How to use thunderbolt header. If I do that, how many PCIe m.
How to use thunderbolt header. Benefits of Using a Thunderbolt Dock Using a Thunderbolt dock offers several benefits, including: Convenience: A Thunderbolt dock allows you to connect multiple peripherals to your device via a single cable. . This is the required header/connector. This add-in card is made by Gigabyte and is meant to be used with Gigabyte mother it has a thunderbolt/usb4 port on the motherboard It does not. 5. But what exactly can you plug into a Thunderbolt port? In this article, we’ll explore the various devices and accessories that are compatible with Thunderbolt ports, and discuss the benefits and limitations of using these ports. ------------------------------------------------------- Jul 1, 2020 · Thunderbolt headers aren't actually carrying the data for a Thunderbolt port, they're essentially just hardware keys. After installing a Thunderbolt add-in card, you need to connect the relevant cable to this header. MO image ROG STRIX B550-E GAMING ROG STRIX B550-F GAMING (WI-FI) Share Add a Comment Sort by: a7u4 Installing the GC-Maple Ridge Thunderbolt 4 card into an AMD based desktop. If your motherboard does not have this connection then the card will not function. Mar 29, 2017 · The card is installed in PCIe Slot x4 as per the specification, the Thunderbolt Header Cable is all hooked up, though it's a very tight fit getting that card in the x4 Slot as well as plugging it in as their positions overlap slightly. How can I connect a Thunderbolt device to my Windows 10 computer? To connect a Thunderbolt device to your Windows 10 computer, follow these steps: Use a certified Thunderbolt cable to connect the device to your computer. You should purchase a manufacturer-approved Thunderbolt add-in card, such as ASUS ThunderboltEX for ASUS motherboards. Dec 18, 2024 · To use a Thunderbolt dock, simply plug the dock into your device’s Thunderbolt port and then connect your monitors to the dock. See full list on sweetwater. I am trying to understand why there is a need for a Thunderbolt 3 header on the motherboards to be used with add-in cards. The latter of which means it will not work with motherboards of other manufacturers–just like their TB cards won’t work with the MSI boards (Thanks MSI…) You have to make sure the card is inserted into a PCIe 3. May 9, 2008 · Been in the last days in an awful and painful discovery trip of the difficulties of making Thunderbolt (TB) working with newer PC machines using Windows 10. My case doesn't have a USB4 connector in the front panel, and I can't find any device that uses it directly, or any adapter to turn it into a USB4 port. This Part 2 video which shows how I upgraded my VM to Thunderbolt 4, then tested its performance. If you have Audio peripherals that use a Thunderbolt connection (I have 2x ASUS ThunderboltEX 4 is a Thunderbolt™ 4 add-on card that offers 40 Gbps bi-directional bandwidth, USB4™ device compatibility, and DisplayPort™ 1. 0 slot on the motherboard. This module conveniently adds Thunderbolt 4 to your PC. Thanks for Can a thunderbolt 3 header cable go into a thunderbolt 4 port on the motherboard? I own an asus rog Strix Z690-E Gaming WiFi 6E motherboard. Here's the low-down on this ultra-popular connectivity option. What can you do with a Thunderbolt USB 4 header in the motherboard? Hi! I have an ASUS Z790-P, and it has a USB 4 header. 0 cable to the ThunderboltEX 3-TR card and to a USB 2. Press firmly until the card is securely seated in place. Use this card to quickly transfer native PCIe and DisplayPort protocols between a PC and ThunderboltTM devices. You could probably use a Thunderbolt PCIe card, then mod your case to run a Thunderbolt extension cable through it to the front panel, but that's much more trouble than it's worth in my opinion. 2 Type C Header To A Motherboard That Doesn't Have Any Mike's unboxing, reviews and how to 148K subscribers Subscribe Feb 4, 2024 · 5. If I do that, how many PCIe m. Connect the bundled 14-1 pin Thunderbolt header cable to the ThunderboltEX 3-TR card (A) and to the TB_HEADER header on the motherboard (B). I just bought a new b550-f gaming board and was going to fit my thunderboltex3 card, but the mobo header has 13 pins, while the connector is completely different with only 5 pins. Background. It supports up to five daisy-chained Thunderbolt devices and provides up to 100 wat Aug 30, 2023 · I've installed the thunderbolt add-on card in the lowest PCI slot as instructed in the manual, connected to the thunderbolt header in the motherboard, connected to the USB port in the motherboard and have attached a 6-pin power cable to the card as well. Sep 13, 2023 · Thunderbolt 4 took over the modern laptop industry, so you've undoubtedly seen these USB-C ports. May 3, 2022 · The PRO Z690 manual, motherboard diagram includes a Thunderbolt 4 header JTBT1: View attachment 159453 A photo of that portion of the board is below: View attachment 159454 The manual also describes what the pins are for. Can I use a thunderbolt 3 header on the motherboard with a case that has a a USB 3. 