Intel details Thunderbolt 4: Required DMA protection, longer cables, and more

Intel has outlined what to expect from the new Thunderbolt 4 standard, which is expected to start appearing in consumer devices later this year.

While it won't offer an increase over the 40GB/s that Thunderbolt 3 does, Thunderbolt 4 has steeper minimum requirements than Thunderbolt 3 for devices to claim certification—and that makes some new features and perks standard.

These are the specifications for Thunderbolt 4, according to Intel:

• Double the minimum video and data requirements of Thunderbolt 3
  • Video: Support for two 4K displays or one 8K display.
  • Data: PCIe at 32 Gbps for storage speeds up to 3,000 MBps.
• Accessories with four Thunderbolt 4 ports
• Universal 40GB/s cables up to 2 meters in length
• Required PC charging on at least one computer port.
• Required PC wake from sleep when computer is connected to a Thunderbolt dock
• Required Intel VT-d-based direct memory access (DMA) protection
• USB4 specification compliant