Thunderbolt 3.0 | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Thu, 03 Sep 2015 00:10:29 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png Thunderbolt 3.0 | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 Wireless charging, wireless docking and smart sensing will remain exotic PC features https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/anton-shilov/wireless-charging-wireless-docking-and-smart-sensing-will-remain-exotic-pc-features/ https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/anton-shilov/wireless-charging-wireless-docking-and-smart-sensing-will-remain-exotic-pc-features/#respond Wed, 02 Sep 2015 23:53:05 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=266054 When Intel Corp. revealed first details about its mobile platforms powered by its code-named “Skylake” microprocessors about a year ago, the company said that the new systems would feature a number of innovative technologies, including wireless charging, fast wireless docking, Thunderbolt 3 interconnection, RealSense cameras and so on. But while the Thunderbolt 3 tech will …

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When Intel Corp. revealed first details about its mobile platforms powered by its code-named “Skylake” microprocessors about a year ago, the company said that the new systems would feature a number of innovative technologies, including wireless charging, fast wireless docking, Thunderbolt 3 interconnection, RealSense cameras and so on. But while the Thunderbolt 3 tech will be more or less widespread, other will remain exotic, at least for for now.

Intel “Skylake”: High performance, better functionality and longer battery life

Notebooks, hybrid 2-in-1 systems as well as high-end tablets based on Intel Core i-series and Core M-series “Skylake” processors promise to be significantly better than existing mobile devices based on central processing units that belong to the “Haswell” and the “Broadwell” generations. The new systems will be thinner and lighter, they will offer higher performance and longer battery life, whereas Windows 10 operating system will improve their functionality.

intel_presentation_skylake

Central processing units featuring “Skylake” micro-architecture offer 10 – 20 per cent higher performance in general-purpose applications compared to previous-gen chips. The new CPUs also integrate Intel’s ninth-generation integrated graphics core (Intel Gen 9 LP) with a number of architectural improvements as well as increased amount of execution units, which could bring up to 40 per cent higher performance. New-generation Core M-series “Skylake” system-on-chips with built-in core-logic offer tablet-focused input/output technologies, such as eMMC 5.0, SD XC 3.0, CSI2 [camera interface specifications], USB OTG and so on, which allows to build better ultra-portable devices.

intel_presentation_skylake_5

While the new “Skylake”-based systems will be significantly different than mobile devices powered by previous-gen CPUs, not a lot of them will support technologies that will dramatically change usage models of PCs in general, such as Rezence wireless charging, WiGig wireless docking and so on.

30 PC designs with Thunderbolt 3

According to Intel, the adoption of Thunderbolt 3 is substantially faster than adoption of previous versions of the technology. At least 30 mobile PC designs with Thunderbolt 3 will be available within the next year. By contrast, only 20 – 30 PC models supported the original Thunderbolt and Thunderbolt 2.

thunderbolt3_presentation

40Gb/s interconnect will significantly improve performance and capabilities of mobile PCs. For example, it will be possible to add external graphics adapter or a very fast SSD to an ultra-portable device. Essentially, Thunderbolt can help to transform a mobile PC into a high-performance gaming or workstation system with almost infinite possibilities.

WiGig to remain a rare feature for now

Intel Wireless Docking technology allows connecting various bandwidth-demanding devices to any mobile computers without wires, which significantly changes the way mobile PCs are used.

Intel Wireless Docking relies on the WiGig technology (IEEE 802.11ad), which allows devices to communicate at up to 7Gb/s data-rates using the 60GHz spectrum. The first version of Intel’s tech supports up to two full HD displays and provides connectivity for any USB 3.0 device, such as storage or HD camera that is WiGig-enabled or connected to a wireless gigabit docking station. To enable Wireless Docking, notebook makers have to integrate Intel’s tri-band wireless-AC 17265 client card into laptops and design a dock featuring Intel wireless gigabit antenna-M 10041R antenna module.

intel_wireless_docking_wigig

Intel claims that WiGig is now supported by two times more PC SKUs than before, but it looks like the number of Wi-Gig-enabled PC models is still extremely low.

Rezence: Only for phones and tablets in 2015

Wireless charging technology – also known as Rezence – could help to build mobile devices with unlimited battery life. The magnetic resonance wireless charging technology (promoted by the Alliance 4 Wireless Power [A4WP]) was supported by select reference designs of Intel “Skylake”-based devices announced in 2014, but it does not look like a lot of laptops or 2-in-1s will support Rezence this year.

“For 2015, our focus is on 5W wireless charging accessories for phones and tablets,” said Anna Cheng, a spokesperson for Intel.

Wireless_Charger_Qi_Induction_za_nRXzq

One of the reasons why Intel’s partners are unwilling to add support for Rezence into their “Skylake”-based devices is the lack of appropriate infrastructure. Intel has decided not to invest in development of appropriate infrastructure itself (like it did with Wi-Fi back in the days to promote its Centrino platforms ) and at present there are not a lot of public places that support Rezence. The number of places with wireless charging will grow over time, but at present PC makers just do not want to add Rezence support to their devices.

“We are trialing [Rezence] with a number of collaborators, including Hilton, Jaguar Land Rover, San Francisco International Airport and Marriott,” said Ms. Cheng.