0 header cable and MSI’s own 16-pin Thunderbolt header cable. It is called a "TB Header" because it contains additional signals needed to make TB/USB4 work. Dec 30, 2020 · Is there a thunderbolt header to thunderbolt adapter that I could string out the back of my case to use as I/O? Dec 12, 2023 · A2: ASUS Intel 400 series, AMD B550 series and later models with 14-1 pin Thunderbolt header *Refer to the following link for an up-to-date list of compatible models: Feb 28, 2022 · Many Intel boards don't have Thunderbolt either. I want to install a thunderbolt 3 pcie card on it, but just want to make sure my motherboards port can use that, and not just thunderbolt 4. 1 Type C front panel port? The case I'm looking to buy is the O-11 Dynamic which has a USB 3. 0 x4 slot. Thunderbolt header in these two MOs. And those headers are all proprietary. They enable the installation of additional USB ports, often found on the front or top of a computer case. Apr 19, 2024 · Only high-end motherboards support Thunderbolt ports and only a few ones integrate a dedicated header for AICs. 4. i believe the thunderbolt header is for funnelling displayport from the IGP (?) to the thunderbolt card and then output (along with PCIE data) out the TB (3/4) port of the card. The add-in card itself does not supply the power, it gets its power from the motherboard through this header. Please note that only ASUS Intel 500 series and later motherboards with a 14-1 pin Thunderbolt header can support ThunderboltEX 4 card. It supports up to five Thunderbolt devices in a daisy chain and enables up to 100-watt USB-C ® charging for laptops. Step 2: Connect one end of the THB_C header cable to the TB Header on the Thunderbolt™ add-in card. Everything works fine once windows boots, however prior to windows booting there are a few issues i'd like to try and resolve: No pre-Boot Display Output: No image on display when connected to thunderbolt dock until windows login prompt Jul 15, 2022 · You have a USB 2. help me make use of these TB headers. Mar 27, 2016 · I have determined, based on how the existing cards work, that Thunderbolt must be built into the chipset for an add on card to work. 0 x4 Thunderbolt supportive slot. Jul 30, 2020 · A Thunderbolt 3 PCIe card is an add-in card that uses a PCIe x4 slot in your motherboard to instantly enable Thunderbolt 3 support. All the add-in cards that I have been able to find for Thunderbolt 2 and 3 require a cable to connect the card to a Thunderbolt header on the motherboard, that is in addition to the required PCIe slot. Note: Supports up to five daisy-chained Thunderbolt Jun 26, 2023 · I've seen reports that shorting pins 1 and 3 on a Thunderbolt AIC will allow it to work on a headerless PC. (You'll also need an available DP out connector from your mobo's processor graphics, or an Through the use of the USB Type-C port, a Thunderbolt 3 connection functions similar to a typical USB port. Jun 8, 2025 · Q3. It is the best option if you’re using a system that doesn’t support Thunderbolt 3 by default. Understanding USB Headers USB headers are small connectors located on the motherboard that allow users to connect USB ports directly to the motherboard instead of using external ports. You can buy the Gigabyte Vision D which has Thunderbolt 3 built in and is certified. I'm just curious of what can it be used for, any idea? How To Add An Internal USB 3. I tried the leading motherboards with Thunderbolt ports that offer superfast speeds. Far from it. Aug 18, 2020 · New Feature : Thunderbolt functoin Supported Models : IMB-1222, IMB-1223 Advantages : Fastest Speed Delivers breathtaking 40 Gb/s data transfer speeds! High Definition Single-cable connection for Sep 26, 2017 · Refer to your manual. 2 NVMe ssds. You also need to use a USB 2. 