Thunderbolt 4 And Thunderbolt 3 Laptops - The Complete List

Table of Contents

• Modern Thunderbolt 5 and Thunderbolt 4 laptops
• The list of Thunderbolt 5 laptops
  • • 13-inch (and smaller) ultraportables with Thunderbolt 3/4 connectors
    • 14 to 17-inch portable laptops with Thunderbolt 3 connectors
    • 15 to 21-inch full-size notebooks with Thunderbolt 3 connectors
• Thunderbolt 5 and 4/3 explained

We’ve seen Thunderbolt ports on enthusiast computers for many years now, but these days Thunderbolt is becoming the port everyone wants on a new laptop, regardless of size, form-factor, or budget.

While the original article discussed Thunderbolt 3 and 4 standards and notebooks, the latest update focuses on Thunderbolt 5.0 technology and laptops that offer at least one TB5 port.

Physically, Thunderbolt 5, Thunderbolt 4, and Thunderbolt 3 are all USB Type-C connectors, thus compact, reliable, and reversible. But while TB3 and TB4 are mostly similar standards, TB5 improves significantly on a couple of aspects.

For starters, both TB3 and TB4 support throughputs of up to 40 Gbps, both can drive external monitors via DisplayPort or HDMI video outs, both offer 10 GbE fast networking, as well as power delivery (at a minimum of 15W of power). So as far as speeds and overall capabilities go, Thunderbolt 4 is not faster or better than the previous standard.

The major difference for TB4 is in the amount of bandwidth allocated via PCIe. While Thunderbolt 3 systems are required to support 16 Gbps for PCIe connections, Thunderbolt 4 allocates 32 Gbps, and that translates into faster connections with peripherals (docks, eGPUs, storage units, etc) and improved video-output support. In this case, while TB3 supports a single 4K 60Hz display, TB4 supports either a single 8K 60 Hz display or two 4K 60 Hz displays per port. TB4 supports HDR10 as well, which TB3 did not.

On top of these, Thunderbolt 4 compliant docks are also required to support instant wake from sleep and VT-D/DMA protection against Thunderspy attacks. Finally, there’s one more aspect worth considering when it comes to cables, with TB4 branded cables of up to 2 meter in length required to support 40 Gbps speeds, while only shorter TB3 cables (most of them under 1 m) were able to maintain the same kind of speeds.

Thunderbolt 5, on the other hand, supports 80 Gbps of bi-directional bandwidth, 2x over the previous TB standards, and can support Bandwidth Boost when needed, which can extent the bandwidth to 120 Gbps. Furthermore, TB5 doubles the amount of bandwidth allocated to PCIe connections, to up to 64 Gbps, with supports for the PCIe gen 4 interface. This allows for better eGPU performance or the ability to connect more high-speed peripherals and higher-resolution, higher-refresh displays via TB5, such as 3x 4K displays at 144Hz or 2x 8K displays at 60 Hz.

Furthermore, Thunderbolt 5 can support improved power delivery speeds, at up to 240W via USB-C, potentially allowing for more laptops to bundle an USB-C plug charger instead of a proprietary plug. TB4 and TB3 supported up to 140W of PD charging in most implementations.

All in all, Thunderbolt 3, 4 and 5 are compact and versatile connectors that you can use to charge your laptop, transfer files at fast speeds, connect external monitors and other peripherals, including PCIe compatible graphics units (like the Razer Core, or the Aorus Gaming Box). This last aspect is particularly interesting, as it allows OEMs to design ultra-portable laptops that can also handle serious gaming once hooked up to these external GPU docks. However, the newer Thunderbolt 5 standards ensures faster speeds and higher bandwidth the the previous generations.

We’re going to further discuss the Thunderbolt 5.0 standard towards the end of this post. For now, let’s get to the complete list of all the available laptops and ultra-portables that offer at least one Thunderbolt 5, Thunderbolt 4 or 3 port at the time of this update.

Modern Thunderbolt 5 and Thunderbolt 4 laptops

Thunderbolt 5 was official introduced by Intel late-2023, and implemented in select devices as of today. I’m curating a list of such devices further down in the article.

The Thunderbolt 5.0 standard

The list of Thunderbolt 5 laptops

Here’s the list of existing notebooks that offer at least one Thunderbolt 5.0 port.

And if interested, here’s a list of docks and peripherals that support Thunderbolt 5.0, and a list of cables compatible with the standard, that allow up to 120 Gbps bandwidth and up to 240W PD charging.

