As the upgrade to Thunderbolt 4 expands into more computers, LaCie users have the compatibility to jump right into action.
As we roll into 2022, more Macs, PCs and accessories are embracing Thunderbolt 4. As a tech user, you may be wondering…
What does it mean for computers and the user experience?
Let’s examine what each of the last two Thunderbolt updates have done. With Thunderbolt 3, the major outcome was improved data rates for computers and accessories. By pushing data rates up to 40Gb/s, a computer was able to manage Thunderbolt 3 accessories at twice the rate of Thunderbolt 2.
Today, Thunderbolt 4 keeps the exact same maximum throughput as Thunderbolt 3, 40Gb/s. It also brings additional docking features, including four physical Thunderbolt 4 ports, one upstream to the computer and three downstream for daisy chaining. Thunderbolt 4 has a stricter requirement for manufacturers with a minimum bandwidth of 32Gb/s. This is double the bandwidth requirement from the previous generation and a benefit for creatives who work with a lot of high-resolution video and photo processing on their computers. Thunderbolt 4 also supports up to two 4K displays—pushing the boundaries for professionals with an optimized user experience.
What does this mean for LaCie users?
As you’ve probably gathered, Thunderbolt 4 brings the same great data performance as Thunderbolt 3. They both max out at 40Gb/s. Just as Thunderbolt 4, Thunderbolt 3 was designed for optimal performance for external storage. So, LaCie Thunderbolt 3 products like 2big Dock, 1big Dock SSD PRO, and Rugged SSD PRO provide the best performance on Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 computers. If you are using an M1 (Thunderbolt 3) or an M1 Pro/M1 Max (Thunderbolt 4) MacBook Pro, LaCie delivers the maximum performance you can get from external storage devices.
Looking ahead, LaCie remains focused on working on even higher performance storage for Creative Professionals. Just like our users, we can’t wait to share future technologies with greater bandwidth for 8K video and beyond.
By the way, is LaCie also compatible with the upcoming USB4?
Yes! LaCie solutions* support the USB protocol, and USB4 computers assure compatibility. Therefore, all LaCie products will provide the best speeds on both USB4 and Thunderbolt 4 computers. With that said, the only way to guarantee a data rate of 40Gb/s is to connect a LaCie Thunderbolt 3 external drive to a Thunderbolt 3 or 4 computer.
We’re excited for these upgrades and proud that most LaCie users won’t have to go out of their way to keep up with the new standards.
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* 1big Dock SSD Pro requires a Thunderbolt host to access its SSD