0 x4 slot Compatible with ASUS motherboards: Connect the card to the onboard Thunderbolt header with the supplied system-link cable DisplayPort 1. Instead, pins 3 to 5 on the header cable are jumpered with a paperclip (the exposed part of which is wrapped around in Sellotape to stop it shorting anything else). com Mar 6, 2024 · In this guide, that’s exactly what you’ll get: We’ll go over some of its current iterations and how they compare, how Thunderbolt is different from USB-C, how to identify Thunderbolt ports Can you add Thunderbolt 3 to your PC? Yes! Our step-by-step 2025 guide covers motherboard compatibility, choosing the right PCIe card, and installation. Officially, they help facilitate a DisplayPort connection to the integrated GPU although they are required even if using DisplayPort pass-through. ASUS Congratulations and thank you for buying an ASUS ThunderboltEX 4 card! The ASUS ThunderboltEX 4 card provides Thunderbolt™ connection to other Thunderbolt- enabled devices. Install the HDMI to DP cable that came with the TB3 from your motherboards display port or a spare location on your video Jun 8, 2025 · [Motherboard] ThunderboltEX 4 Expansion Card Introduction ASUS ThunderboltEX 4 is a Thunderbolt™ 4 add-on card that provides 40 Gbps bi-directional bandwidth USB4™ device compatibility with DisplayPort™ 1. Both have a speed of 40 Gbps. Oct 20, 2020 · I do have a Thunderbolt 3 header, and I was thinking of getting a TB3 PCIe x 4 card and adding in external PCIe M. I also show the performance comparison with high-end HP laptop Thunderbolt port. Gigabyte looks overall better equipped, but I see one minus. The board's specs shows that it has: 1x TBT connector (JTBT, supports RTD3). Use this card to quickly transfer native PCIe and DisplayPort protocols between a PC and Thunderbolt™ devices. Image: The settings on your motherboard are currently default. It was developed by Intel in collaboration with Apple. There are PCIe cards that add internal USB-C connectors, such as the Silverstone ECU07 or ECU02. 0 Or 3. also connected USB cable to motherboard USB header (not sure this is necessary - probably only for the purpose to use Thunderbolt port as USB-C?). Gigabyte Thunderbolt 4 Maple Ridge, ASUS, MSI and ASRockThe Pin out is the key. Unfortunately I can't confirm that. My understanding is that TB3 directly connects to the CPU using PCI-E lanes so the card should just work after getting plugged into the PCI-E slot. Here's a breakdown of what the updated standard will gain you today. Welcome! Congratulations and thank you for buying an ASUS ThunderboltEX 3 card! The ASUS ThunderboltEX 3 card provides ThunderboltTM connection to other Thunderbolt-enabled devices. The mb is Asus ROG X-570E , video card is Asus TUF GeForce 3060 Ti I connected Titan Ridge card to second (long) PCI-E slot on my motherboard (in first slot there's video card). Unlike previous versions of USB, however, Thunderbolt 3 supports multiple protocols for transferring data and connecting Jun 17, 2025 · Thunderbolt™ Share is a software tool from Intel that enables PC-to-PC experiences between two supported host systems with either Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 5 and a Thunderbolt Share licensed PC or accessory (such as a Thunderbolt 5 docking station). Feb 18, 2021 · The Thunderbolt header cable is not plugged into the Thunderbolt header on the motherboard, since there is no BIOS option to control it. This video shows you how to connect thunderbolt display to motherboard with built-in thunderbolt port. Each Manufacturer has chose a different Thunderbolt Motherboard Header. It was a necessity for the old Alpine Ridge card. Connect the other end of the TB header cable to the JTBT1 connector on the motherboard. Like previous versions of USB, Thunderbolt ports can be used to connect memory keys, external hard drives, and other devices for the portable transfer of data. I've got an rtx4090 pumping into the TBT4 card, and a caldigit element dock on the output. Having the extra header and cable as part of the setup also discourages users from trying to use a Thunderbolt card in a motherboard that doesn't have the necessary firmware features to make Thunderbolt work smoothly. [ROG STRIX B550-E GAMING, ROG STRIX B550-F GAMING (WI-FI)]. Aug 21, 2019 · Hello everybody, I would like to add Thunderbolt to my PC, but I am having trouble finding the starting point. 0 header. 