Tim Hardwick
Today, OWC announced its new Thunderbolt 5 Hub, one of the first accessories to support Intel’s latest Thunderbolt standard, bringing Thunderbolt 5 compatibility to Apple’s new Mac mini and MacBook Pro models with the M4 Pro and M4 Max chips.
The hub converts one Thunderbolt port into three Thunderbolt 5 ports and one USB-A port, delivering bidirectional data transfer speeds of up to 80Gbps. It can reach speeds up to twice that of Thunderbolt 4, with up to 120Gbps of bandwidth available for display connections, and supports up to three 8K displays at 60Hz with Display Stream Compression, making it suitable for demanding visual workflows.
In terms of charging output, the hub delivers up to 140W of power, enough to power a 16-inch MacBook Pro, while the aluminum chassis features passive cooling for silent operation.
OWC is committed to highlighting backward compatibility with Thunderbolt 3/4 and USB-C devices, allowing users to connect both new and legacy peripherals. The hub also allows for three separate daisy-chained devices that can operate independently.
The OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub opens up a new world of workflow and productivity possibilities in a compact package. By turning a single cable connection into three Thunderbolt 5 ports and one USB-A port, the OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub removes the connectivity limitations of host machines that don’t offer enough Thunderbolt 5 ports. With bidirectional data transfer rates of up to 80Gbps—2x faster than Thunderbolt 4 and USB4—and up to 120Gbps for higher display bandwidth needs, the OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub takes performance to the next level. Connect portable SSDs at over 6,000MB/s, up to three 8K @ 60Hz displays with DSC, today’s USB-C-compatible devices, and yesterday’s USB-A desktop accessories. All while still powering and charging today's laptops for mobile use with 140W of power.
The OWC Thunderbolt 5 hub is available for pre-order for $189.99 on the company's website and will begin shipping in December. Earlier this month, OWC announced a new Thunderbolt 5 external SSD.
Tags: OWC, Thunderbolt 5[ 66 comments ]