RealSense: Six designs in six months

Intel’s RealSense cameras are expected to bring human-like senses to a broad range of personal computers. Since implementation relies on hardware, but depends on software, it is unlikely that the technology will become widespread any time soon. Nonetheless, Intel is working with multiple computer makers and expects four to sixPC designs with RealSense cameras in the next several months.

“We are working with top OEM players to enable the different Intel RealSense cameras into their products,” said the spokeswoman for Intel. “Expect to see four to six new products [with Real Sense R200 camera] launching in the next four to six months. We have enabled an Intel RealSense technology peripheral camera, to enable the experiences on desktop PCs as well.”

Some things are just not ready for the mass market

Without any doubts, there are many technologies that will significantly alter usage models of mobile personal computers in the coming years. Thunderbolt 3, Rezence, wireless docking and RealSense are among such technologies.

While Thunderbolt 3 and WiGig can be enabled by simply adding hardware, Rezence requires infrastructure, whereas RealSense needs software that takes advantage of its cameras. Since in many cases users cannot use Rezence and RealSense, PC makers do not want to add them to their systems because they make products more expensive and will not be considered as major improvements by end-users.

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KitGuru Says: A good thing is that Intel “Skylake”-based systems clearly move progress forward and significantly improve personal computers. However, it is evident that such systems could have been far more revolutionary than they are.

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Not all USB type-C ports are equal: Nine versions of USB-C incoming https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/anton-shilov/not-all-usb-type-c-ports-are-equal-nine-implementations-of-usb-c-incoming/ https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/anton-shilov/not-all-usb-type-c-ports-are-equal-nine-implementations-of-usb-c-incoming/#comments Fri, 28 Aug 2015 21:45:44 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=265404 The reversible USB type-C connector is something that the industry has been waiting for since the introduction of the original USB bus in 1997. This year PCs, computer components and mobile devices finally started to incorporate USB-C receptacles, but not all implementations necessarily support all features introduced by the latest version of the USB specification. …

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The reversible USB type-C connector is something that the industry has been waiting for since the introduction of the original USB bus in 1997. This year PCs, computer components and mobile devices finally started to incorporate USB-C receptacles, but not all implementations necessarily support all features introduced by the latest version of the USB specification. Apparently, there are nine possible implementations of USB-C ports with different functionality.

The latest Universal Serial Bus 3.1 specification introduces the new reversible 24-pin type-C receptacle as well as a number of innovative features that greatly expand usage of the USB bus, but retain full compatibility with previous versions of the standard. Key improvements of the USB 3.1 and the USB type-C are higher performance, improved power delivery, universal connector and vendor-specific capabilities. The key idea behind the USB 3.1 type-C is to create one interconnection that does everything.

usb_31_implementations_one

The USB 3.1 not only increases physical data signaling rate to 10Gb/s, but it also changes its encoding scheme to 128b/132b (inherited from PCI Express 3.0), which greatly lowers line encoding overhead to 3 or 4 per cent. In theory, peak bandwidth of a perfect USB 3.1 implementation could be as high as 1.2GB – 1.25GB/s. In addition, the USB 3.1 supports USB power delivery 2.0 specification, which allows one cable to transfer up to 100W of power to a device. Finally, USB type-C and USB 3.1 allow IHVs [independent hardware vendors] to implement their own functional extensions via Alternate and Accessory Modes to differentiate their products. Unfortunately, far not all features are compulsory for implementation.

usb_31_implementations_tb

As it turns out, the USB-C receptacle can be used with virtually any USB 2.0, USB 3.0, USB 3.1 or Thunderbolt 3 controller. This allows various vendors to build new devices without using of advanced, expensive and power hungry USB 3.1 controllers as well as appropriate power and signal management ICs. However, this means that different devices with the exact same connector will support different (480Mb/s, 5Gb/s or 10Gb/s) data-rates. Moreover, vendors may or may not add support for DisplayPort functionality via USB-C port, which means that select devices will feature display output, whereas others with the same port will not. Finally, some devices will support USB Power Delivery technology, whereas others will not. A good news is that the USB implementers forum has designed eight distinguished labels that describe capabilities of different USB-C ports. A bad news is that the presence of a USB 3.1 type-C connector does not automatically mean anything.

usb_31_implementations_cables_1

At present the only implementation of the USB 3.1 type-C connector that fully supports all features of the standard can be built using Intel Corp.’s “Alpine Ridge” controller, which also supports the company’s 40Gb/s Thunderbolt 3 technology. Ironically, to support all the capabilities of the USB 3.1 spec, IHVs have to use a controller that supports competing Thunderbolt 3 interconnection bus. At present Gigabyte Technology is the only maker of mainboards, which uses Intel’s “Alpine Ridge” on its Intel Z170-based platforms and supports all the features that the USB 3.1 has to offer with Thunderbolt 3 on top of that.

usb_31_implementations_cables

In addition to different kinds of USB type-C ports, there are different types of USB type-C cables, including USB 3.1 type-C to type-C cable assemblies with 15 wires inside as well as USB 2.0 type-C to type-C cables with 5 wires inside. A fully-fledged USB type-C cable is active, electronically marked cable, with an ID chip that contains vendor-defined messages (VDMs) from the USB Power Delivery 2.0 specification as well as other information necessary to support additional functionality. To make things even more complicated, there will be a host of legacy cable assemblies and adapters that will help to connect new devices to old systems as well as old devices to new systems.

thunderbolt3_presentation

Over time, all implementations of the USB type-C receptacles will support 10Gb/s data-rates as well as power delivery capabilities. However, nowadays there is a clear mess with different USB-C versions. The only way to get a device with a USB 3.1 type-C port done right is to get a product that supports Intel’s Thunderbolt 3, the port that truly does it all.

