The TB3 ports can only deliver video output after you link the card to your graphics card. You must be ready to sacrifice at least one or two DisplayPorts in your GPU if you are using dual monitors. A Thunderbolt PCIe card comes with four cables: a Thunderbolt header cable, a USB 2.0 internal cable, and two Mini DisplayPort cables. You need to connect all these cables to your motherboard to take advantage of data, video, and power. Some cards require updating the BIOS after installation. Why do Thunderbolt PCIe cards come with Mini DisplayPort Cables?

You have to make sure the card is inserted into a PCIe 3.0 (or higher) slot that is x4 or larger. Then run the two internal cables between the card and the motherboard (make sure your motherboard has the 16-pin TBT header before you buy into one of these. There are not many Thunderbolt 4 devices on the market yet, but seasoned manufacturers have released one or two products to whet the consumer’s appetite. Thunderbolt 4 also requires a more stringent compatibility spectrum, which might limit certain cards to certain motherboards. This means it’s a good idea to research the top products in the market and be absolutely sure that the card you are buying is compatible with your current hardware and provides the full range of functionality that you expect from a Thunderbolt 4 device. A simple way of putting this is that Thunderbolt 4 guarantees the best possible version, while USB4 does not offer that guarantee. Transfer speeds for USB4 are written next to the port, while Thunderbolt 4 ports have a thunder sign with the number 4 written below or next to it. What is a Thunderbolt header? MSI fell behind when it came to providing a Thunderbolt 4 (TB4) solution for its motherboard models that didn’t offer integrated TB4 support. Which mostly just included its DDR4-supported models. Because of this, many of its customers had to go without Thunderbolt access. For Alder Lake adopters, it’s been nearly a year. However, that has finally come to an end now that MSI’s expansion card has finally made an appearance and I’m sure there will be a decent number of people scrambling to get their hands on one. Two internal slots let you connect the card to your motherboard: a Thunderbolt header and a PCIe x4 interface. Alternatively, you can use other PCI Express slots, x16/x8, depending on the motherboard you’re using. AccessoriesHeadsets provide accurate directional audio for identifying sound sources and have built-in microphones for communicating with teammates. The ASUS ThunderboltEX 3-TR add-on card brings 40Gbps bi-directional bandwidth, DisplayPort Alt Mode capable of 8K Ultra HD output, and up to 100W power delivery. A high refresh rate monitor lets you see the advantage of playing games above and beyond 60 FPS. Connect a 144Hz or 240Hz gaming monitor for smoother animation and lower latency. The Thunderbolt 4 ports on this card allow dual external displays up to 4K at 60Hz, daisy-chaining up to five devices per port, and Power Delivery up to 97W. It’s an overall well-built PCIe card and works flawlessly with compatible GIGABYTE motherboards. Our Take A Thunderbolt 3 PCIe slot lets you integrate Thunderbolt 3 technology in your PC without having to upgrade to an entirely new system. All the featured TB3 add-in cards in this post achieve the same thing of implementing Thunderbolt 3.

Before you buy a Thunderbolt 4 add-on card, you need to make sure that the card is compatible with your computer. While the minimum requirements for Thunderbolt 4 are much higher than those for Thunderbolt 3, reducing the amount of research you need, you still need to know the card’s functionality and how to get the best out of it. Given below are the most important things you need to consider. MotherboardHowever, if you want future-proof support for 8K displays, go for a Thunderbolt 4 PCIe card. Best Thunderbolt PCIe Cards – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) How to install a Thunderbolt PCIe card?

The most standing-out feature of the GC-MAPLE RIDGE is the additional DisplayPort output that lets you connect a native DisplayPort monitor without needing dongles—most Thunderbolt 4 add-in cards include only the two Thunderbolt 4 ports. The Sonnet Thunderbolt Upgrade Card is a unique Thunderbolt 3 add-in card used to upgrade Sonnet’s Echo Express Thunderbolt 2 systems. This Sonnet Thunderbolt Upgrade Card is different from the other PCIe cards in this review in that the card connects exclusively to the Echo Express expansion box instead of a motherboard. The card is compatible with Echo Express III-D and Echo Express III-R (Thunderbolt 2 editions). Other Sonnet Thunderbolt Upgrade Cards are compatible with different Sonnet expansion systems and the xMac mini server. Please note that this PCIe card doesn’t work with any computer motherboard. Connectivity Except for MSI’s Intel 500 series and later models, you can find a compatible Thunderbolt PCIe card for all of these motherboards. Available PCIe 3.0 x4 Expansion Slot The card has two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports, which can deliver data up to a theoretical limit of 40Gbps. The actual data transfer rate is dependent on the connected device and the cable. You can daisy chain up to ten devices (five per port) with the card. However, one should remember that if at any moment one of the devices is directly connected to the card, the daisy-chain link is broken, and you will have only two devices working. This ensures that none of the devices is damaged.Whatever the purpose is, these headers make sure that the Thunderbolt 4 card is only used on a motherboard certified by the manufacturer and contains the connection for these headers. To connect a Thunderbolt Display, you must connect the DisplayPort output port on the motherboard or graphics card to the DisplayPort input port on the ThunderboltM4 8K card or both Type C ports only support USB 3.2 data transmission.