This summary of the video was created by an AI. It might contain some inaccuracies.
00:00:00 – 00:17:06
The video broadly explores the transformative capabilities and complexities of USB4 technology, emphasizing its foundation in Thunderbolt 3 specifications. Major points include USB4's high data rates, extensive support for external devices like GPUs and high-resolution displays, and up to 240-watt charging, all through USB Type-C connectors. The discussion highlights Microsoft’s mandate for PCIe tunneling on Windows 11 USB4 ports to ensure compatibility with Thunderbolt 3 devices.
The host examines the differences between Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4, noting the latter's stringent compliance requirements and support for higher bandwidth and multiple high-resolution displays. Real-world testing on devices like the Corsair Voyager a1600 laptop reveals generally strong backward compatibility, though with some variances in performance and implementation across devices, notably between Apple and Corsair products.
Another significant focus is on the behavior of protocols such as alt mode and tunneling in USB connections, and the practical performance of daisy chaining—theoretically unsupported by USB4 but demonstrated successfully in tests. The video also addresses challenges with cable compatibility, crucial for maintaining Thunderbolt's stringent performance demands, especially over longer distances.
The segments underscore the variability in USB4 implementations, driven by different manufacturers' choices to include or leave out certain features. This flexibility, while beneficial for certain mobile devices, can lead to inconsistency and potential confusion for consumers. Advanced testing scenarios underline USB4’s advantages and the necessity for high-quality cables to ensure reliability, especially for professional and high-performance uses.
00:00:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses USB4 and its transformative capabilities, such as 40 gigabit per second data rates, support for 8K displays, external GPUs, and up to 240-watt charging, all using familiar USB Type-C connectors. USB4 is described as a set of optional standards, similar to previous confusing USB naming conventions. The video highlights that USB4 is built on the open-source Thunderbolt 3 specifications released by Intel in 2017, removing Intel’s certification constraints and allowing non-Intel CPU manufacturers to support high-speed data rates and features like PCI Express tunneling. However, the flexibility of USB4 allows manufacturers to exclude certain features, potentially leading to inconsistent implementation across devices.
00:03:00
In this part of the video, the focus is on Microsoft requiring external USB4 ports on Windows 11 devices to support PCIe tunneling, which aims to ensure backward compatibility with Thunderbolt 3 devices. However, there’s mention of the complexity of interoperability beyond just meeting this requirement. Microsoft doesn’t mandate other features, adding to the confusion. The video tests various devices on a Corsair Voyager a1600 gaming and content creation laptop to showcase the real-world compatibility of USB4 with older Thunderbolt 3 and newer Thunderbolt 4 devices. The tests reveal successful connections, indicating good backward compatibility, though some edge cases may present issues. The segment also briefly highlights the sponsor, Corsair, and its Voyager a1600 laptop’s high-performance features.
00:06:00
In this segment of the video, the main discussion revolves around the differences between Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4, emphasizing enforcement of compliance and support capabilities. Thunderbolt 4 mandates support for two 4K displays or a single 8K display, along with 32 gigabits per second of PCIe bandwidth, addressing issues encountered with high bandwidth devices on some Thunderbolt 3 laptops. The video also explores the performance of Thunderbolt 4 in terms of data transfer speeds, demonstrating the capability to exceed 20 gigabit per second transfers using multiple SSDs simultaneously.
Further, there’s an examination of discrepancies between Thunderbolt and USB4, as well as differences in implementations by Apple and Corsair. Notably, on a Mac, two Cinema 5K displays can be connected seamlessly, whereas on the Corsair Voyager, limitations were observed unless using a workaround to achieve 5K resolution on both screens. This is attributed to the different ports being connected to the CPU versus the GPU, affecting their display capabilities.
00:09:00
In this part of the video, the host explores different protocols’ behaviors, particularly focusing on alt mode and tunneling in USB connections. They explain that alt mode uses a physical chip to send a unique signal, while tunneling converts DisplayPort signals into packets for USB transmission. They test compatibility with older devices, including an Akitio dual drive dock and a Thunderbolt archival tape backup system, noting that the hard drive appears functional despite some initial expectations.
Furthermore, they discuss the USB4 and Thunderbolt specifications, including daisy chaining capabilities, which USB4’s documentation claims to not support. However, the host demonstrates successful daisy chaining by connecting additional drives and hubs downstream from a Thunderbolt hub into a USB4 laptop. They manage to show multiple SSDs and a 10 gig ethernet connection working through this setup, concluding that USB4 performs well with Thunderbolt devices, albeit with some limitations on the number of supported devices.
00:12:00
In this segment of the video, the discussion revolves around newer Thunderbolt devices and their ability to communicate using different protocols, such as PCIe tunneling or traditional USB protocols. The presenter demonstrates the performance by connecting an external GPU to a laptop with a Radeon 6800, highlighting that it works seamlessly thanks to AMD’s USB4 inclusion and validation by Corsair. The video also explores the issues with Thunderbolt cables, noting that while Thunderbolt uses the same USB-C connector, it requires higher quality cables due to its lower tolerance for latency and inconsistency. Testing different cables, the presenter finds that only high-quality or newer validated USB-C cables with built-in signal stabilizers reliably support Thunderbolt connections.
00:15:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses the differences and compatibility issues between USB 4 and Thunderbolt 4. USB 4 is rated at 40 gigabits per second over a one-meter cable, whereas Thunderbolt 4 maintains that speed over two meters. They highlight that no non-Intel Thunderbolt USB 4 signal-stabilized cables exist. An active Thunderbolt 3 cable from Corning did not work with their USB 4 device, showing that cable compatibility issues still exist. Although USB 4 is technically compatible with Thunderbolt 3 and 4, the level of compatibility varies based on the implementation quality. The Corsair Voyager a1600 laptop performs well because it exceeds the minimum specs. The inconsistency in unofficial features like daisy chaining and specialty cables performance is noted. The reason USB-IF allowed a less thorough implementation of USB 4 is likely to benefit mobile devices that need higher data rates and DisplayPort tunneling but not pcie tunneling or daisy chaining. The segment ends with a brief mention of a sponsored product, a Thunderbolt 4 dock by Corsair.