So far, only a handful of high-performance laptops built on Intel Arrow-Lake HX hardware support TB5, through the Barlow Ridge discrete controller. At this point, Thunderbolt 5.0 is not SOC as with previous-generation TB4, thus requires an external controller.

I’d expect Thunderbolt 5.0 on more portable laptop designs to happen with the Intel Panther Lake platform, very-late 2025 and into 2026. Just my supposition, though, it hasn’t been confirmed.

The article is a work in progress though, adding new devices as they are announced. Let me know in the comments section if you spot something that should be in here and is not yet.

— updating

Model	Type	Screen	Hardware	TB5 ports
Acer Predator Helios 16 Acer Predator Helios 18	gaming laptop	16 or 18-inch matte mini LED 4K 120Hz- 18 inch IPS 2.5K 240Hz – 16 inch	Core Ultra 9 275HX, up to RTX 5090, 99Wh battery, 2.7 kg – 16 inch, 3.5 kg – 18 inch	2x
Alienware 16 Area-51 Alienware 18 Area-51	gaming laptop	16 or 18-inch matte IPS 2.5K 300Hz – 18 inch IPS 2.5K 240Hz – 16 inch	Core Ultra 9 275HX, up to RTX 5090, 99Wh battery, 3.4 kg – 16 inch, 4.4 kg – 18 inch	2x
Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 Asus ROG Strix Scar 18	gaming laptop	16 or 18-inch matte mini LED 2.5K 240Hz – 16 inch mini LED 2.5K 240Hz – 18 inch	Core Ultra 9 275HX, up to RTX 5090, 90Wh battery, 2.8 kg – 16 inch, 3.3 kg – 18 inch	2x
Gigabyte AORUS Master 16 Gigabyte AORUS Master 18	gaming laptop	16-inch OLED glossy 18-inch mini LED matte both 2.5K 240Hz	Core Ultra 9 275HX, up to RTX 5090, 99Wh battery, 2.5 kg – 16 inch, 3.5 kg – 18 inch	1x
MSI Vector 16 HX AI MSI Vector 18 HX AI	all-purpose laptop	16 or 18-inch IPS matte 2.5K 240Hz	Core Ultra 9 275HX, up to RTX 5090, 90Wh battery, 2.7 kg – 16 inch, 3.5 kg – 18 inch	2x
MSI Raider 18 HX AI	gaming laptop	18-inch mini LED matte 4K 120Hz	Core Ultra 9 275HX, up to RTX 5090, 90Wh battery, 3.5 kg	2x
MSI Titan 18 HX AI	gaming laptop	18-inch mini LED matte 4K 120Hz	Core Ultra 9 285HX, up to RTX 5090, 99Wh battery, 3.6 kg	2x
Lenovo Legion 9 18	gaming laptop	18-inch IPS matte dual mode 4K 240Hz or 2K 440Hz, optional 3D	Core Ultra 9 275HX, up to RTX 5090, 99Wh battery, 3.5 kg	2x
Razer Blade 18	gaming laptop	18-inch IPS matte dual mode 4K 240Hz or 2K 440Hz	Core Ultra 9 275HX, up to RTX 5090, 99Wh battery, 3.1 kg	1x

Previously, Thunderbolt 4 came in 2020, and Intel’s Tiger Lake and Alder Lake Core U platforms (as well as the more recent Raptor Lake and Lunar Lake updates) include an integrated Thunderbolt 4 controller by default.

That means the vast majority of available Tiger/Alder/Raptor/Lunar Lake laptops (and some future platforms) include at least one Thunderbolt 4 port by default. You’ll find a detailed list of modern Intel ultraportables in this separate article that goes over EVO-certified ultrabooks, but for the most part, expect Thunderbolt connectivity on the majority of Intel computers released past early 2021.

In the past, Thunderbolt functionality was not entirely baked into the chips, and manufacturers had to integrate a separate controller on the motherboards in order to implement Thunderbolt 3, as well as pay Intel for the certification (the right to have TB3). That’s why Thunderbolt 3 ports were mostly available on higher-tier products, and rarely on affordable laptops. Furthermore, because Thunderbolt is an Intel and Apple proprietary technology, that’s why AMD laptops do not include Thunderbolt ports of any kind, instead offer up to USB 4.0 ports with somewhat similar functionality.

Further down is the list of existing notebooks with Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 ports. As mentioned already, keep in mind that I haven’t included many of the 2022-2024 devices, as the Intel platforms of that time came with an integrated TB3 controller by default, and that means Thunderbolt is offered by default on those devices.

