Hands on with Apple's new $70 Thunderbolt 5 Pro cable
Apple has introduced a new Thunderbolt 5 Pro cable to coincide with the addition of the new IO to its latest Macs. We picked one up and wanted to also compare it to Apple's last-gen Thunderbolt 4 Pro cable.
Apple's new Thunderbolt 5 Pro cable
The newly-released Thunderbolt 5 Pro cable isn't cheap. It will run you $69 for only a meter in length.
As we've seen in the past though, Apple's professional cables are no joke. Just like with its chargers, Apple puts in a significant amount of engineering to make sure its cables are up to the highest standards compared other the cheaper alternatives.
Thunderbolt 5 is a big upgrade
Compared to Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 5, the fifth-generation of Thunderbolt technology was a significant upgrade. It was big enough that we already did a detailed comparison between them.
Some of the highlights though include a big increase in bandwidth. Bidirectional bandwidth has doubled from 40Gb/s to 80Gb/s and asynchronous tripod to 120Gb/s.
For displays, three 4K-resolution monitors can be run at 144Hz. Plus, multiple 8K displays can be run at the same time.
Finally, Thunderbolt 5 boosts power. It will now deliver up to 240W. Thunderbolt 4 capped at 100W while Thunderbolt 5 has a minimum supported rate of 140W.
Apple's new Thunderbolt 5 Pro cable meets all these requirements.
Apple's pro cable
The new cable is a meter long. Currently, it is not available in the 1.8m or 3m length that Apple offers in its Thunderbolt 4 Pro cable.
Closeup of the braided cable texture
It's braided and feels like a sturdy, hefty cable. It doesn't feel cheap by any means.
Since it's braided, it also resists any kinks or tangles. It's very easy to unspool and connect.
The new (top) and old (bottom) Thunderbolt Pro cables from Apple
One difference from Apple's old cable is that it now has metal overmolds on the connectors versus plastic. It's black metal and gives it an even more premium feel.
There's a big problem with Thunderbolt cables, and we'll lump USB-C cables in there too, in knowing what they actually support. Or even what version of USB or Thunderbolt they are.
With USB-C cables, you always have to worry about data speed, display support, charging speed, the and more. Apple wanted to get rid of this issue.
A new etched "5" designates which version of Thunderbolt the cable is
They opted to support the maximum capabilities of Thunderbolt 5. They also etched a very tiny "5" on the end of the cable, making it easier to identify which version of the Thunderbolt spec is supported.
There will be other Thunderbolt 5 cables on the market and they may not support the full power bandwidth or may not be as durable. If you want to ensure that your cable is meeting all the requirements, Apple's Thunderbolt 5 Pro cable is the one to choose.
Available to order now
Thunderbolt 5 is brand new. There are very computers, accessories, or cables that support this latest spec as of now.
Overtime, this will likely grow. We saw a handful of prototype Thunderbolt 5 devices at CES earlier this year and more will start shipping in the months ahead, especially as Apple is on board.
Apple's new Thunderbolt 5 Pro cable can be ordered from Best Buy for $69. It only comes in black and one meter.
Eventually, we expect Apple to launch other lengths, but for now, the short one is all that's available. It's compatible with the new 2024 MacBook Pro with the M4 Pro and M4 Max chip as well as the M4 Pro Mac mini.
The cable is also fully backwards compatible with Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 machines and peripherals.
Read on AppleInsider
Comments
https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/newsroom/news/intel-introduces-thunderbolt-5-standard.html#gs.hple80
It would be nice if Intel could improve it’s messaging on Thunderbolt to better highlight its unique benefits of it for these types of sites, such as higher speeds, multi-protocol support (PCIe and DisplayPort), and high power delivery. Thunderbolt cables handle significant data loads by connecting directly to PCIe lanes and require small chips at each end for signal management. Passive Thunderbolt cables can experience speed degradation beyond about 0.8 to 1 meter, which is why active cables—with embedded electronics for signal boosting—are needed for longer distances to maintain full performance. It is more robust than USB with tighter regulations needed to be met to get the most out of it.
Stuff like this is good I think.
You can see the internals/xray of some Thunderbolt cables on cultofmachttps://www.cultofmac.com/news/apple-thunderbolt-4-cable-comparison-amazon-usb-c
Personally, I found you need to do a little research and trust the Thunderbolt cable manufacturer you buy from or you will get less than adequate results.
I think the lack of “what to purchase” info and the issues people had during the EGPU boom really put a sour taste in peoples mouths regarding TB’s value.
I loved using thunderbolt with Macs, it has been so much more reliable with than USB with HighData and Compute operations.
It basically acts as a native/internal connection.