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KitGuru Says: Different implementations of USB-C allow to build cheaper devices and make the new connector more widespread. However, such approach creates an incredible mess and confuses a lot of potential buyers and greatly devalues the USB 3.1 type-C technology in general.

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Intel, Inventec demo Thunderbolt 3-based external graphics solutions https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/intel-inventec-demo-thunderbolt-3-based-external-graphics-solutions/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/intel-inventec-demo-thunderbolt-3-based-external-graphics-solutions/#respond Thu, 20 Aug 2015 11:23:13 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=264205 Intel Corp. and Inventec demonstrated external graphics processing solutions featuring Thunderbolt 3 interface at the Intel Developer Forum this week. The devices are based on reference designs and it is unknown when the products could hit the market. Intel’s Thunderbolt 3 interface offers 40Gb/s of bandwidth (about 5GB/s), which is dramatically lower than 15.75GB/s provided …

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Intel Corp. and Inventec demonstrated external graphics processing solutions featuring Thunderbolt 3 interface at the Intel Developer Forum this week. The devices are based on reference designs and it is unknown when the products could hit the market.

Intel’s Thunderbolt 3 interface offers 40Gb/s of bandwidth (about 5GB/s), which is dramatically lower than 15.75GB/s provided by a fully-fledged PCI Express 3.0 x16 slot, but which could be enough even for today’s high-end graphics cards in various games that do not require a lot of PCIe bandwidth. Since Thunderbolt 3 uses USB 3.1 type-C connector and is fully compliant with the standard, it can deliver up to 100W of power to any external component, which could be sufficient for some of modern graphics processors.

At the IDF trade-show, Intel and Inventec showcased a chassis for a desktop-class graphics adapter as well as a dock featuring integrated mobile graphics processing unit, reports Gizmodo. Both devices feature Intel’s “Alpine Ridge” controller, which is about to hit mass production.

inventec_intel_thunderbolt_external_graphics_gizmodo_demo

The graphics dock resembles the one briefly demonstrated earlier this year in Intel’s Thunderbolt 3 presentation. The device is based on AMD Radeon R9 M385 (“Bonaire XT” GPU with 896 stream processors) and provides three USB 3.0 ports, two HDMI ports, two DisplayPorts, external audio, an Ethernet port and a USB 3.1/Thunderbolt 3 type-C port to connect to bandwidth-demanding devices.

inventec_intel_thunderbolt_external_graphics_gizmodo_demo_1

The graphics card chassis with Thunderbolt 3 interface is an external enclosure for desktop-class graphics boards that has its own power supply unit and, perhaps, a cooling system. During the demonstration, Inventec and Intel used an Asus Radeon R9 270X (“Pitcairn” aka “Curacao” GPU with 1280 stream processors) graphics adapter inside the chassis, but it depends on the PSU what kind of graphics board can be supported by the enclosure.

inventec_intel_thunderbolt_external_graphics_gizmodo_demo_3

The demonstration of external graphics processing solutions by Inventec and Intel indicate that there is an interest from the PC maker and the chipmaker to build such products. Keeping in mind that by the end of next year there will be at least 30 mobile PC designs with Thunderbolt 3 (according to Intel) interface, there will be demand for external graphics adapters too. Unfortunately, it is unclear how much will such products cost and what kind of performance can we expect from them.

inventec_intel_thunderbolt_external_graphics_gizmodo_demo_2

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KitGuru Says: While it is nice to see that at least one company is working on external graphics processing solutions featuring more or less industry-standard interface, the current demonstration just fails to impress. AMD Radeon R9 M385 and AMD Radeon R9 270X are based on completely outdated graphics processing units and hardly deliver enough performance for modern games.

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Designers of controllers expect rapid adoption of USB 3.1 by PCs, phones https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/anton-shilov/designers-of-controllers-expect-rapid-adoption-of-usb-3-1-by-laptops-phones/ https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/anton-shilov/designers-of-controllers-expect-rapid-adoption-of-usb-3-1-by-laptops-phones/#comments Fri, 31 Jul 2015 00:31:23 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=261555 Although this year far not all mobile devices will get USB 3.1 type-C ports, next year a lot will change, according to Taiwan-based designers of controllers. Thanks to reversible form-factor, improved performance, higher durability and other benefits of USB 3.1 interface and type-C ports, many laptops and smartphones will adopt both technologies in 2016. Apple …

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Although this year far not all mobile devices will get USB 3.1 type-C ports, next year a lot will change, according to Taiwan-based designers of controllers. Thanks to reversible form-factor, improved performance, higher durability and other benefits of USB 3.1 interface and type-C ports, many laptops and smartphones will adopt both technologies in 2016.

Apple and Google were first PC suppliers to offer notebooks with USB 3.1 type-C ports. PC makers tend to follow Apple, so expect a lot of branded PCs with Intel “Skylake” processors inside to feature USB type-C ports already this year. Thanks to lowered prices of USB 3.1 controllers by Asmedia and Intel, implementation of both USB 3.1 and Thunderbolt 3 got a lot cheaper recently.

usb_31_3_1_type_c_connector_apple_2

As Intel ramps up its “Skylake” chips, more laptops will get USB 3.1. In fact, Intel itself expects 30 mobile designs to feature USB 3.1 and Thunderbolt next year, the company revealed in a conversation with KitGuru earlier this year.

