Thunderbolt 3 will soon have support for 8K displays. Docking stations and monitors will also get increased USB-C compatibility. Intel's three new Thunderbolt 3 controllers make it possible.

Intel announced a trio of Thunderbolt 3 controllers at the beginning of 2018. With support for DisplayPort 1.4, Intel's JHL7340, JHL7440, and JHL7540 provide support for 8K monitors connected via Thunderbolt 3. The JHL7440 product targets display and docking station makers. The JHL7340 and JHL7540 target computer makers. 

Fewer cables, same great performance. And free, too

Intel has previously announced that Thunderbolt 3 will be royalty-free which eliminates an overhead cost for the connectors for computer and device manufacturers. In addition, Thunderbolt 3 compatibility will be integrated into Intel CPUs which reduces space and power requirements. 

The new chipsets keep the same data throughput, 40 GB/Sec. Display and docking station manufacturers will be able to use the JHL7440 chipset in order to provide DisplayPort 1.4 compatibility which in turn delivers compatibility with 8K monitors and greater compatibility with USB connectors. Connecting mobile workstations to displays allows the workstation to be charged via the display. This capability allows a user to connect to a high-resolution display and to charge their workstation with a single cable. Likewise, the display can provide additional connectivity. With the new DisplayPort support, you can daisy-chain two 4K displays to your mobile workstation. 

The PW Perspective

Removing the royalty costs eliminates a barrier for manufacturers and should increase the adoption of Thunderbolt 3.  With 8K displays coming on the market and the industry moving rapidly towards 8K resolutions, the support for DisplayPort 1.4 is welcome. Eliminating cables and streamlining the working environment is a nice bonus.