Most Intel laptops available in stores as of early-2022 include Thunderbolt 4 connectivity by default, while in the case of older notebooks, only select options were available with Thunderbolt 3 ports.

Since there are many such computers out there, we’ll split them into three different groups: compact laptops (with 13-inch screens or smaller), large-screen portable laptops (15 to 17-inch screens), and full-size notebooks (15-inch screens or larger) in the following part of this article.

We’ll also include details on their format, hardware platform, type of TB3 port (x2 or x4 PCIe lanes), whether each laptop can charge via USB-C, and the starting MSRP price in the US, in case you’re looking for something within a specific budget or one of the cheaper Thunderbolt laptops out there. Keep in mind prices and availability vary over time, so follow the links for more details, as well as the link on each unit’s name for our detailed reviews and guides.

I’ll also add that the lists below only include laptops released in the last 2-3 years, and for the most part, only the latest version of each laptop is mentioned, even if the previous generations supported Thunderbolt 3 as well.

13-inch (and smaller) ultraportables with Thunderbolt 3/4 connectors
Model	Type	Screen	Hardware	TB3 ports	Charging	Updated	Price
Acer Aspire Switch 12S	2-in-1	12.5″ touch	Core Y w/ Intel HD	1	No	2017	$1199
Acer Aspire R13	2-in-1	13.3″ touch	Core U w/ Intel HD	1 x2	No	2017	$899
Acer Swift 3 13.5	clamshell	13.5″	Core U w/ Intel HD	1 x4	Yes	2020	$999
Alienware 13	Gaming	13.3″	Core HQ w/ Nvidia GTX 1060	1 x4	No	2017	$1199
Asus Zenbook UX391	Ultraportable	13.3″	Core U w/ Intel UHD	2 x4	Yes	2018	$1199
Apple MacBook Air	Ultraportable	13.3″	Core Y w/ Intel HD	2 x4	Yes	2019	$1099
Apple MacBook Pro 13	Ultraportable	13.3″	Core U w/ Intel Iris UHD	4 x4	Yes	2019	$1299
Dell Latitude 12 7000	Ultraportable	12.0″	Core U w/ Intel UHD	2 x4	Yes	2018	$1079
Dell Latitude 12 7000 2-in-1	2-in-1	12.5″ touch	Core Y w/ Intel HD	2 x4	Yes	2019	$1049
Dell Latitude 13 7000	Ultraportable	13.3″	Core U w/ Intel UHD	1 x4	Yes	2019	$1199
Dell XPS 13	Ultraportable	13.3″	Core U w/ Intel UHD	1 x4	Yes	2020	$899
Dell XPS 13 2-in-1	Convertible	13.3″	Core Y w/ Intel UHD	1 x4	Yes	2020	$1049
Huawei MateBook X Pro	Convertible	13.9″ touch	Core U w/ up to MX250	1 x2	Yes	2020	$999
HP Elite X2	Tablet	12.0″ touch	Core Y w/ Intel HD	1 x4	Yes	2018	$899
HP EliteBook 830	Ultraportable	13.3″	Core U w/ Intel UHD	1 x4	Yes (**)	2018	$1299
HP EliteBook Folio	Ultraportable	12.5″	Core Y w/ Intel HD	2 x4	Yes	2018	$1099
HP Elitebook x360 13	Convertible	13.3″ touch	Core U w/ Intel UHD	1 x4	Yes	2019	$2399
HP Spectre x360 13	Convertible	13.3″ touch	Core U w/ Intel UHD	2 x4	Yes	2020	$1049
Lenovo IdeaPad 720s 13	Ultraportable	13.3″	Core U w/ Intel UHD	1 x2	Yes	2017	$849
Lenovo IdeaPad 730s 13	Ultraportable	13.3″ glossy	Core U w/ Intel UHD	2 x4	Yes	2018	$899
Lenovo Yoga 730 13	Convertible	13.3″ touch	Core U w/ Intel UHD	2 x4	Yes	2018	$999
Lenovo Yoga 920	Convertible	13.9″ touch	Core U w/ Intel UHD	2 x4	Yes	2017	$1099
Lenovo Yoga C930	Convertible	13.9″ touch	Core U w/ Intel UHD	2 x4	Yes	2018	$1249
Lenovo Yoga S940	Clamshell	13.9″ glossy	Core U w/ Intel UHD	2 x4	Yes	2019	$1499
Lenovo ThinkPad X390	Convertible	13.3″ matte	Core U w/ Intel UHD	1 x4	Yes	2019	$1199
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet	Tablet	13.0″ touch	Core U w/ Intel UHD	1	Yes	2018	$1299
Lenovo ThinkPad X 12-inch	Ultraportable	12.5″	Core U w/ Intel UHD	1	Yes	2018	$1099
Razer Blade Stealth 13	Ultraportable	13.3″ matte/touch	Core U w/ GTX 1650	1 x4	Yes	2020	$1399
Samsung Notebook 9 Pen	Convertible	13.3″ touch	Core U w/ UHD 620	2 x4	Yes	2019	$1399
Samsung Notebook 9 Pro	Convertible	13.3″ touch	Core U w/ UHD 620	2 x4	Yes	2019	$1099
Toshiba Portégé X20W	Convertible	12.5″ touch	Core U w/ Intel UHD	1 x4	Yes	2018	$999
Toshiba Portégé X30	Ultraportable	13.3″ touch	Core U w/ Intel UHD	1 x4	Yes	2020	$1299