“We expect strong PC adoption of Thunderbolt 3 because of the inclusion of Thunderbolt with USB 3.1 and the USB-C connector, and compelling new uses such as single-cable docking and external graphics,” said Anna Cheng, a representative for Intel. “We are expecting more than 30 mobile PC designs from the top PC OEMs due out within the next year.”

Smartphone makers are slightly more conservative than PC makers, but even some of China-based handset makers have already started to adopt USB type-C connectors, reports DigiTimes. Next year major makers of smartphones are expected to offer USB type-C ports on their devices.

In fact, Taiwan-based designers of controllers, such as Asmedia Technology, Etron Technology and Via Labs are all gearing up “to offer USB 3.1 type-C solutions as they anticipate the interface will see widespread adoption.” Moreover, even makers of mobile gadgets, such as USB flash drives, are already adopting USB type-C ports, which indicates that they expect certain demand for such products.

integral_fusion

Asmedia currently offers ASM1142 USB 3.1 controller that supports up to 10Gb/s transfer-rates. Etron sells USB power delivery (UPD) controllers compatible with USB 3.1 specification. Via Labs yet has to offer a proper USB 3.1 chip, but it has certified its VL150 USB 3.0 controller to work with type-C receptacles and cables.

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KitGuru Says: USB 3.1 interface and type-C connectors will significantly improve mobile gadgets. Thanks to cheaper controllers by Asmedia and Intel, the new technologies will likely be adopted much quicker than usually.

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Asmedia and Intel cut prices of USB 3.1 chips, speed up adoption https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/anton-shilov/asmedia-and-intel-cut-prices-of-usb-3-1-chips-speed-up-adoption/ https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/anton-shilov/asmedia-and-intel-cut-prices-of-usb-3-1-chips-speed-up-adoption/#comments Tue, 14 Jul 2015 21:05:13 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=258887 Asmedia and Intel Corp. have started to reduce prices of their USB 3.1 controllers in a bid to gain market share. Intel Corp.’s “Alpine Ridge” chip offers Thunderbolt 3 in addition to USB 3.1, but Asmedia’s controller is significantly cheaper to make and can be sold a very low price. Intel planned to sell its …

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Asmedia and Intel Corp. have started to reduce prices of their USB 3.1 controllers in a bid to gain market share. Intel Corp.’s “Alpine Ridge” chip offers Thunderbolt 3 in addition to USB 3.1, but Asmedia’s controller is significantly cheaper to make and can be sold a very low price.

Intel planned to sell its “Alpine Ridge” controller for $10 originally, but in a bid to speed-up adoption of Thunderbolt 3 by various makers of mainboards and improve its revenues, the company decreased the price of the chip to $6. As a result, Asmedia had to cut the price of its popular ASM1142 controller to below $3.

msi_z97a_gaming_6_USB-3_1-Type-C

Gigabyte Technology was the only maker of mainboards, who planned to adopt Intel’s “Alpine Ridge” for a wide range of its new platforms. The rest of the motherboard manufacturers – Asustek Computer, Asrock, MicroStar International (MSI), Biostar and Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS) – planned to continue using Asmedia’s ASM1142 to enable USB 3.1 on their Intel 100-series LGA1151 mainboards for ‘Skylake’ processors, reports DigiTimes.

Thanks to the price-cut by Intel and the fact that the “Alpine Ridge” is considerably more advanced because it supports Thunderbolt 3 (with maximum data transfer-rate of 40Gb/s), HDMI 2.0 as well as PCI Express 3.0 x4 interface, Asus and MSI have reconsidered their original plans and decided to use Intel’s solution instead of Asmedia’s for their high-end platforms.

thunderbolt3_presentation

Intel’s Thunderbolt 3 combines four interconnection technologies: Thunderbolt 3, SuperSpeed+ USB 3.1, DisplayPort 1.2 and PCI Express 3.0. The TB3 features maximum bandwidth of 40Gb/s, it can deliver up to 15W of power to any bus-powered device and up to 100W for charging, everything using an industry-standard USB 3.1 cable and type-C connectors. As an added bonus, the “Alpine Ridge” chip also supports HDMI 2.0.

intel_thunderbolt_alpine_ridge_40gbps

Intel does not produce “Alpine Ridge” silicon at its fabs. It is believed that production is outsourced to TSMC or UMC, who manufacture the chip using one of their 28nm fabrication processes.

While it remains to be seen whose USB 3.1 solution will eventually get more popular, it is evident that both Asmedia and Intel helped the new standard to become more widespread.

Asmedia, Intel and makers of mainboards did not comment on the news-story.

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KitGuru Says: In many cases, price-wars slow-down progress. However, in the case of USB 3.1 and Thunderbolt 3, the competition between Asmedia and Intel will evidently help to drive adoption of both technologies as well as the USB type-C connector.

