5 ms·

Unfortunately, even if there was, they wouldn't have Thunderbolt so it would limit the external display options. Hopefully when USB4 starts rolling out it'll be

Unfortunately, even if there was, they wouldn't have Thunderbolt so it would limit the external display options. Hopefully when USB4 starts rolling out it'll be a different story.

wlesieutre 6y ago
What's the benefit of Thunderbolt displays? I think it's far more common to just do DisplayPort on USB-C alternate mode, or for slightly more specialized screens, the USB-C ones with power delivery. Thunderbolt screens are really unusual in my experience. It's an understandable restriction if you already bought a Thunderbolt screen and need a new computer that's compatible with it, but requiring Thunderbolt case I might get a screen that needs it later is very far down my priority list of computer features.
- fastest963 6y ago
  I have a dock with two 4k 60hz DisplayPort monitors that runs off TB3. Afaik that's not possible over USB.
  - kllrnohj 6y ago
    TB3's display output is just displayport. Identical to displayport over USB-C. You're only giving up the data part of TB3.
    - distances 6y ago
      TB3 is 40Gbps, USB-C 3.2 10Gbps. 4K@60Hz is possible over USB-C but 4K@120+Hz only with TB3 AFAIK (or dedicated DP cable of course).
      - kllrnohj 6y ago
        The 40Gbps is for the data connection of TB3. The display part of TB3 is independent and is just DisplayPort. Both TB3 and USB-C alt-mode can do DisplayPort 1.4, assuming both sides support it of course. TB3 only actually requires DisplayPort 1.2. There's actually no difference here whatsoever on the display-only side of things. (side note, USB 3.2 achieves up to 20Gb/s, not 10Gb/s, and TB3 is also realistically only 20Gb/s as well unless you're sticking to the super short 0.5m cables)
        distances 6y ago
        Right, I was thinking of USB 3.1 Gen 2 which is 10Gpbs. Hooray for these naming schemes. But good to know about the display connection being the same. I was under the assumption that the increased data rate of TB3 could be used for DisplayPort connection too.
      - hackerfromthefu 6y ago
        USB-C 3.2 comes in 5Gbps, 10Gbs and 20Gbs variants, called Gen 1, Gen 2, and Gen 2x2 respectively
  - wlesieutre 6y ago
    If you just want the displays, you can get that over vanilla USB-C: https://www.cablematters.com/pc-1220-126-usb-c-triple-4k-displayport-mst-hub-usb-c-to-displayport-splitter-with-dual-displayport-and-hdmi-for-windows.aspx https://www.cablematters.com/pc-1220-126-usb-c-triple-4k-dis... If you want displays and all your other dock stuff combined under a single cable, that's where you're better off with Thunderbolt, yes. The USB-C docks can do some of this (I think with DisplayLink) but not quite as well. A Thunderbolt dock doesn't limit your display choices like the comment I replied to was talking about though, you'd just use any normal DisplayPort screen. Worst case without it you're plugging in separate display cables in addition to a non-video USB hub.
Matt3o12_ 6y ago
This is not necessarily true. Apple sells their non Intel macs with Thunderbolt and there are some ryzen motherboards with thunderbolt support [1]. That being said, Thunderbolt is a lot less common on AMD boards probably because it is a lot more expensive then it would be on an Intel board. And Laptops so far have always received the budget treatment for ryzen chips (want a better screen? intel only, etc). So I think lack of thunderbolt comes down to manufacturers not wanting to pay as much for their AMD R&D and keep costs down with simple, budget motherboards. Or, if you needed Thunderbolt 3, you could just wait until USB 4 is commonplace, which is basically Thunderbolt 3 + some more. [1]: https://www.asrock.com/mb/AMD/X570%20Phantom%20Gaming-ITXTB3/index.asp https://www.asrock.com/mb/AMD/X570%20Phantom%20Gaming-ITXTB3... (there are more, and even ATX boards, first one I could find).
Grazester 6y ago
There is nothing stopping manufactures from including Thunderbolt.
- wmf 6y ago
  Well, nothing besides a bunch of R&D since AMD doesn't provide any reference design with Thunderbolt.

