Introducing Thunderbolt 5 Storage: A Next-Gen Performance Boost
- Thunderbolt 5 Performance Boost:
- Thunderbolt 5 storage offers an impressive leap in performance, with speeds reaching up to 80Gbps, twice that of Thunderbolt 3/USB 4 in specific benchmarks.
- This speed is comparable to an NVMe SSD on a PCIe 4.0 bus, which aligns with what’s found inside the OWC Envoy Ultra portable drive used for testing Thunderbolt 5 storage.
- Understanding Thunderbolt 5 Specs:
- While Thunderbolt 5 specifications list 120Gbps, bi-directional transfers such as those for storage devices are limited to 80Gbps, equating to approximately 6-7GBps after accounting for overhead.
- Testing Thunderbolt 5:
- Initial testing of Thunderbolt 5 with the Envoy Ultra and the Maingear ML-17 (Mk. II) laptop revealed issues with compatibility on specific systems.
- Further exploration into Thunderbolt 5 revealed that only the Sonoma and Sequoia versions of macOS were able to recognize the Envoy Ultra, highlighting compatibility challenges across different platforms.
- Thunderbolt 5 Gear Available:
- New laptops, such as the Razer Blade 18, and upcoming motherboards from major brands like Asus and Gigabyte introducing Thunderbolt 5 support or headers for future upgrades.
- Upgrading older systems with add-on cards for Thunderbolt 5 is not a viable option due to timing constraints and other technical factors.
- Thunderbolt 5 Storage Speed:
- Thunderbolt 5 delivers exceptional sequential reading and writing speeds, outperforming USB 4 with rates up to 6GBps.
- However, random performance tests show minimal improvement, highlighting that increased throughput doesn’t necessarily enhance data retrieval speeds.
- Implications of Thunderbolt 5:
- Thunderbolt 5 offers significant speed benefits but comes with a hefty initial investment for compatible gear.
- Thunderbolt 5 caters to early adopters, enthusiasts, and professionals seeking top-tier performance, making it a niche market for those who require cutting-edge technology.
In conclusion, Thunderbolt 5 presents an exciting advancement in storage technology, offering faster speeds and improved performance for users willing to invest in the latest hardware. While there are compatibility challenges and pricing considerations, Thunderbolt 5 caters to a specific audience seeking the pinnacle of performance in their storage solutions.
