Intel has announced Thunderbolt 5, which improves speed and bandwidth to appeal to consumers with high-end PC configurations. Thunderbolt 5 boasts a bi-directional speed of 80 gigabits per second (Gbps) and 120 gigabits per second (Gbps) with speed Boost.

“Bandwidth needs of content creators and professionals are increasing significantly. These users want high-resolution displays and low-latency visuals while working with increasingly larger video and data files,” a release from Intel reads. “Thunderbolt 5 has been designed to massively improve connectivity speed and bandwidth to ensure modern PC users can enjoy the highest-quality visuals and immersive experiences for years to come.”

Thunderbolt 4 can support two 4K displays at 60Hz, as opposed to Thunderbolt 5’s multiple 8K monitors. According to Intel, the fifth Thunderbolt version is capable of up to 540Hz frame rates for gaming and 144Hz across three 4K monitors.

Thunderbolt 5 provides additional versatility when balancing visual performance when working with data and video file storage, in addition to enhanced speed. Meanwhile, the current Thunderbolt 4 standard only provides 32Gbps of data speed.

These changes are critical for users who seek to blend the greatest images with the lowest possible latency. Anyone who works with photos, video, or other visual creations would profit from the support. The increased bandwidth will also make it easier to transfer files, for example, to an SSD. The enhanced 4K and 8K monitor capabilities will also be appealing to creatives who have several high-quality screens.