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Gigabyte’s mainboards for ‘Skylake’ to integrate Thunderbolt 3, USB 3.1 type-C https://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/anton-shilov/gigabytes-mainboards-for-skylake-to-integrate-thunderbolt-3-usb-3-1-type-c/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/anton-shilov/gigabytes-mainboards-for-skylake-to-integrate-thunderbolt-3-usb-3-1-type-c/#comments Thu, 04 Jun 2015 06:55:40 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=252654 Gigabyte Technology has announced that some of its upcoming mainboards for Intel Corp.’s code-named “Skylake” processors will support the Thunderbolt 3 technology as well as USB 3.1 type-C ports. Gigabyte is one of the largest makers of mainboards in the world and its support of the new standard is hard to overestimate. To enable Thunderbolt …

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Gigabyte Technology has announced that some of its upcoming mainboards for Intel Corp.’s code-named “Skylake” processors will support the Thunderbolt 3 technology as well as USB 3.1 type-C ports. Gigabyte is one of the largest makers of mainboards in the world and its support of the new standard is hard to overestimate.

To enable Thunderbolt 3 with up to 40Gb/s of bandwidth and USB 3.1 with up to 10Gb/s transfer-rates on select Intel 100-series mainboards, Gigabyte plans to use the code-named “Alpine Ridge” controller. At present, the “Alpine Ridge” is the only chip that supports Thunderbolt 3, USB 3.1, PCI Express and DisplayPort technologies.

Intel’s “Alpine Ridge” chip uses four PCI Express 3.0 lanes of the company’s 100-series core-logic and DisplayPort capabilities from the processor. Thanks to the fact that maximum bandwidth supported by the controller is around 4GB/s, the chip can handle simultaneous and uninterrupted 10Gb/s bandwidth over two USB 3.1 ports. Gigabyte’s upcoming mainboards featuring Intel 100-series chipsets will feature both USB type-A receptacles compatible with classic USB devices as well as USB 3.1 type-C receptacles designed for newer peripherals.

Gigabyte Z97X-UD5H-BK

In the first quarter of 2015 Gigabyte Technology sold 4.7 – 4.8 million mainboards. The decision of the company to use “Alpine Ridge” controller on its motherboards represents a major success for the chip. Thanks to adoption of the controller by Gigabyte, its rivals will likely follow and release their platforms with “Alpine Ridge”, Thunderbolt 3 and USB 3.1.

It is expected that LGA1151 mainboards for Intel “Skylake” processors will hit the market in August or September. Their pricing will depend on exact features and configurations.

The Thunderbolt 3 combines three interconnection technologies: SuperSpeed+ USB 3.1, DisplayPort 1.2 and PCI Express 3.0. The new technology supports maximum bandwidth of 40Gb/s, it can deliver up to 15W of power to any bus-powered device. The Thunderbolt 3 relies on passive copper cables with up to 2 meters length to provide maximum bandwidth of up to 20Gb/s for Thunderbolt, USB 3.1 and DisplayPort interconnections. For 40Gb/s transfer-rates more expensive active copper cables are required. Thunderbolt 3.0 ports can also be used for charging.

intel_thunderbolt_alpine_ridge_40gbps

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KitGuru Says: Looks like the Thunderbolt 3 technology is getting a better welcome by the PC industry than its predecessors. That is a great news since fast interconnections are very important for today’s personal computers.

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Intel unveils Thunderbolt 3: USB type-C connector and 40Gb/s bandwidth https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/anton-shilov/intel-unveils-thunderbolt-3-usb-type-c-connector-and-40gbs-bandwidth/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/anton-shilov/intel-unveils-thunderbolt-3-usb-type-c-connector-and-40gbs-bandwidth/#comments Wed, 03 Jun 2015 22:59:44 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=252628 Intel Corp.’s Thunderbolt interconnection introduced in 2011 has been the champion in terms of performance and usability, but its limited adoption by PC makers, high price and other peculiarities have made it an outsider in the market. This week Intel introduced its third-gen Thunderbolt, which uses industry-standard USB type-C receptacle and cables as well as …

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Intel Corp.’s Thunderbolt interconnection introduced in 2011 has been the champion in terms of performance and usability, but its limited adoption by PC makers, high price and other peculiarities have made it an outsider in the market. This week Intel introduced its third-gen Thunderbolt, which uses industry-standard USB type-C receptacle and cables as well as can work with all USB 3.1 type-C devices.

The Thunderbolt 3 combines three interconnection technologies: SuperSpeed+ USB 3.1, DisplayPort 1.2 and PCI Express 3.0. The new technology has maximum bandwidth of 40Gb/s, it can deliver up to 15W of power to any bus-powered device and up to 100W for charging, everything using an industry-standard USB 3.1 cable. Just like previous-generation Thunderbolt technologies, the third iteration supports daisy-chaining of up to six devices.

thunderbolt3_presentation

Thanks to extreme 40Gb/s (5GB/s) bandwidth provided by Thunderbolt 3.0, usage models for the new interconnection technology are very broad. It can be used to connect  a display with up to 5K resolution and 60Hz refresh rate using only one cable; it can also drive two 4K 60Hz monitors along with an external storage from a single port; it can support ultra high-performance external storage devices (with multiple SSDs in RAID 0 mode, for example); external graphics adapters; docking stations with USB 3.1, HDMI as well as other bandwidth-hungry ports and so on.

thunderbolt3_presentation_5

All implementations of Thunderbolt 3 technology are enabled by Intel’s code-named Alpine Ridge controller, which is also Intel’s only USB 3.1 chip (officially certified by the USB IF). The chip requires multi-lane PCI Express 3.0 interconnection (given maximum bandwidth of 40Gb/s, it requires at least five PCIe 3.0 lanes), so expect it to be used mostly on next-generation “Skylake” platforms with plenty of spare PCI Express 3.0 lanes.