If you’re looking for a larger screen and faster hardware, but still want to stay within compact and portable ranges (under 4 lbs for 14-inchers, under 5 lbs for 15 inchers, under 6 lbs for 17-inchers), then these are the options to consider.

14 to 17-inch portable laptops with Thunderbolt 3 connectors
Model	Type	Screen	Hardware	TB3 ports	Charging	Updated	Price
Acer Swift 7 Black Edition	Convertible	14.0″	Core Y w/ Intel HD	1 x4	Yes	2019	$1499
Acer Swift 3 14	clamshell	14.0″	Core U w/ Intel UHD	1 x4	Yes	2020	$799
Acer TravelMate P6 P614	clamshell	14.0″	Core U w/ Intel UHD	1 x4	Yes	2020	$1099
Acer ConceptD 7	Workstation	15.6″	Core H w/ Quadro	1 x4	No	2019	$1799
Acer Predator Triton 500	Gaming	15.6″	Core H w/ up to RTX 2080MQ	1 x4	No	2020	$1799
Acer Predator Triton 700	Gaming	15.6″	Core H w/ Nvidia GTX 1080MQ	1 x4	No	2018	$1899
Alienware m15	Gaming	15.6″ matte	Core HK w/ up to Nvidia RTX 2080 Max-Q	1 x4	No	2019	$1299
Alienware m17	Gaming	17.3″ matte	Core HK w/ up to Nvidia RTX 2080 Max-Q	1 x4	No	2019	$1599
Apple MacBook Pro 15	Ultraportable	15.6″ glossy	Core H w/ up to AMD Vega 20	4 x4	Yes	2019	$2099
Apple MacBook Pro 16	Ultraportable	16″ glossy	Core HK w/ up to AMD Radeon Pro	4 x4	Yes	2020	$2299
Asus ExpertBook B9450FA	clamshell	14.0″	Core U w/ Intel HD	1 x4	Yes	2020	$1499
Asus ROG Zephyrus GX501	Gaming	15.6″ matte	Core H w/ up to Nvidia GTX 1080MQ	1 x4	No	2017	$1699
Asus ROG Zephyrus S15 GX502	Gaming	15.6″ matte	Core H w/ up to Nvidia RTX 2080 Super MQ	1 x4	No	2020	$1999
Asus ROG Zephyrus M15 GU502	Gaming	15.6″ matte	Core H w/ up to Nvidia RTX 2070 Super MQ	1 x4	No	2020	$1799
Asus ROG Zephyrus GM501	Gaming	15.6″ matte	Core H w/ Nvidia GTX 1070	1 x4	No	2017	$1699
Asus StudioBook Pro W700	Workstation	17.3″ matte	Core U w/ Nvidia Quadro	1 x4	–	2019	TBA
Asus StudioBook Pro X W730	Workstation	17.3″ matte	Core U w/ Nvidia Quadro	2 x4	–	2019	TBA
Asus Zenbook 3 Deluxe UX490UA	Ultraportable	14.0″	Core U w/ Intel HD	2 x4	Yes	2018	$1199
Asus Zenbook Pro UX550	Multimedia	15.6″	Core H w/ Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti	2 x4 (*)	No	2018	$1299
Asus Zenbook Pro UX580	Multimedia	15.6″	Core H w/ Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti	2 x4 (*)	No	2018	$1499
Asus ZenBook Pro Duo UX581	Multimedia	15.6″	Core HK w/ Nvidia RTX 2060	1 x4	No	2019	$2499
Clevo PB851EF-G / Sager NP8356	Gaming	15.6″	Core H w/ up to RTX 2070	1 x4	No	2019	$1799
Clevo PB871EF-G / Sager NP8376	Gaming	17.3″	Core H w/ up to RTX 2070	1 x4	No	2019	$1799
Dell Precision 15 5000 Series	Workstation	15.6″	Core HK or Xeon w/ Nvidia Quadro	1 x4	Yes	2019	$1549
Dell Latitude 14 7000	Ultraportable	14.0″	Core U w/ Intel HD	1 x4	Yes	2019	$1349
Dell Latitude 14 7000 2-in-1	2-in-1	14.0″ touch	Core U w/ Intel HD	1 x4	Yes	2019	$1349
Dell Vostro 15 7000	Multimedia	15.6″ matte	Core H w/ Nvidia GTX 1660Ti	1 x4	Yes	2019	$1349
Dell XPS 15	Multimedia	15.6″ touch	up to 9th gen Core HK w/ Nvidia GTX 1650	1 x4	Yes	2019	$999
Dell XPS 15 2-in-1	Convertible	15.6″ touch	up to 8th gen Core G w/ Radeon RX Vega M	2 x4	Yes	2018	$999
Gigabyte Aero 15	Gaming	15.6″	up to 9th gen Core H w/ up to Nvidia RTX 2080MQ	1 x4	No	2019	$2099
Gigabyte Aero 17	Gaming	17.3″	up to 9th gen Core H w/ up to Nvidia RTX 2080MQ	1 x4	No	2019	$2599
HP Omen 15	Gaming	15.6″	up to 9th gen Core H w/ up to Nvidia RTX 2080MQ	1 x4	No	2019	$1499
