Intel unveils new Thunderbolt, will be 4X as fast as current USB 3.0

At twice the speed of its original, Intel today unveiled the new Thunderbolt interface which theoretically runs at 20 Gbps in both forwards and backwards directions between storage and display.

This new generation interface, as noted by Engadget, enables 4K video file transfer display while maintaining 20 Gbps. This is a far stretch ahead of its current competitor, USB 3.0, which manages a data transfer rate of 5 Gbps.

The interface, code-named Falcon Ridge, is expected to be in production in 2014 and will be opening up the doors for the “first generation of desktop Retina displays”.

Also at the event Intel showcased the Redwood Ridge host controller which will be built into its upcoming fourth-generation processors.

As AllthingsD notes, the launch also hints at the possibility of having desktop Retina Displays on the market. After all, Apple’s display technology has come a long way since the launch of Thunderbolt back in 2011. Imagine a 1080 HD display times four at 23 inches. That almost completely stamps out the current competition.

Image: raneko (via Flickr)