ASUS Reveals ThunderboltEX 4 Expansion Card, Dual Type-C & Mini-DP
by Gavin Bonshor on March 16, 2021 8:00 AM ESTBack in December, we reported that Intel's Maple Ridge Thunderbolt 4 controller was shipping to customers. We can now report that ASUS has unveiled a Thunderbolt 4 expansion card, the ASUS ThunderboltEX 4. It includes support for 100 W quick charging, includes a 40 Gbps bi-directional switch, and can support up to 8K ultra HD resolutions.
Since the launch of Intel's Z590 chipset on socket LGA1200, we've seen some of the more premium models featuring Intel's latest Maple Ridge Thunderbolt 4 controllers. This is primarily a feature we see on models looking to add functionality for content creators. Native Thunderbolt 4 is built into Intel Tiger Lake. Still, for motherboards without Thunderbolt capabilities, the ASUS ThunderboltEX 4 add-on card allows users to add Intel's latest Maple Ridge controller into existing systems.
ASUS hasn't unveiled a full list of technical specifications at the time of writing. Still, we cross-referenced the specifications we do know with Intel's JHL8540 Maple Ridge TB4 controller, and they match. The accessories include everything needed to get the ThunderboltEX 4 operational, which means users will require a PCIe 3.0 x4 (or PCIe 4.0 x2) and USB 2.0 motherboard header available, as well as a 6-pin PCIe 12 V ATX power cable free from the power supply.
Adding not just one port but a total of four, the ASUS ThunderboltEX 4 includes two Type-C and two mini-DisplayPort inputs, which allow for up to five devices to be daisy-chained. This includes up to three devices and two Thunderbolt monitors, or four devices and one monitor. The top Type-C port includes support for 100 Watt quick charging and can even power a compatible notebook, with the second Type-C port offering up to 27 Watts of quick charging capability. We should also note that the ThunderboltEX 4 can accommodate monitors with resolutions up to 8K due to conforming to DisplayPort 1.4.
At the time of writing, ASUS hasn't specified when the ThunderboltEX 4 expansion card will be available, nor how much it will cost.
Source: ASUS
Related Reading
- First AMD B550 With Thunderbolt 4: The ASUS ProArt B550-Creator
- Lenovo Introduces The ThinkVision P40w: 40-inch Thunderbolt 4 Display With Intel AMT
- Intel's Maple Ridge (JHL8540) Thunderbolt 4 Controller Now Shipping
- New Second Gen EVE V 2-in-1: Tiger Lake 3840x2400 with Thunderbolt 4
- Intel Thunderbolt 4 Update: Controllers and Tiger Lake in 2020
11 Comments
View All Comments
Ethos Evoss - Tuesday, December 28, 2021 - link
Hi guyzI have mini itx rig pc AMD 3700x cpu
and unfortunately I have only one pcie slot for gpu
But I have found on Internet that I can install adapter goes into ssd m.2 slot.
So m.2 to pcie riser adapter.
Tjen I, want to buy this thunderbolt 4 card.
Will my nvidia gpu card will be linked to this thunderbolt 4 card so I, will be able to connect USB-c cable to hdmi into my tv with hdmi 2.1 support?
Because I have nvidia gtx 1660 super and it doesn't support hdmi 2.1 only 2.0 but display port on this card is more more than hdmi so I could have full support 4k@120 RGB colour space?
Currently I am running from hdmi 2.0 only limited YCbCr colour
Thanks