HP Omen X 2s	Gaming	15.6″	up to 9th gen Core H w/ up to Nvidia RTX 2070MQ	1 x4	No	2019	$1899
HP Omen 17	Gaming	17.3″	up to 8th gen Core H w/ up to Nvidia GTX 1070MQ	1 x4	No	2018	$1099
HP Spectre x360 15	Convertible	15.6″ touch	up to 8th gen Core G w/ Radeon RX Vega M	1 x4	Yes (*)	2019	$1299
HP EliteBook 840	Ultraportable	14.0″	up to 8th gen Core U w/ Intel UHD	1 x2	Yes (*)	2018	$1249
HP EliteBook 850	Ultraportable	15.6″	up to 8th gen Core U w/ AMD RX540	1 x2	Yes (*)	2018	$1249
HP EliteBook 1040	Ultraportable	14.0″	up to 7th gen Core U w/ Intel HD	1 x4	Yes (**)	2018	$1399
HP ZBook 14u	Workstation	14.0″	up to 8th gen Core U w/ AMD Radeon™ Pro WX 3100	1 x4	Yes (**)	2019	$1549
HP ZBook 15u	Workstation	15.6″	up to 8th gen Core U w/ AMD Radeon™ Pro WX 3100	1 x4	Yes (**)	2019	$1649
Lenovo IdeaPad 720s 14	Ultraportable	14.0″	up to 7th gen Core U w/ Nvidia 940MX	1 x2 (?)	–	2018	$999
Lenovo IdeaPad 720s 15	Ultraportable	14.0″	up to 7th gen Core U w/ up to GTX 1050 Ti	1 x2 (?)	No	2018	$999
Lenovo ThinkPad 25	Ultraportable	14.0″	up to 7th gen Core U w/ Nvidia 940MX	1 x2	Yes	2018	$1899
Lenovo ThinkPad P1	Workstation	15.6″	up to 9th gen Core HK w/ up to Quadro T2000	2 x4	Yes (*)	2019	$1499
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s	Workstation	15.6″	Core U w/ up to Quadro P520	1 x2	No	2019	$1499
Lenovo ThinkPad T490	Ultraportable	14.0″	up to 8th gen Core U w/ Nvidia MX250	1 x4 (?)	Yes	2019	$859
Lenovo ThinkPad T590	Ultraportable	15.6″	up to 8th gen Core U w/ Nvidia MX250	1 x4 (?)	Yes	2019	$999
Lenovo ThinkPad T480s	Ultraportable	14.0″	up to 8th gen Core U w/ Nvidia MX150	1 x2	Yes	2018	$1199
Lenovo ThinkPad T490s	Ultraportable	14.0″	up to 8th gen Core U w/ Nvidia MX250	1 x4 (?)	Yes	2019	$1199
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon	Ultraportable	14.0″	up to 8th gen Core U w/ Intel UHD	2 x4	–	2019	$1199
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme	Multimedia	15.6″	up to 9th gen Core HK w/ Nvidia 1650MQ	2 x4	Yes (*)	2019	$1849
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga	Convertible	14.0″	up to 8th gen Core U w/ Intel UHD	2 x4	Yes	2019	$1499
Lenovo Yoga 730 15	Multimedia	15.6″ touch	Core HQ w/ Nvidia 1050	1 x2	No	2018	$999
Lenovo Yoga C730	Convertible	15.6″ touch	up to 8th gen Core U w/ Intel UHD	1 x4	Yes	2018	$1649
LG Gram 15	Ultraportable	15.6″ touch	up to 8th gen Core U w/ Intel UHD	1 x4	Yes (*)	2018	$1299
LG Gram 17	Ultraportable	17.3″ matte/touch	8th gen Core U w/ Intel UHD	1 x4	Yes (*)	2019	$1699
MSI GS65 Stealth Thin	Gaming	15.6″ matte	up to 9th gen Core HK w/ up to Nvidia RTX 2080MQ	1 x4	No	2019	$2099
MSI GS75 Stealth Thin	Gaming	17.3″ matte	up to 9th gen Core HK w/ up to Nvidia RTX 2080MQ	1 x4	No	2019	$2199
MSI P65 Creator	Workstation	15.6″ matte	up to 9th gen Core HK w/ up to RTX 2080MQ	1 x4	No	2019	$1199
MSI WS65	Workstation	15.6″ matte	up to 8th gen Core H w/ Quadro P3200	1 x4	No	2019	$2699
Razer Blade 14	Gaming	14.0″	up to 7th gen Core H w/ Nvidia GTX 1060	1 x4	No	2018	$1799
Razer Blade 15 Advanced	Gaming	15.6″ matte	up to 8th gen Core H w/ up to Nvidia RTX 2080MQ	1 x4	No	2019	$1899
Razer Blade Pro 17	Gaming	17.3″	up to 9th gen Core H w/ up to Nvidia RTX 2080MQ	1 x4	No	2019	$2699
Samsung Notebook 9 Pen 15	Convertible	15.6″ touch	8th gen Core U w/ MX150	2 x4	Yes	2019	$1599