Unfortunately, even if there was, they wouldn't have Thunderbolt so it would limit the external display options. Hopefully when USB4 starts rolling out it'll be a different story.

wlesieutre 6y ago

What's the benefit of Thunderbolt displays? I think it's far more common to just do DisplayPort on USB-C alternate mode, or for slightly more specialized screens, the USB-C ones with power delivery. Thunderbolt screens are really unusual in my experience. It's an understandable restriction if you already bought a Thunderbolt screen and need a new computer that's compatible with it, but requiring Thunderbolt case I might get a screen that needs it later is very far down my priority list of computer features.

fastest963 6y ago
I have a dock with two 4k 60hz DisplayPort monitors that runs off TB3. Afaik that's not possible over USB.
- kllrnohj 6y ago
  TB3's display output is just displayport. Identical to displayport over USB-C. You're only giving up the data part of TB3.
  - distances 6y ago
    TB3 is 40Gbps, USB-C 3.2 10Gbps. 4K@60Hz is possible over USB-C but 4K@120+Hz only with TB3 AFAIK (or dedicated DP cable of course).
    - kllrnohj 6y ago
      The 40Gbps is for the data connection of TB3. The display part of TB3 is independent and is just DisplayPort. Both TB3 and USB-C alt-mode can do DisplayPort 1.4, assuming both sides support it of course. TB3 only actually requires DisplayPort 1.2. There's actually no difference here whatsoever on the display-only side of things. (side note, USB 3.2 achieves up to 20Gb/s, not 10Gb/s, and TB3 is also realistically only 20Gb/s as well unless you're sticking to the super short 0.5m cables)
      - distances 6y ago
        Right, I was thinking of USB 3.1 Gen 2 which is 10Gpbs. Hooray for these naming schemes. But good to know about the display connection being the same. I was under the assumption that the increased data rate of TB3 could be used for DisplayPort connection too.
    - hackerfromthefu 6y ago
      USB-C 3.2 comes in 5Gbps, 10Gbs and 20Gbs variants, called Gen 1, Gen 2, and Gen 2x2 respectively
- wlesieutre 6y ago
  If you just want the displays, you can get that over vanilla USB-C: https://www.cablematters.com/pc-1220-126-usb-c-triple-4k-displayport-mst-hub-usb-c-to-displayport-splitter-with-dual-displayport-and-hdmi-for-windows.aspx https://www.cablematters.com/pc-1220-126-usb-c-triple-4k-dis... If you want displays and all your other dock stuff combined under a single cable, that's where you're better off with Thunderbolt, yes. The USB-C docks can do some of this (I think with DisplayLink) but not quite as well. A Thunderbolt dock doesn't limit your display choices like the comment I replied to was talking about though, you'd just use any normal DisplayPort screen. Worst case without it you're plugging in separate display cables in addition to a non-video USB hub.

Matt3o12_ 6y ago

This is not necessarily true. Apple sells their non Intel macs with Thunderbolt and there are some ryzen motherboards with thunderbolt support [1]. That being said, Thunderbolt is a lot less common on AMD boards probably because it is a lot more expensive then it would be on an Intel board. And Laptops so far have always received the budget treatment for ryzen chips (want a better screen? intel only, etc). So I think lack of thunderbolt comes down to manufacturers not wanting to pay as much for their AMD R&D and keep costs down with simple, budget motherboards. Or, if you needed Thunderbolt 3, you could just wait until USB 4 is commonplace, which is basically Thunderbolt 3 + some more. [1]: https://www.asrock.com/mb/AMD/X570%20Phantom%20Gaming-ITXTB3/index.asp https://www.asrock.com/mb/AMD/X570%20Phantom%20Gaming-ITXTB3... (there are more, and even ATX boards, first one I could find).

Grazester 6y ago

There is nothing stopping manufactures from including Thunderbolt.

wmf 6y ago
Well, nothing besides a bunch of R&D since AMD doesn't provide any reference design with Thunderbolt.