ThunderBolt 4 Solid-State Drives
In the recent M1 Pro and Max revisions to it's MacBook laptops and the Mac mini, Mac Studio, and iMac desktops, Apple is shipping millions of next-generation ThunderBolt 4 enabled computers each quarter. The demand for ultra high speed SSD ThunderBolt 4 backup drives and other peripherals leveraging the 40Gbps interface is exploding to meet demand.Some of the more recent SSD drives with Thunderbolt 4 universally compatible chipsets now also support both 10Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2 *OR* TBolt4 connectivy for wide PC & Mac compatibility on Type-C ports. Shop carefully: The 4 drives below are universally compatible. Some drives (Not listed here) still available that are Thunderbolt 3-ONLY, and can't work on many Windows PC USB-C USB-Only device ports.
LaCie Thunderbolt 4 SSD Drive
Apple Compatible LaCie Thunderbolt 4 SSD
Supports BOTH USB 3.2 Gen2 and TB 4 Connectivity
Sabrent Dual-Mode TB4 / USB-C Drive
Auto-Detects Thunderbolt 4 / USB 3.2 Operation
1TB to 16TB NVMe SSD Module
Fantom Thunderbolt 4 SSD Drive
Fantom Drives Thunderbolt 4 SSD
Both USB-C and Thunderbolt 4 Supported Chipset
OWC Thunderbolt 4 Compatible SSD Drive
OWC Envoy FX TBolt 4 & USB 3.2 SSD
Compact Aluminum Heat-Sink Case With Fins
ThunderBolt 4 "Compatible" USB-C Drives
Because a computer's Type-C ThunderBolt 4 ports also speak USB protocols, some drive and device manufacturers are marketing Type-C USB 3.2 Gen 2 peripherals as 'ThunderBolt 4 Compatible' -- which they are -- They just operate at lower, 10Gbps speeds. For many consumers, the distinction won't matter much. They'll just plug the drive into their Type-C port and it'll just work. And they'll save a bundle by not paying for performance they don't need. Samsung's T7 mini USB-C drive is all most will need.
Cheap & Fast Thunderbolt Solution: $79
Candidly, a 10Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2 connection is proving to be fast enough for many PC and Mac consumer's expectations. It's really only far more demanding Tech Geeks, Pro users and enterprise environments that need and/or can afford full-blown 40Gbps ThunderBolt 4 storage and ultra 4K and 5K displays to take advange of all that bandwidth.
Next-Gen ThunderBolt 4 SSD Drives
The insanely high bandwidth of a 40Gbps ThunderBolt 4 port will continue to have a huge impact on evolving solid-state storage solutions. With new generations of PCIe buses, NVME protocols, and flash memory SSD modules we're seeing external solid-state storage products unprecedented data read and write speeds moving past 2800 MBpsThunderBolt 4 SSD Enclosures And Cases
Here's one of the first fully certified ThunderBolt 4 / USB4 drive enclosures reach the market. As 40Gbps USB4 enclosures reach the market, Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 essentially will be one in the same.
Up To 2800MBps : Includes Type-C Thunderbolt 40G Cables
ThunderBolt 4 Dongles And Adapters
To ease the transition from ThunderBolt and ThunderBolt 2, and from USB 1.1 / 2.0 / 3.0 to 10Gbps USB-C 3.2, a ThunderBolt 4 adapter or dongle is needed. Apple offers a Type-C to mini DisplayPort style dongle to help Mac users leverage their older 1st and 2nd generation Thunderbolt devices.
Type-C Thunderbolt 3/4 To ThunderBolt 2 Dongle
We're certainly seeing that in the USB 3.2 Type-C computer peripheral space. Though they'll look physically similar and use the same reversible Type-C connectors, the ThunderBolt 4 products will need to incorporate more expensive, certified and sophisticated Intel ThunderBolt chipsets to assure reliable performance for peripherals up to 40Gbps.
ThunderBolt 4 Hubs And Docks
Rather than a mumble-jumble of dongles and adapters, many Windows and MacOS users will likely want to consolidate them into multi-port ThunderBolt 4 docks or adapters that can bridge multiple types of legacy interfaces for video, audio and peripheral data into one tidy unit.
HDMI, SD Reader, Audio, USB-A/C And More.
CalDigit Multiport ThunderBolt 4 Dock
Next generation PC and Mac compatible ThunderBolt 4 docking stations with a multitude of ports can incorporate nearly every type of storage and computing device both old and new that you'd want to plug into it. Other major tech players like OWC, CalDigit, Belkin and others have revised their docking stations to support ThunderBolt 4 connections as well.
ThunderBolt 4 Cables
Type-C Connector Rated 40Gbps Speeds
Very high-quality certified and lab tested ThunderBolt 4 cabling is needed in demanding, high-bandwidth configurations. When shopping for cabling you'll see both 20Gbps and 40Gbps ThunderBolt 4 cables listed. Depending on your computing environment, you'll need to insure the cables are capable of reliably sustaining both the 4K and 5K Ultra-HD video streams AND the other HDD or SSD storage and accessories you may have connected.
High-quality certified TBolt 4 cables have onboard circuitry to assure data integrity and error checking / correction. Expect to pay a premium price over lesser 10Gbps Type-C cabling for slower USB 3.2 Type-C devices.