Last but not least, if you don’t care about portability at all and simply want a powerful computer with a large screen, capable graphics and a Thunderbolt 3 port, these are the options for you.

15 to 21-inch full-size notebooks with Thunderbolt 3 connectors
Model	Type	Screen	Hardware	TB3 ports	Charging	Updated	Price
Acer Aspire V15 Nitro	Multimedia	15.6″	Core HQ w/ up to GTX 1060	1 x4	No	2017	$999
Acer Aspire V17 Nitro	Multimedia	17.3″	Core HQ w/ up to GTX 1060	1 x4	No	2017	$999
Acer Predator 15	Gaming	15.6″	Core HQ w/ up to GTX 1070	1 x4	No	2018	$1499
Acer Predator 17	Gaming	17.3″	Core HQ w/ up to GTX 1070	1 x4	No	2018	$1499
Acer Predator Helios 500	Gaming	17.3″	Core H w/ Nvidia GTX 1070	2 x4	No	2018	$1899
Acer Predator Triton 900	Gaming	17.3″	Core H w/ RTX GTX 2080	1 x4	No	2019	$3999
Alienware Area 51m	Gaming	17.3″	Core HK w/ up to Nvidia RTX 2080	1 x4	No	2019	$2499
Alienware 15	Gaming	15.6″	Core HK w/ up to GTX 1080	1 x4	No	2018	$1199
Alienware 17	Gaming	17.3″	Core HK w/ up to GTX 1080	1 x4	No	2018	$1499
Asus ROG Mothership GZ700GX	Gaming	17.3″	Core HK w/ up to Nvidia RTX 2080	1×4	No	2019	–
Asus ROG G703 Series	Gaming	17.3″	Core HK w/ up to Nvidia RTX 2080	1×4	No	2019	$2999
Asus ROG G752 Series	Gaming	17.3″	Core HQ w/ up to GTX 1070	1	No	2017	$1399
Asus ROG GL502VM	Gaming	15.6″	Core HQ w/ Nvidia GTX 1060	1 x2	No	2017	$1399
Asus ROG GL702VM	Gaming	17.3″	Core HQ w/ Nvidia GTX 1060	1 x2	No	2017	$1399
Asus ROG GX800	Gaming	17.3″	Core HK w/ up to GTX 1080 SLI	1	No	2018	$2499
Clevo P750TM1-G / Sager NP9156	Gaming	15.6″	Core K w/ up to GTX 2080	1 x4	No	2019	$1999
Clevo P775TM1-G / Sager NP9176	Gaming	17.3″	Core K w/ up to GTX 2080	1 x4	No	2019	$1999
Clevo P750DM2 / Sager NP9152 / Schenker XMG U507	Gaming	15.6″	Core K w/ up to GTX 1080	1 x4	No	2018	$1799
Clevo P775DM3 / Sager NP9172 / Schenker XMG U717	Gaming	17.3″	Core K w/ up to GTX 1080	1 x4	No	2018	$1849
Dell G3 Gaming 15/17	Gaming	15.6″	Core H w/ Nvidia GTX 1660Ti	1 x4	No	2019	$1099
Dell G5 Gaming 15	Gaming	15.6″	Core H w/ up to Nvidia RTX 2060	1 x4	No	2019	$999
Dell G7 Gaming 15	Gaming	15.6″	Core HK w/ up to Nvidia RTX 2080 MQ	1 x4	No	2019	$1099
Dell G7 Gaming 17	Gaming	17.3″	Core H w/ up to Nvidia RTX 2080 MQ	1 x4	No	2019	$1349
Dell Inspiron Gaming 7577	Gaming	15.6″	Core HQ w/ Nvidia 1060 MQ	1 x4	No	2018	$999
Dell Precision 15 3000 Series	Workstation	15.6″	Core HK w/ Nvidia Quadro	1 x4	No	2019	$999
Dell Precision 15 7000 series	Workstation	15.6″	Core HK or Xeon w/ AMD FirePro or Nvidia Quadro	1 x4	No	2019	$1199
