Intel’s Thunderbolt 4: Everything you need to know about Intel’s new standard

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    Intel has announced the details for its upcoming Thunderbolt 4 connection standard, which will be built on top of the also forthcoming USB4 specification. It's hard to get excited for a new interface protocol, I get it. But Intel's upcoming Thunderbolt 4 tech could end up making your next PC a lot more capable than today's systems. Just imagine hooking up two 4K displays to an impossibly thin and sleek ultraportable, which also happens to support data speeds twice as fast as Thunderbolt 3 systems.

    While precise release dates haven’t been announced yet, Intel has released developer kits and certification testing for manufacturers and has announced the Thunderbolt 4 8000 series controller, which will work with all current Thunderbolt 3 PCs and similar devices. The series will begin with JHL8540 and JHL8340 host controllers for computers, and the JHL8440 device controller for accessories.

    The first Thunderbolt 4 connections will appear on select laptops toward the end of 2020, including laptops from Intel’s Project Athena, a program made to encourage more innovative laptop designs that fit the modern lifestyle. 2021 will see a much broader array of choices for potential buyers interested in Thunderbolt 4’s capabilities.

    The new spec isn’t technically faster from a maximum speed perspective — like Thunderbolt 3, Thunderbolt 4 will support a maximum speed of up to 40 Gbps. But Intel is making other improvements with the new standard, adding high video and data requirements and support for multi-port hubs.

    The new standard will enable Thunderbolt 4 docks and monitors with up to four Thunderbolt 4 ports, up from the two-port maximum Thunderbolt 3 devices could offer. New Thunderbolt 4 computers and cables will be compatible with Thunderbolt 3 cables and accessories, too.

    Intel is also bumping up security by requiring its VT-d virtualization technology that protects against Direct Memory Access, or DMA, attacks. DMA or Direct Memory Attacks, a type of hack that taps into high-speed data connections on computers and steals data that passes through, recently highlighted in the enormous Thunderspy vulnerability — a collection of flaws found in Thunderbolt/USC connections going back almost a decade. For Thunderbolt 4, Intel requires that Virtualization for Directed I/O (VT-d), which creates a little separate memory pocket when transferring data to keep it isolated from hacking.

    Intel is also adding stricter hardware requirements that should make it more enjoyable to use Thunderbolt 4 laptops. With the new standard, manufacturers of “thin and light” laptops that need less than 100W of power to charge will be required to offer Thunderbolt 4-based USB-C charging on at least one port, and Thunderbolt 4 laptops are required to be able to be woken up from sleep mode through a keyboard or mouse connected through a Thunderbolt dock.

    So what does all of this mean for you? Probably not much if you're just browsing the web and not really pushing your PC much. But if you're the sort of user who regularly connects your notebook to multiple screens, or juggles vast amounts of data, Thunderbolt 4 could make your life a lot easier.

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