thunderbolt3_presentation_4

Thunderbolt 3 will be able to use passive copper cables with up to 2 meters length to provide maximum bandwidth of up to 20Gb/s for Thunderbolt, USB 3.1 and DisplayPort. For 40Gb/s transfer rates more expensive active copper cables will be required.

intel_thunderbolt_alpine_ridge_40gbps

The cost of Intel's Alpine Ridge controllers is unknown. If it remains too expensive, then fewer makers of mainboards and microprocessors will use them. Intel does not reveal its prices, but claims that at least 30 mobile PC designs with Thunderbolt 3 will be available within the next year, which means that virtually all premium laptops from companies like Apple, Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Lenovo and other will support Thunderbolt 3.

“We expect strong PC adoption of Thunderbolt 3 because of the inclusion of Thunderbolt with USB 3.1 and the USB-C connector, and compelling new uses such as single-cable docking and external graphics,” said Anna Cheng, a representative for Intel. “We are expecting more than 30 mobile PC designs from the top PC OEMs due out within the next year.”

The first products featuring Intel's “Alpine Ridge” and Thunderbolt 3 will hit the market already later this year.

“Initial products with Thunderbolt 3 are expected to start shipping before the end of this year, and ramp in 2016,” said Ms. Cheng.

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KitGuru Says: At present Thunderbolt 3 looks impressively good. In general, this is the only port any mobile PC needs to connect everything. However, a lot will depend on actual price of Intel’s Alpine Ridge controller. Each additional chip that costs PC markers $10 – $20 can transform into $50 – $100 for the end-user because of various reasons and thus make certain technologies less appealing. It makes a great sense for Intel and PC makers to replace numerous ports with one. But will they sacrifice their profit margins for that? Only time will tell!

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Intel speeds-up introduction of unlocked Core i5/i7 ‘Broadwell’ processors https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-speeds-up-introduction-of-unlocked-core-i5i7-broadwell-processors/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-speeds-up-introduction-of-unlocked-core-i5i7-broadwell-processors/#comments Fri, 07 Nov 2014 13:40:55 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=220858 Intel Corp. has pulled-in introduction of its next-generation mainstream enthusiast-class microprocessors code-named “Broadwell-Unlocked” and “Broadwell-K” by several months, according to a slide the chip giant allegedly demonstrated to its partners earlier this week. The slide also confirms that Intel plans to introduce its code-named “Skylake-S” microprocessors for desktops already in the first half of next …

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Intel Corp. has pulled-in introduction of its next-generation mainstream enthusiast-class microprocessors code-named “Broadwell-Unlocked” and “Broadwell-K” by several months, according to a slide the chip giant allegedly demonstrated to its partners earlier this week. The slide also confirms that Intel plans to introduce its code-named “Skylake-S” microprocessors for desktops already in the first half of next year.

Intel’s new Core i7 and Core i5 “Broadwell Unlocked” microprocessors with unlocked multipliers in LGA1150 packaging compatible with existing platforms based on Intel 9-series chipsets are to be introduced already in the second quarter of 2015, according to a slide that Intel showed at its technology conference for partners in Athens, Greece. Slides from the presentation were published by a member of AnandTech forums on Wednesday.

Previously it was expected that Intel’s high-performance desktop chips based on the “Broadwell” micro-architecture would be launched in July, August or September, 2015. Apparently, the company has managed to pull-in introduction of its new chips by several months.

intel_broawell-k_roadmap

The most advanced versions of Intel “Broadwell” microprocessors for client PCs will feature up to four x86 cores with the Hyper-Threading technology, Iris Pro graphics processors with up to 48 execution units, up to 8MB of last level cache (LLC), up to 128MB of high-speed eDRAM off-die cache, dual-channel DDR3 memory controllers and so on. The “Broadwell” family of central processing units is made using 14nm fabrication process.

In a bid to offer performance improvement over existing Core i7-4790K “Devil’s Canyon” microprocessor (four cores with HT, 4GHz, 8MB LLC), the alleged Core i7-5770K “Broadwell Unlocked” will have to run at a frequency that is higher than 4GHz.

The slide from Intel’s technology conference also reaffirms the company’s plans to roll-out “Skylake-S” processors for desktops in the Q2 2015. The chips will feature LGA1151 packaging and will rely on platforms based on Intel 100-series chipsets. The co-existence of the “Broadwell Unlocked” and “Skylake-S” products on the market will likely cause a lot of confusion among end-users. Intel’s “Skylake-S” platforms will offer an all-new CPU micro-architecture (with AVX 3.2, 512-bit extensions and so on), native SATA Express support (which means they will support advanced SSDs with 2TB/s or even 4TB/s read speeds), Thunderbolt 3.0 (40Gb/s) and DDR4 memory option, but will not offer overclockability (since Intel has no plans to release Skylake processors with unlocked multiplier in Q2 2015). By contrast, Intel’s “Haswell-K” and “Broadwell Unlocked” will offer overclockability, but will not feature native SATA Express support and will continue to rely on DDR3 memory.

Intel did not comment on the news-story.

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KitGuru Says: The fact that Intel decided to pull-in introduction of the “Broadwell Unlocked” processors may indicate that the company has finally managed to solve its yield issues with the 14nm fabrication process. While this is a good news, it also means that there is going to be a mess on the market of desktop computer platforms next year.