Dell Precision 17 7000 series	Workstation	17.3″	Core HK or Xeon w/ Nvidia Quadro	1 x4	No	2019	$2299
Lenovo Legion Y720	Gaming	15.6″	Core HQ w/ up to GTX 1060	1 x4	No	2017	$1099
Lenovo Legion Y730 15	Gaming	15.6″	Core HQ w/ up to GTX 1060	1 x2	No	2018	$1099
Lenovo Legion Y730 17	Gaming	15.6″	Core HQ w/ up to GTX 1060	1 x4	No	2018	$1099
Lenovo Legion Y740 15	Gaming	15.6″	Core H w/ up to RTX 2070 Max-Q	1 x4	No	2019	$1599
Lenovo Legion Y740 17	Gaming	17.3″	Core H w/ up to RTX 2080 Max-Q	1 x4	No	2019	$1599
Lenovo Legion Y920	Gaming	17.3″	Core HQ w/ GTX 1070	1 x4	No	2017	$2499
Lenovo ThinkPad P53	Workstation	15.6″	Core H or Xeon w/ Nvidia Quadro	2 x4	No	2019	$1999
Lenovo ThinkPad P73	Workstation	17.3″	Core H or Xeon w/ Nvidia Quadro	2 x4	No	2019	$1999
HP ZBook 15	Workstation	15.6″	Core HK w/ Nvidia Quadro	1 x4	No	2019	$1499
HP ZBook 17	Workstation	17.3″	Core HK w/ Nvidia Quadro	1 x4	No	2019	$1999
MSI GT73 Titan	Gaming	17.3″	Core HK w/ up to GTX 1070 SLI	1 x4	No	2018	$2199
MSI GT75 Titan	Gaming	17.3″	Core HK w/ Nvidia RTX 2080	1 x4	No	2019	$2999
MSI GT76 Titan	Gaming	17.3″	Core K w/ Nvidia RTX 2080	1 x4	No	2019	$2999
MSI GT83VR Titan Pro	Gaming	18.4″	Core HK w/ up to GTX 1080 SLI	1 x4	No	2018	$3499
MSI WT75	Workstation	17.3″	Core K w/ up to Quadro P5200	1 x4	No	2019	$3999

Thunderbolt 5 and 4/3 explained

Here are the major updates that you need to be aware of when it comes to Thunderbolt 5.0

• still the ubiquitous and versatile USB-C physical connector;
• allows for faster bandwidth, 80 Gbps bi-directional and up to 120 Gbps with Bandwidth Boost technology when needed;
• allows for asymmetric operation with Bandwidth Boost (120 Gbps transmit, 40 Gbps receive, alongside standard 80 Gbps transmit/ 80 Gbps receive – source);
• supports PCIe gen 4 connectivity and doubles the amount of PCIe data throughput to up to 64 Gbps, allowing for faster external graphics units and faster/more external docks and storage;
• supports DisplayPort 2.1 up to 80 Gbps;
• supports 140W required Power Delivery charging and optional up to 240W;
• doubles the bandwidth allocated to Thunderbolt Networking (20 Gbps dull duplex);
• all these are possible by implementing PAM-3 (Pulse Amplitude Modulation with three levels) signaling technology, allowing for full performance via existing TB3/TB4 cables up to 1m long, or dedicated TB5 cables up to 2m;
• is fully compatible with previous Thunderbolt versions and accessories.

