Intel first unveiled Thunderbolt 5 in September 2023, but the industry has been slow to adopt the new standard. Things started to change at CES 2025, where manufacturers like Asus and Sparkle showcased their first external GPU (eGPU) solutions that utilize Thunderbolt 5 technology.
eGPU Advancements
Asus’s new 2025 XG Mobile eGPU boasts a Thunderbolt 5 link that can deliver up to 64 Gbps of bandwidth, surpassing its predecessor and USB4, while matching the performance of OCuLink. Meanwhile, Sparkle has not disclosed the specific bandwidth for its Thunderbolt 5 port in the Studio-G Enclosure eGPU, but it is widely assumed to reach speeds of up to 120 Gbps, which is the maximum speed for the standard.
Slow Adoption in Laptops
Despite the promising launch of these Thunderbolt 5 products, the integration of this technology into laptops has been sluggish. A product manager from Lenovo ThinkBook expressed skepticism about rapid adoption, stating in a Weibo post that it is “still early” for Thunderbolt 5 ports to become common in systems. Currently, a 3.3 feet Cable Matters Thunderbolt 5 cable is priced at $32.99 on Amazon.
Current Laptop Options
The 2024 Razer Blade 18 was the first laptop to feature a Thunderbolt 5 port, making its debut in April of last year. Other significant options include the Maingear ML-17 and the Schenker KEY 17 Pro, along with the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models equipped with M4 Pro and M4 Max chips. According to Lenovo’s executive, these are the primary choices available right now, and it seems that new additions to the market will be limited in the near future.
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