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Intel’s roadmap leaks: Broadwell-K, Broadwell-E and Skylake-K due in 2015 https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intels-roadmap-leaks-broadwell-k-broadwell-e-and-skylake-k-due-in-2015/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intels-roadmap-leaks-broadwell-k-broadwell-e-and-skylake-k-due-in-2015/#respond Wed, 11 Jun 2014 15:35:44 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=197665 A desktop platform roadmap that Intel Corp. had reportedly demonstrated at a conference in Italy has been published by an unofficial source. A slide from the roadmap confirms that Intel intends to release both code-named “Broadwell” and “Skylake” microprocessors for desktops next year. In addition, the company intends to release its future high-end desktop chips …

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A desktop platform roadmap that Intel Corp. had reportedly demonstrated at a conference in Italy has been published by an unofficial source. A slide from the roadmap confirms that Intel intends to release both code-named “Broadwell” and “Skylake” microprocessors for desktops next year. In addition, the company intends to release its future high-end desktop chips code-named “Broadwell-E” in the second half of 2015.

Just as reported previously, Intel will be rather busy next year, at least when it comes to new desktop central processing units (CPUs). According to the slide from the roadmap, which Intel reportedly demonstrated at the 3D Revolution 2014 conference in Rome earlier this year, the world’s largest chipmaker plans to offer its new enthusiast-class unlocked “Broadwell-K” chips in 2015, release its “Skylake” microprocessors for mainstream systems sometimes in the second quarter of 2015, start to sell its all-new low-cost/low-power Braswell processors early in the year and unleash its Core i7 Extreme “Broadwell-E” microprocessors for high-end desktops (HEDTs) in the third quarter of 2015. The slide was published by TechPowerUp.

intel_desktop_platform_2014_2015

Back in late May it was reported that Intel would start to roll-out the “Broadwell-K” unlocked chips for mainstream enthusiasts only in May or June, 2015. Now it looks like the next-gen unlocked microprocessors will arrive a little sooner, but will still be followed by the “Skylake” central processing units, which will have their own advantages (such as higher-performing integrated graphics core). Moreover, if the slide is to be believed, then the “Broadwell-K” products will have a relatively short life as they will be replaced by the new breed of chips (presumably by the “Skylake-K” unlocked CPUs) either before the end of 2015, or early in 2016.

It should be noted that while the “Skylake”- and the “Broadwell”-based desktop platforms will co-exist on the market for quite some time, the former will be considerably more advanced than the latter. The Skylake microprocessors will use the LGA1151 packaging and will be supported by Intel’s 100-series core-logic sets, which will likely bring support for the USB 3.1. Mainboards for the “Skylake” microprocessors will feature, among other things, optional Thunderbolt 3.0 40Gb/s, WiGig 7Gb/s and other advanced technologies.

intel_skylake_platform

As expected, Intel will continue to offer BGA [ball grid array] versions of its chips for desktops. Those, who do not need upgradeability, but prefer small form-factors will be able to choose from the “Broadwell”, the “Skylake”, and the “Braswell” microprocessors next year.

All the chips that Intel will introduce in 2015 will be made using 14nm process technology.

Intel did not comment on the news-story.

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KitGuru Says: It looks like Intel does not want to give up its Tick-Tock strategy, which is why the Skylake processors will be released essentially simultaneously with the Broadwell chips on the desktop market. Generally, this may indicate that the 10nm process technology and the Airlake/Cannonlake chips are on-track for production in 2016. The only question is how will the market react on this? Mainboard makers do not like to compete against themselves, whereas the LGA1150 and the LGA1151 platforms will probably compete against each other.

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Intel Skylake PC platform: quad-core CPUs, new graphics, new chipsets https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-skylake-pc-platform-detailed-quad-core-cpus-new-graphics-engines-new-chipsets/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-skylake-pc-platform-detailed-quad-core-cpus-new-graphics-engines-new-chipsets/#respond Tue, 06 May 2014 20:07:05 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=191564 As previously reported, despite of the delay of the code-named Broadwell lineup of central processing units, Intel Corp.’s code-named Skylake chips are on-track to be introduced in 2015. Since preparations for introduction of the new platform are already underway in south-east Asia, the first leaks about the Skylake and systems on its base have begun …

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As previously reported, despite of the delay of the code-named Broadwell lineup of central processing units, Intel Corp.’s code-named Skylake chips are on-track to be introduced in 2015. Since preparations for introduction of the new platform are already underway in south-east Asia, the first leaks about the Skylake and systems on its base have begun to emerge.

Just like predecessors, Intel Skylake microprocessors will be available in multiple versions designed for different applications. Based on an image, which resembles slides from Intel’s roadmaps, published by the Chinese version of VR-Zone web-site, Intel Skylake will exist in at least eight basic versions (which will differ from each other by thermal design power, number of cores, packaging, etc.) designed for four different classes of client PCs. There will be three types of Skylake chips – Skylake H, Skylake-U and Skylake-Y – that will come in ball-grid array (BGA) packaging and will be aimed at all-in-one desktops/SFF desktops, mainstream laptops and ultra-thin notebooks, respectively. There will be Skylake-S chips that will come in land-grid array (LGA) form-factor designed mostly for desktops.