The Thunderbolt 5.0 standard

More details are available on Intel’s official page on the Thunderbolt 5.0 standard.

The reminding of the article discusses previous-gen Thunderbolt 4.0 and 3.0 standards, with the technologies offered at that level.

Now, let’s get back to why Thunderbolt 3 port is such a big deal. Here are a couple of thoughts:

• The USB Type-C connector is compact and reversible, so compatible cables are not going to take a lot of space. Also, unlike most other connectors like USB Type-A, DisplayPort, HDMI, etc, a USB Type-C cable no longer has a “right-way” to plug in, making it much easier to use.
• USB-C ports are more and more widely spread on mother devices, so down the road, they could replace all the other standard connectors, which means we could end up with one universal connector and one type of cable for pretty much all basic needs.
• Not all USB-C ports support Thunderbolt, as the technology is only reserved to certain Intel based-devices with an appropriate TB3 chip. That might change in the future, as Intel plans to bake Thunderbolt 3 compatibility within the CPUs.
• TB3 allows for very fast transfer speeds of up to 40 Gbps, which opens up space for a multitude of compatible accessories: fast external storage units, external graphics and processing units, external docking stations, etc.
• TB3 can output video, audio, and power at the same time, so is a solution for connecting high-resolution external monitors or TV sets.
• TB3 is also capable of network transfer speeds of up to 10 GbE, so can be a solution if you want to quickly transfer content within your network.
• TB3 can also be used for charging your device at up to 100 W of power. So good-bye dedicated charging cables. (it can also charge laptops that normally ship with higher capacity chargers, but slower and while performing less-demanding loads. However, you should keep in mind that not all laptops allow TB3 charging, even if the port theoretically supports it).

Thunderbolt 3 is versatile, compact, and easy to use – source

One compact port can do all of these, so no wonder manufacturers are adding TB on the latest ultrabooks.

But what does Thunderbolt mean for ultraportable notebooks? It allows OEMs to design thinner, lighter and smaller devices which wouldn’t have space around their sides to accommodate regularly sized ports. Yes, that means you’ll need to buy adapters for your existing cables and devices, but to some extent, that’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make. These smaller computers can be hooked up to peripherals and transformed from the ultraportable travel companions they represent by their own, to business, multimedia, and even gaming computers. You can hook up an external monitor for extra screen real-estate, a storage unit, a docking station with extra ports or those graphics units. Just keep in mind that CPU’s can be a bottleneck un ultraportable laptops hooked up to eGPU, as these are usually built on Core Y or Core U processors, but thin-and-light 15-inchers with quad/six-core Core H processors and a solid amount of RAM will be good matches for the graphics capabilities of a full-size desktop card.

There is however a fair amount of confusion around Thunderbol, mostly because it’s impossible to determine whether a device is TB compatible or not by simply looking at the physical connector. And that’s because TB3 and regular USB 3.1 ports both use a USB Type-C physical connector, but have different capabilities. The Apple MacBook, for instance, offers a USB 3.1 port, but not Thunderbolt. Standard USB 3.1 Type-C connectors still support data, video and audio transfers, but are limited to a lower bandwidth, so will perform slower, can’t carry power and aren’t compatible with graphics units, among others.

As of early 2025, there are many Thunderbolt compatible accessories available in stores, and we covered some of the better ones in this article. Even so, having a Thunderbolt port on your laptop might still not sit that high on your list of priorities, but you should consider something with TB for future-proofness, especially if you plan to take advantage of the matching peripherals down the line and plan to keep the laptop you’re buying today for at least 2-3 years.

With that in mind, we’ll wrap this up here. I’ll continue to update this list of Thunderbolt 5 and older laptops as often as possible, adding the new entries as they become available, but if you spot something that should be in here and is not, make sure to tell me about it in the comments section below, where I’ll also wait for your feedback and questions if any.

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