Thunderbolt 5
Intel's Thunderbolt 5 (2023) — 80 Gbps symmetric, with "Bandwidth Boost" up to 120 Gbps in one direction for displays. Built on USB4 v2. Uses the USB-C connector. Aimed at powerful docks, multiple 4K/8K displays, and external GPUs.
Compared to Thunderbolt 4 (40 Gbps): double-to-triple bandwidth via PAM3 signaling. The 120 Gbps mode asymmetrically prioritizes display output (e.g. dual 8K or 4K@240Hz). 240W power delivery (USB-PD 3.1). Backward compatible with TB3/TB4/USB4. Early products: Razer laptops, docks 2024-2025. Apple started putting TB5 in M4 Pro/Max Macs (2024). Distinct from plain USB4: Thunderbolt guarantees minimum bandwidth + PCIe tunneling + stricter certification. Revives the eGPU interest that cooled since the TB3 era.