3 ms·
The problem with Thunderbolt is a bandwidth one and Apple's support: PCIe 16x is 128 gbps bi-directional, Thunderbolt 2 is 20 gbps. Putting it just over 4x PCI
by fuzzywalrus 13y ago
The problem with Thunderbolt is a bandwidth one and Apple's support:
PCIe 16x is 128 gbps bi-directional, Thunderbolt 2 is 20 gbps. Putting it just over 4x PCIe.
Currently Windows supports graphics cards via Thunderbolt but OS X doesn't. There's also no guarantee Apple support drivers for external PCIe graphics chipsets.
Maybe in 3 years Thunderbolt 3 will be 128 gbps but PCIe will hit its next iteration putting it that much further beyond. Thunderbolt is awesome as an I/O setup but for graphically minded individuals, its still not as amazing as one might hope.
- wtallis 13y ago> Currently Windows supports graphics cards via Thunderbolt but OS X doesn't. Citation? From a software perspective, Thunderbolt is just hotpluggable PCIe. There's not much that can be done to prevent compatibility with a GPU connected via Thunderbolt, especially when the OS already supports switchable graphics. From what I've read, the biggest challenge to using an external GPU enclosure with a Mac is getting a GPU that OS X has drivers for, not anything Thunderbolt-related.