with previous version of Thunderbolt and USB. Computers and accessories that use Intel's Thunderbolt 5 controller are set to become available starting in 2024. It is highly likely that Thunderbolt 5 will come to future Apple devices.

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Top Rated Comments

Analog Kid Avatar
23 months ago
I would just like to give the Thunderbolt standards team credit for clear branding.

Look at the connector-- do you see a 5? If yes, it's Thunderbolt 5 compatible!
What was the generation before 5? 4. Not 4.2 gen 3x5. Not 4E or 4A or 4sK. Just 4, then 5.
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
xxray Avatar
23 months ago
iPhone 15 Pro already outdated! /s
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BornAgainMac Avatar
23 months ago
I am so glad I am waiting for the MacBook Pro with M3. It might come with this.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fwmireault Avatar
23 months ago
I look forward to that! This bandwidth will unlock possibilities such as Promotion on 5K and 6K displays
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Carlson-online Avatar
23 months ago
The fact this is announced today speaks volumes!
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MayaUser Avatar
23 months ago

I am so glad I am waiting for the MacBook Pro with M3. It might come with this.
Dont think so...this is an 2025 Mac thing
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)