Intel shows off 'Thunderbolt 2' with 20Gbps speeds

The original Thunderbolt — which Intel developed with Apple and released in 2011 — is a high-speed connection standard that offers transfer speeds of up to 10Gbps. Thunderbolt is the input/output technology that brings transfer speeds that exceed what is currently available with USB 3.0 (though not for long), as well as extending that speed across several devices at once.

Intel detailed the new Thunderbolt 2 on its blog, everybody seems to be sharing video these days — at higher resolutions than ever, and the potential is amazing.

Thunderbolt 2 supports twice the bandwidth, a stunning 20Gbps which Intel said is good enough for the simultaneous transfer and display of 4K “Ultra HD” video. Beyond that, Thunderbolt 2 is no longer two independent 10Gbps channels but instead uses one 20Gbps bi-directional channel that supports data and/or display.

In other words, video editors can transfer 4K footage and playback that footage at the same time. That’s simply not available on any other interface.

To double the speed, Intel is using a new controller chip that combines the first generation Thunderbolt’s 10Gpbs uni-directional channels into a single 20Gbps bi-directional channel. In addition, Thunderbolt 2 will carry support for DisplayPort 1.2, enabling video streaming to one 4K monitor, or dual QHD displays.

Because the next-generation protocol is, in essence, a modified controller chip, Thunderbolt 2 requires no new cables or accessory hardware, meaning it will be completely backward compatible with existing Thunderbolt products. Thunderbolt 2 will also add in support for DisplayPort 1.2, which offers 4K streaming.

Illustration of Thunderbolt 2′s capabilities. | Source: Intel

Thunderbolt 2 is backwards compatible with old cables and connectors, so users who have already adopted Thunderbolt don’t need to worry about buying new cables for their gear.

Intel says that it plans to start production on Thunderbolt 2 before the end of the year, which means we can probably expect to see chipsets and devices ship with support in early 2014.