Intel is Thunderbolt support for pci-e 3.0. The interface gives it a theoretical maximum bandwidth of 16Gbps per channel in both directions, instead of the 10Gbps which it now offers with pci 2.0 x4.
“We are working to get pci express 3.0 support into a future version of Thunderbolt to integrate,” says Intel spokesman Dave Salvator at Xbit Labs. Further details he gave not, however, so it is not known when the new specification should be ready. The announcement comes at a time when more and more laptops and motherboards with Thunderbolt announced, after initially only Apple-based systems will be equipped with were.
Thunderbolt is developed by Intel and combines pci-e and displayport. By the support of pci-e 2.0 x4 is the bandwidth per channel up to 10Gbps in both directions. With the support for pci-e 3.0 would each channel have a bandwidth of 16Gbps in both directions. Thunderbolt works with cables on the basis of copper. At first the interface of optical cables available and Intel would still have plans to on optical technology for a new Thunderbolt-generation, which allows the speed again, which could take up to 50Gbps to a distance of 100 metres.
The new Thunderbolt-generation pci-e 3.0 support is not earlier than 2013 or 2014 is expected, then the optical variant in 2015 should arrive. Incidentally, does the PCI Special Interest Group to a private wired Thunderbolt-alternative on the basis of pci-e 3.0.