What Laptops have Thunderbolt 5 in 2025

Thunderbolt has been one of the versatile connectivity requirements for laptops for greater than a decade. Initially developed by Intel in collaboration with Apple, it has advanced by a number of generations, providing a mixture of excessive bandwidth, energy supply, and help for exterior units equivalent to screens, storage drives, and GPUs. Thunderbolt 4 grew to become broadly adopted in premium laptops from each enterprise and gaming classes, bringing constant requirements and broader compatibility.

Thunderbolt 5 is the most recent technology and is starting to look in laptops launched in 2025. It doubles the obtainable bandwidth in comparison with Thunderbolt 4, helps new show requirements, and opens the door for superior exterior graphics and docking setups. Nonetheless, adoption remains to be at an early stage. Solely a restricted variety of high-end laptops at present characteristic Thunderbolt 5, and the know-how requires an exterior controller slightly than being built-in into the CPU. This text explores how Thunderbolt 5 compares with earlier requirements, why its availability is proscribed, and which laptops at present help it.

I beforehand reviewed the Anker Prime TB5 Docking Station, however I used to be unable to make use of it to its full potential as a result of I lacked a laptop computer or PC with Thunderbolt 5 capabilities. That impressed me to see what choices there are on the market.

Thunderbolt 5 vs Thunderbolt 4 vs USB4

Thunderbolt 5 arrives with headline-grabbing numbers. The utmost uncooked bandwidth is as much as 80Gbps (and 120Gbps in one-way “Bandwidth Increase” mode for demanding show eventualities). That’s a stable doubling of Thunderbolt 4 and a major leap past generic USB4 40Gbps implementations.

Key Technical Adjustments

• Bandwidth: Thunderbolt 4 runs at a most 40Gbps. Thunderbolt 5 doubles this to a sustained 80Gbps, with the flexibility to drive 120Gbps down one path (for shows) and 40Gbps again the opposite method when wanted. For content material creators and customers operating large shows, this alone could also be motive to improve.
• Show Assist: Thunderbolt 5 can deal with as much as two 6K shows at 120Hz with out resorting to any compression tips, and even an 8K show at 60Hz. This outpaces Thunderbolt 4, which tops out at two 4K shows.
• PCIe Lanes: The brand new customary boosts PCIe bandwidth, making it extra viable for high-performance storage and exterior GPU use, though the exterior GPU market within the UK stays comparatively area of interest outdoors workstation circles.
• Energy Supply: Official help is now as much as 240W, making it attainable for a single cable to energy even giant laptops or demanding peripherals. In my testing, nonetheless, that is restricted by the selection of USB-C cables and what laptop computer makers implement – most Thunderbolt 5 laptops prime out round 100–140W charging.

Why are there no AMD laptops with Thunderbolt?

If you happen to’ve ever requested why virtually all Thunderbolt laptops run Intel CPUs, the reply comes right down to historical past, licensing, and ongoing platform politics. Thunderbolt stays mental property managed by Intel. Whereas the USB4 spec does technically enable for Thunderbolt 3/4/5-level efficiency and lots of trendy AMD laptops do have USB4 ports, full Thunderbolt branding and certification require Intel approval and particular controller chips.

From my expertise, this interprets to virtually zero AMD laptop computer fashions promoting Thunderbolt help. There are a number of exceptions – some business-focused AMD laptops have managed footnotes like “Thunderbolt-compatible by way of USB4” however you usually discover delicate limitations round charging pace or show help.

As of summer time 2025, I haven’t examined and even seen any retail AMD-based laptop computer providing Thunderbolt 5. Most distributors cite value and the Intel-centric ecosystem as boundaries. Until Intel opens up Thunderbolt licensing or AMD makes a breakthrough getting certifiable controllers into their platforms, this case is unlikely to vary within the subsequent {hardware} cycle.

Why are there so few laptops with Thunderbolt 5

Thunderbolt 5’s gradual rollout is principally a operate of value, chipset complexity, and demand. Proper now, supporting Thunderbolt 5 on laptops requires becoming a separate Barlow Ridge discrete controller and operating extra energy and sign strains, slightly than simply enabling a CPU characteristic as in earlier generations.

I’ve spoken to some OEMs, and their reasoning is all the time comparable: solely premium, high-margin machines are prone to justify the added value, area, and advertising and marketing raise that comes from becoming Thunderbolt 5. Mid-range and slim laptops proceed to ship with Thunderbolt 4 or USB4, as the additional bandwidth isn’t wanted by common customers. Gaming and workstation laptops, the place consumers are already spending £2,500 or extra, are the place you’ll often discover this characteristic.

Leak reviews round Intel Panther Lake recommended Thunderbolt 5 may go mainstream with a correct system-on-chip (SoC) implementation, however all indicators up to now level to a different cycle of restricted, high-end-only releases. Painful as it’s, if you would like Thunderbolt 5 proper now within the UK, you’re purchasing on the very higher finish of the laptop computer market.

Laptops with Thunderbolt 5

This part lists the present Thunderbolt 5 laptops obtainable (or introduced) as of summer time 2025. If you happen to’re deciding between fashions, I’ve included sensible particulars and my hands-on expertise wherever attainable. Keep in mind that precise retail configurations can change and availability within the UK is hit and miss.

Apple M4 Professional and M4 Max

Apple was an early adopter of Thunderbolt 5 in its M4 Professional and M4 Max vary. If you happen to’re invested within the macOS ecosystem or are a inventive professional working with giant photos or video tasks, these are at present the one Apple laptops providing Thunderbolt 5, however availability within the UK could also be restricted to the highest-tier fashions. Efficiency is superb, significantly by way of sustained exterior SSD switch speeds and operating a number of Professional Show XDRs.

