Intel’s next-generation of Thunderbolt I/O will include a plethora of improvements. During a presentation at this year’s National Association of Broadcasters show, Intel showed off the latest version of Thunderbolt that includes data transfer speeds of up to 20Mbps. The updated I/O will also be able to stream 4K content while transferring files simultaneously. We should see this technology, dubbed “Falcon Ridge,” hit the market in 2014 on next-generation Intel Haswell processors. The technology will be backwards compatible with both DisplayPort displays and the previous iteration of Thunderbolt I/O.
Unfortunately for those who plan on purchasing a new computer before 2014, they will receive a less exciting Thunderbolt update. Some 2013 Haswell processors will be given the same 10Mbps transfer speeds, though it will consume less power. Intel has not yet stated what CPUs will be given this minor update.
Thunderbolt is the latest I/O out of Intel. Apple adopted the technology early on with the MacBook Pro lineup in 2011 and later brought it to the MacBook Air, Mac mini and iMac. Thunderbolt is an extremely fast I/O that offers transfer speeds that are twice as fast as USB 3.0. Thunderbolt is mainly marketed to video professionals due to its high-end transfer speeds.
