Intel reportedly doubling Thunderbolt transfer speeds

Although Thunderbolt interconnection technology is not an industry standard that is broadly adopted by all players on the market, it is an interconnection of choice for many creative professionals who work with large amounts of data. Thus, it is not surprising that Thunderbolt is evolving and becomes faster over time. Based on unofficial information, Intel will introduce third iteration of Thunderbolt with 40Gb/s bandwidth in late-2015 or early-2016.

Intel’s upcoming “Alpine Ridge” hardware will feature transfer rates of up to 40Gbits/sec, according to a leaked slide published on Chinese tech blog VR Zone. The slide, displayed below, shows significant improvements in Intel’s Thunderbolt connector, in terms of specs and compatibility, as well as power consumption. If the slide is to be believed, Alpine Ridge will have double the bandwidth of the current Falcon Ridge controller, increasing data transfer rates from 20Gbits/sec to 40Gbits/sec. It will also feature support for the third generation of the PCI-e bus, and consume 50% less power than Falcon Ridge. There is also a new connector design detailed, which the slide claims will offer system charging of up to 100 watts over a single cable.