It is interesting to note that mainstream Skylake processors for clients will continue to have two or four cores, there will be no mainstream chips for desktops and notebooks with six or eight x86 engines even in 2015, so expect Skylake-E to offer six and eight core options sometime in 2016.

The Skylake central processing units for client PCs will offer three types of graphics cores: GT2, GT3e with embedded DRAM cache and GT4e with embedded DRAM cache. At present it is unknown whether the graphics cores of Intel Skylake support all DirectX 12 capabilities, but that is a likely scenario.

intel_skylake_platform

The Skylake microprocessors will rely on Intel 100-series chipsets, which are projected to support SATA Express as well as PCI Express 3.0 interconnection technologies. The Skylake-E will likely support PCI Express 4.0 for next-generation discrete graphics adapters.

While high-performance Skylake microprocessors will use DDR4 memory, low-power versions will continue to utilise DDR3L and LPDDR3 memory next year, probably because by the time Skylake chips hit the market there will be no DDR4L memory with reduced power consumption in sufficient quantities.

The next-gen Skylake client platform due in 2015 will also be accompanies with numerous connectivity and I/O options, such as Snowfield Peak (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth), Douglas Peak (WiGig, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth), Pine Peak (WiGig), Alpine Ridge (Thunderbolt 3.0 with 40Gb/s transfer rate), Jacksonville Ethernet, next-generation XMM726x-series WWAN 4G/LTE modem and so on. All those chips and solutions will help PC manufacturers to make Skylake-based personal computers even more feature rich from connectivity standpoint.

Not a lot is known about Intel’s Skylake micro-architecture in general. It is known that Skylake will feature a bunch of special-purpose accelerators, will support such technologies as AVX 3.2 (512-bit instructions), SHA extensions (SHA-1 and SHA-256, secure hash algorithms), MPX (memory protection extensions), ADX (multi-precision add-carry instruction extensions) and other innovations. However, it is unknown whether Skylake is designed to boost performance or further cut-down power consumption.

Intel did not comment on the news-story.

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KitGuru Says: The main intrigue about Skylake now is when exactly Intel plans to introduce them. In case the slide is correct, then it looks like the new chips will be widely available in 2015 (otherwise Skylake would be called a 2016 platform), which suggests launch in the middle of the year. However, the company could introduce Skylake in time for the back-to-school season (BTS), which means wide availability only in late 2015.

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Intel to increase Thunderbolt 3.0’s bandwidth to 40Gb/s https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/apple/anton-shilov/intel-to-increase-thunderbolt-3-0s-bandwidth-to-40gbs/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/apple/anton-shilov/intel-to-increase-thunderbolt-3-0s-bandwidth-to-40gbs/#respond Mon, 21 Apr 2014 19:11:35 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=188393 Although Thunderbolt interconnection technology is not an industry standard that is broadly adopted by all players on the market, it is an interconnection of choice for many creative professionals who work with large amounts of data. Thus, it is not surprising that Thunderbolt is evolving and becomes faster over time. Based on unofficial information, Intel …

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Although Thunderbolt interconnection technology is not an industry standard that is broadly adopted by all players on the market, it is an interconnection of choice for many creative professionals who work with large amounts of data. Thus, it is not surprising that Thunderbolt is evolving and becomes faster over time. Based on unofficial information, Intel Corp. will introduce third iteration of Thunderbolt with 40Gb/s bandwidth in late-2015 or early-2016.

Intel is reportedly working on the code-named Alpine Ridge controller for Thunderbolt bus that will increase maximum bandwidth to whopping 40Gb/s per single cable. The Thunderbolt 3.0 will rely on PCI Express 3.0 technology and will be able to charge devices and support two ultra-high-definition displays (4K, 3840*2160 and similar resolutions) by one cable, according to a slide published by Chinese version of VR-Zone web-site. In addition, the Thunderbolt 3.0 will support not only TB and DisplayPort 1.2 modes, but also USB 3.0 and HDMI modes (e.g., it will be possible to connect large TVs using Thunderbolt 3 and integrate USB hubs into TB-connected devices).

Since the next-generation Thunderbolt will bring so lot of innovations, it will use a different connector, so owners of current-gen TB-based devices will have to buy adapters to use them with new personal computers. The new Thunderbolt connector will be just 3mm tall and will thus be more suitable for modern laptops.

intel_thunderbolt_alpine_ridge_40gbps

The next-gen Thunderbolt interconnection technology will be designed primarily for Intel’s future-generation desktop and mobile PC platforms based on the code-named Skylake microprocessors. As a result, do not expect Thunderbolt 3.0 or Alpine Ridge controllers to reach the market earlier than in late-2015 or early-2016.

At present it is unknown for sure whether Thunderbolt 3.0 will use optical fibre for data transfers or will continue to rely on copper. Theoretically, Intel could continue using copper cables for short-range connections and rely on optical cables for long-range connections.

The Alpine Ridge controller will exist in multiple versions: one version will provide only a single Thunderbolt 3.0 port, another will support dual-port connector.

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KitGuru Says: It is noteworthy that Intel and its partner Apple for some reason avoid integration of Thunderbolt support into chipsets and thus do not allow the technology to really become popular on the mainstream market and thus get more affordable. Each additional chip that costs PC markers $10 – $20 can transform into $50 – $100 for end-user because of various reasons and thus make certain technologies less appealing. Until Thunderbolt is supported by mainstream PCs, it will continue to be an expensive technology for professionals. 

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