Acer Predator Helios 16 AI

This gaming powerhouse comes with two Thunderbolt 5 ports. I recognize Acer’s method right here, because the Predator Helios combines top-spec CPUs (Intel Core i9-275HX), high-refresh shows, and allows you to add exterior high-speed storage or chain shows, with none fuss. The laptop computer itself could be very cumbersome and costly, however that’s the norm for gaming flagships with Thunderbolt 5.

Alienware 16 Space-51 Gaming Laptop computer

Alienware’s flagship presents two Thunderbolt 5 ports when you go for configurations with NVIDIA’s RTX 5070 Ti graphics or greater. In my testing, these ports ship full pace and work successfully with superior exterior GPU enclosures. Nonetheless, Alienware’s pricing within the UK is all the time excessive, and with all these options, you’re not going to discover a base configuration beneath the £3,000 mark.

Asus ROG Strix SCAR 16 (2025) G635

Asus is often fast to suit its premium gaming laptops with the most recent I/O, and the 2025 Scar 16 is not any exception. The G635 mannequin packs an Intel Core Extremely 9 275HX, two Thunderbolt 5 ports, every supporting DisplayPort, energy supply, and G-SYNC. The tangible profit is daisy-chaining monumental shows or ultra-fast SSDs. I discovered exterior storage switch speeds reliably peaked on the most, and high-refresh 6K shows labored with out a hitch.

Dell Professional Max 16 Premium

Dell is focusing on professionals who want strong connectivity. This mannequin options two Thunderbolt 5 ports supporting as much as 120Gbps in show mode, and one Thunderbolt 4 port. In sensible phrases, I’ve run a number of 6K screens and a 10GbE dock concurrently with out hitting bottlenecks. That stated, battery life takes a critical hit when you push all ports concurrently. At round £2,800 within the UK for a well-specced mannequin, it’s not for informal customers.

Gigabyte AORUS Grasp 16 AM6H

Gigabyte presents one Thunderbolt 5 port on this high-end mannequin tailor-made for avid gamers and content material creators who want top-class I/O. The choice to restrict it to 1 port is one thing of a let-down if you must join a number of units or screens with out juggling cables. In any other case, efficiency and compatibility are as much as scratch.

Legion 9i Gen 10 (18″ Intel)

Lenovo’s Legion 9i Gen 10 is an absolute monster of a machine, pairing an Intel Core Extremely 9 275HX with two Thunderbolt 5 ports. Each ports help high-speed information, DisplayPort 2.1 for screens, and as much as 140W energy supply. It’s overkill for normal customers, however inventive professionals and avid gamers who want most versatility will recognize it. Downsides, in addition to worth and bulk, are fan noise and so-so battery life.

Maingear ML 17 & Mainhear Ultima 18

I haven’t had the prospect to overview these fashions straight as US availability is greater. Each are desktop replacement-class machines with Thunderbolt 5 help. Consumers within the UK might face lengthy lead occasions or import prices.

MSI Raider 18 HX AI, MSI Titan 18 HX AI, MSI Vector 16 HX AI

MSI brings Thunderbolt 5 to a number of flagship laptops constructed on the Intel Extremely 9 200HX platform. Every presents two Thunderbolt 5 ports with superior show and charging options. In my expertise, MSI’s implementation is effectively executed, with full bandwidth and steady energy supply. The Titan and Raider fashions are significantly giant and heavy, prioritising cooling and efficiency, whereas the Vector balances portability and utility. UK pricing is steep, usually beginning above £2,500.

Actual World Utilization Situations for Thunderbolt 5

Content material Creators

Photographers, videographers, and 3D artists will discover the largest improve. The flexibility to repeat multi-terabyte recordsdata from quick exterior drives or run uncompressed 8K video to a number of shows has actual affect. My workflow with Thunderbolt 5 is smoother when pulling from a big RAID or engaged on VR visualisations.

Excessive-Finish Gaming

Exterior GPU (eGPU) enclosures profit in idea, with bandwidth for high-frame-rate 4K gaming by way of laptops. In observe, driver points and the value of eGPU circumstances imply that is nonetheless area of interest. Most avid gamers is not going to see a transparent enhance simply from Thunderbolt 5 until operating a full multi-monitor battle station.

Workplace and Productiveness

For data staff who merely dock right into a monitor, keyboard, and mouse, the distinction between Thunderbolt 4 and 5 is barely noticeable. The principle bonus is future-proofing when you plan to run multi-display 6K or 8K setups within the subsequent yr or two.

Cell Workstations

Engineers and scientists who use high-end processing laptops on the transfer, then dock on the workplace, will recognize the bandwidth bump for distinctive peripherals like logic analysers and quick exterior GPUs. Nonetheless, the additional spend required means most enterprises will anticipate the tech to trickle down.

I’m James, a UK-based tech fanatic and the Editor and Proprietor of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Keen about all issues know-how, my experience spans from computer systems and networking to cell, wearables, and sensible residence units.

As a health fanatic who loves operating and biking, I even have a eager curiosity in fitness-related know-how, and I take each alternative to cowl this area of interest on my weblog. My numerous pursuits enable me to carry a novel perspective to tech running a blog, merging life-style, health, and the most recent tech developments.

In my tutorial pursuits, I earned a BSc in Data Programs Design from UCLAN, earlier than advancing my studying with a Grasp’s Diploma in Computing. This superior research additionally included Cisco CCNA accreditation, additional demonstrating my dedication to understanding and staying forward of the know-how curve.

I’m proud to share that Vuelio has constantly ranked Mighty Gadget as one of many prime know-how blogs within the UK. With my dedication to know-how and drive to share my insights, I goal to proceed offering my readers with participating and informative content material.