USB4 and Thunderbolt 4 are the two most representative types of ultra-high-speed interfaces in the transmission field, both of which support transmission rates of up to 40Gbps.
USB4 was created by the USB standardization organization USB-IF, while Thunderbolt 4 was a technology product created by technology giants such as Intel and Apple. Although these two high-performance interfaces are not "as close as fire and water" as opposites, they are inevitably compared.
In today's content, let's discuss USB4 VS Thunderbolt 4, who is the stronger transmission interface.
USB4: Universal and compatible
In fact, the USB4 interface integrates a variety of transmission technologies, including PCIExpress data transfer protocol, USB 3.2 transfer protocol, and DisplayPort video transfer protocol. USB4 integrates these three protocols through the "tunneling protocol", which also makes this interface excellent and versatile.
USB4 integrates multiple protocols to support data transfer and can also be used as a video interface. It is worth mentioning that USB4 can also integrate the PD charging protocol, which can support up to 100W fast charging.
In terms of data transmission, USB4 has a transmission bandwidth of 40 Gbps, which is currently the fastest transmission interface in laboratory test data. At present, the mainstream USB 3.1 interface rate is 10Gbps, while the data transfer rate of USB4 has reached four times that of the former.
USB4 is also used in SSD enclosures due to its ultra-high transfer rate. With a transmission bandwidth of up to 40Gbps, it can give full play to the full speed advantages of PCIE 3.0 and even PCIE 4.0 SSDs to meet the needs of some users for ultra-high-speed data transmission.
In addition to the powerful data transfer capacity, USB4 external display devices also perform well, supporting up to 8K/60Hz displays, and compatible with 4K, 2K and 1080P resolution display devices. Even gaming monitors with ultra-clear resolution and ultra-high refresh rates can use the USB4 interface to meet the needs of video transmission.
USB4 can carry out high-speed data transmission, can also be used as a video interface, and supports up to 100W PD fast charging standard, reflecting its multi-functional convergence characteristics, in the past two years new laptops and NUC microcomputers and other devices have been widely used USB4 interface.
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The Type-C design of the USB4 interface enables USB4 devices to achieve multiple functions such as data transmission, video output and power charging through a full-featured Type-C data cable, which greatly simplifies the product interface design and cable storage.
Thunderbolt 4: Breakthrough transmission performance
The Thunderbolt 4 interface, as a high-speed transmission technology jointly promoted by Intel and Apple, has evolved to the fourth generation, maintaining the same 40Gbps transmission bandwidth as the previous generation Thunderbolt 3 interface, and is also an "all-rounder" interface, covering data transmission, video output, fast charging and other functions.
The Thunderbolt 4 has a significant advantage in high bandwidth, and in terms of ultra-high-speed data transmission performance, it only takes 10 seconds to transfer a 50GB HD movie.
The most outstanding aspect of Thunderbolt 4 is its video transmission capabilities. It not only supports an external 8K/60Hz display, but also supports two external 4K resolution displays at the same time. For gamers, media workers and other user groups who have the ultimate pursuit of display image quality, Thunderbolt 4 can undoubtedly bring a better display experience.
In terms of charging, the Thunderbolt 4 supports 100W PD fast charging, which can meet the fast charging needs of high-performance devices.
USB4 vs. Thunderbolt 4
USB4 and Thunderbolt 4 have exactly the same physical shape, they both use the form of USB-C physical interface, but in terms of actual functions and experience, there are some subtle differences.
First of all, in terms of compatibility, the application of USB4 interface in terminal products is much wider than that of Thunderbolt 4 interface. USB4 is an open, royalty-free interface, while using the Thunderbolt 4 interface requires royalties. Therefore, the price of devices using USB4 interface will be more affordable than that of Thunderbolt 4.
On the other hand, if the terminal device uses the Thunderbolt 4 interface, it needs to be equipped with Intel's Thunderbolt main control chip on the device, such as JHL8440 chip, JHL8540 chip, etc., and this Thunderbolt main control chip also has a relatively high cost. As a result, the Thunderbolt 4 connector is commonly found on flagship laptops in the high-priced segment.
In addition, another difference between USB4 and Thunderbolt 4 is the lower limit of data transmission.
Although both have transmission rates of up to 40Gbps, the "minimum data transfer rate" of the two is different. Among them, the minimum data transfer rate of USB4 is 10Gbps, about 1.25GB/s; The minimum data transfer rate of Thunderbolt 4 is 32Gbps, which is about 4GB/s.
summary
USB4 and Thunderbolt 4 have almost no differences in terms of functionality, whether it is data transfer, video transmission or charging power.
The core difference is that devices with USB4 interfaces are more affordable, while devices with Thunderbolt 4 interfaces are relatively more expensive. In addition, devices with Thunderbolt 4 interface have a higher "lower limit" in data transmission, which can ensure better data transmission performance, which is one of its core advantages over USB4.
The difference in price determines that the USB4 interface has a wider range of applications and a higher degree of consumer acceptance. Although the Thunderbolt 4 product has a higher price, it has a higher lower limit in terms of data transmission, which is suitable for consumers who pursue extreme performance and high efficiency.