Ever since USB4 specs and features have been revealed, users are confused about its new standard and devices that will be compatible with it. What will be the speed of transfer, bandwidth, and price? These doubts are common for an average consumer because now more and more companies are manufacturing USB4 compatible devices.
Would it make any difference? Let’s know what is usb4, what are its features, device compatibility, and more.
What Is USB4?
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USB Implementers Forum released a new version of USB in 2019 with a Thunderbolt 4 protocol specification. Two terminologies were common in use since then USB4.0 and USB4 which created all the buzz. It is because of the first version of USB4 making others write it as USB4.0.
Many thought both are different but that’s not it. USB4 is the official terminology for the new connector. Another factor that confused consumers is the different speeds and logos in which it is available. We are clearing this in our next section.
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Main USB4 Specs And Features
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4 Versions Of Speed
USB4 is coming with lots of features; the main is its speed which comes in 4 different versions. It allows faster and better data transfer function which doubles its performance.
- USB4 Gen 2×1 offers 10 Gbps Lane speed and 1.2 GB/s of nominal speed
- USB4 Gen 2×2 encoded as 64b/66b offers dual-lane mode with 2.4 GB/s of nominal speed
- USB4 Gen 3×1 lacks the dual-mode but offers higher single lane speed (20 Gbps)
- USB4 Gen 3×2 is the fastest of all with double mode, 20 Gbps lane speed, and 40 GBps nominal speed
Support And Data Transfers Mode
There is no generic mechanism for data transfer in the new USB4 as you see in USB 3. x. This is a different user would get besides this; users will get only host-to-host connectivity. It means the bandwidth of data transfer is affected if the device does not support PCI Express-based tunneling.
USB4 only supports three types of tunneling- Display Port 1.4a, USB 3.2, and PCIe. Display Port 2.0 is kept as a second option here that offers almost double the set data.
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Compatibility
The new USB4 is designed to work with Thunderbolt4 products but it also has backward computability with products in the market. However, this is optional and affects functionality.
It can work with both Type C and Type-A ports where the latter will require an adapter to perform the function smoothly.
USB Power Delivery
The past versions had issues with power delivery which is not the case with USB4. It provides 7.5 W of power per port which can be extended up to 240 W with USB PD. Overall; you can be assured of better power management.
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Hardware And Software Support
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Despite better speed options and bandwidth, USB4 has still a long way to go as because the market is not ready with compatible devices. Only Linux kernel 5.6 and macOS Big Sur are the software supporting it.
In terms of hardware, Apple is leading with three new devices Mac Mini, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air. These are not only different in terms of USB4 standard but also have Apple M1 SoC which is a CPU built by the company.
This is just the start for both USB4, manufacturers, and consumers but the promising performance it offers will benefit everyone.