Thunderbolt™ for Developers

Thunderbolt™ 3

More Speed. More Pixels. More Possibilities.

The USB-C That Does It All

Thunderbolt™ 3 brings Thunderbolt to USB-C at speeds up to 40 Gbps, creating one compact port that does it all – delivering the fastest, most versatile connection to any dock, display, or data device. For the first time, one computer port connects to Thunderbolt™ devices, every display, and billions of USB devices. A single cable now provides four times the data and twice the video bandwidth of any other cable, while also supplying power. It’s unrivaled for new uses, such as 4K video, single-cable docks with charging, external graphics, and built-in 10 GbE networking. Simply put, Thunderbolt™ 3 delivers the best USB-C.

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Get up to speed

Many companies are shipping products and PCs in the market in these areas: computers, displays, high-speed data storage devices, audio and video devices, docking, and more.

Here are all the products that are shipping: Thunderbolt™ ›

Key Features

Thunderbolt™, USB, DisplayPort, and power on USB-C
40 Gbps Thunderbolt™ 3 – double the speed of Thunderbolt™ 2
– Bi-directional, dual-protocol (PCI Express and DisplayPort)
– 4 lanes of PCI Express Gen 3
– 8 lanes of DisplayPort 1.2 (HBR2 and MST) – supports two 4K displays (4096 x 2160 30bpp @ 60 Hz)
USB 3.1 (10 Gbps) – compatible with existing USB devices and cables
DisplayPort 1.2 – compatible with existing DisplayPort displays, devices, and cables
– Connect DVI, HDMI, and VGA displays via adapters
Power (based on USB power delivery)
– Up to 100W system charging
– 15W to bus-powered devices
Thunderbolt™ Networking
– 10Gb Ethernet connection between computers
Daisy chaining (up to six devices)
Lowest latency for PCI Express audio

Solutions and products built to Thunderbolt™ and Thunderbolt™ 2 specifications will work with Thunderbolt™ 3 via an adapter.

Additional information: ¹ ²

Full 4K Video Experience

Connect displays with astonishing resolution, contrast, and color depth to see your photos, videos, applications, and text with amazing detail.

Best Single-Cable Docking

Now, one compact port provides Thunderbolt™ 3 data transfer, support for two 4K 60 Hz displays, and quick notebook charging with a single cable. It’s the most advanced and versatile USB-C docking solution available.

External Graphics

Gamers can now connect plug ‘n’ play external graphics to a notebook to enjoy the latest games at recommended or higher settings.

Thunderbolt™ Networking

Provides a peer-to-peer connection at 10 GbE speeds to quickly transfer files between computers, perform PC migrations, or set up small workgroups with shared storage.

Videos

Jason Ziller shares benefits of Thunderbolt™ technology, like running data, video, and power over a single cable, fast storage, and hi-res displays.