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Thunderbolt™ Technology

 

Give Customers Performance and Capabilities They’ve Dreamed About1

Developed by Intel (under the code name Light Peak), and brought to market with technical collaboration from Apple, Thunderbolt™ technology enables your customers to easily and quickly add high-performance capabilities to their PCs.

Thunderbolt™ technology recently received the Computer Graphics World Silver Edge award at the National Association of Broadcasters 2011 convention.

Simple, easy, high-performance expansion

Thunderbolt™ technology is a high-speed connection to existing and innovative new devices all done over a single cable. It was designed for speed, with the needs of professional video and audio applications in mind. Standalone and plug-in devices that require low latency and accurate time synchronization, such as video and audio capture, conversion, and editing equipment, are ideal for Thunderbolt technology. Yet, it’s just as applicable with video display equipment and graphics adapters, delivering many benefits to every day PC users.

  • No more waiting. At 10 Gbps, Thunderbolt™ technology is incredibly fast. Users can transfer a full-length HD movie from their PC to an external device in less than 30 seconds, or back up 1 year of continuous MP3 playback in just over 10 minutes.2
  • Easy, simple, and fast. Your customers will enjoy the simple connectivity of Thunderbolt™ technology. With a single, simple cable, they can connect different device types, including video editors, Blu-ray recorders, audio sweetening systems, massive storage media, and high resolution monitors.3   
  • Much more to come. Because Thunderbolt™ technology is fast and simple to connect, it enables whole new types of devices and applications that add capabilities and performance to customer PCs. For example, with Thunderbolt™ technology, a user can travel light with the thinnest, lightest laptop, and turn it into a powerful recording studio at home or the office with the connection of a single, simple cable.

Innovative new Thunderbolt technology-based products

These innovative companies are committed to developing Thunderbolt™-enabled products that will be easy and simple to connect to your customers’ PCs.

  • AJA* Video Systems (video acquisition and conversion equipment)
  • Apogee* Electronics, (audio editing and capture equipment)
  • Apple*, Inc., (computing and technology)
  • Avid* Technology, (digital video editing)
  • Blackmagic*, (video and film editing)
  • LaCie*, (storage technologies)
  • Promise* Technology, Inc., (storage technologies)
  • Universal Audio*, (audio equipment)
  • Western Digital Corporation* (storage technologies)

Intel is working with the industry to enable a variety of products using Thunderbolt™technology. These products will make it easier and faster for users to view and edit videos, move data from one storage device to another, expand PC functionality with new, add-on devices, and more.

Additional information: 4

Related Materials

For more details about Thunderbolt™ technology, read the technology brief for Thunderbolt™ technology.

Read the Thunderbolt™ technology press release.

Product and Performance Information

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1. As compared to other PC I/O connection technologies including eSATA, USB, and IEEE 1394 Firewire*. Performance will vary depending on the specific hardware and software used. For more information go to http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/io/thunderbolt/thunderbolt-technology-developer.html.


2. Typical full length 1080p HD movie file size of 10-20 GB; high speed storage required to achieve full transfer speeds.


3. Based upon MP3 encoding at 196 kbps; high speed storage required to achieve full transfer speeds.


4. Software and workloads used in performance tests may have been optimized for performance only on Intel® microprocessors. Performance tests, such as SYSmark* and MobileMark*, are measured using specific computer systems, components, software, operations, and functions. Any change to any of those factors may cause the results to vary. You should consult other information and performance tests to assist you in fully evaluating your contemplated purchases, including the performance of that product when combined with other products.