4. Jul 4, 2016 · Finally does anyone know why the Thunderbolt Header is really necessary, and why whatever data from the Header could not be sent over PCIe? The requirement for a Thunderbolt Header on the Motherboard must be choking the uptake of Thunderbolt on PC's. Oct 19, 2024 · We’ve seen the first Thunderbolt 5 port, the first cable, and the first dock to theoretically offer its blistering 120Gbps speeds. I'm trying to find a PC case that supports this header by including a port and cable, but I'm a bit lost on how to identify if the USB ports in the cases are actually USB4 Thunderbolt. Over the past few years we finally have this amazing technology coming to Windows PCs. Does anyone know of a solution? So I've got an Asus Strix z790-e with an Asus Thunderbolt ex4 card. Mar 21, 2024 · Pinout of Thunderbolt 1 and 2 Thunderbolt 3 and 4 pinout The upgraded version of Thunderbolt, which is Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 uses the USB Type – C connector which has 24 pins. Pick the best motherboard with Thunderbolt ports for optimal PC performance. If I will buy Page 1 ThunderboltM3 Quick Installation Guide Installing ThunderboltM3 ThunderboltM3 1. So, you need a Thunderbolt expansion card and a motherboard with a Thunderbolt header on it. Jun 28, 2025 · I'm putting together a build with the Asus Prime Z890-P motherboard, which features an onboard header for a USB4 Thunderbolt 10 Gbps Type-C port. The add-in cards can be vendor specific meaning if you have an ASRock motherboard, you should use the ASRock Thunderbolt The TB header is unnecessary now, you can use a Gigabyte GC Titan Ridge card. Both motherboards looks great. My theory is, that i could add a thunderbolt expansion card to my Desktop, then connect a thunderbolt hub to it and run all 3 displays via 1 cable. 4 support. Step 3: Connect the other end of the cable to the THB_C header on the motherboard. Apple Thunderbolt Display is not just a regular monitor, it is a Thunderbolt device and needs a Thunderbolt supported output. And the way the products are described tell me the cards were meant to be an add-on for certain motherboards made by the manufacturer. The headers facilitate a direct connection between the motherboard and the peripheral devices, allowing Dec 26, 2020 · FIXED! - If you want to use your Apple Thunderbolt Display with a modern PC motherboard & GPU, no converters or adapters will work to use it in standard display outputs. It's not you: the header labeled "Thunderbolt" on your motherboard doesn't actually carry Thunderbolt. Bad design! Mar 16, 2023 · Does anyone know how can I use the Thunderbolt header on the Valkyrie motherboards? The 9-pin header appears to be quite different from what I'm used to seeing on the Gigabyte, ASRock, and Asus TB headers. Step 1: Install the Thunderbolt™ add-in card in the PCIE 2. trueFirst fast question before more detailed description: Can I connect 1 x Thunderbolt header to usb-c case port? I have the same issue. But i dont know how to use these thunderbold headers and any specs about these TB headers. Decided to share some info so I can help other in the future. Your motherboard must have a Thunderbolt header, which can be confirmed by checking the manual. Jun 5, 2025 · Learn to verify your Thunderbolt port's functionality on Windows 10 by checking device manager, updating drivers, and testing with compatible devices. 0 (or higher) slot that is x4 or larger. But the fact that different motherboard brands use different Thunderbolt headers is mostly Intel's fault. Upgrade your motherboard in just three simple steps! Easy upgrade: Slide ASUS ThunderboltEX 3 into PCI-Express 3. While the signals going through it are somewhat standardized, the specific pin outs are manufacturer and generation specific, so if you want it to When Can You Successfully Add Thunderbolt? If you meet the following conditions, adding Thunderbolt via PCIe is possible. Apr 29, 2025 · Thunderbolt ports have revolutionized the way we connect devices to our computers, offering faster speeds and greater versatility than traditional USB ports. Thunderbolt technology has been around for many years. - Apple Aug 14, 2019 · They were looking to use a Ryzen 5 3600 in the build (or whatever Ryzen CPU that won't bottleneck RTX 3000) and it looks like the cheapest AM4 motherboard I could find that had the Asus Thunderbolt header was the TUF Gaming B550-Plus. It is NOT in itself a TB/USB4 port. That's all. J1 connector 2. No additional PCI Dec 12, 2023 · [ASUS Thunderbolt card] Which model of ASUS motherboard support ASUS Thunderbolt card? Q1: Which model of motherboard support ThunderboltEX 4 card? Q2: Which model of motherboard support ThunderboltEX 3-TR card? Q3: Which model of motherboard support ThunderboltEX 3 card? May 30, 2022 · We have taken a spin on the GIGABYTE GC-Maple Ridge Thunderbolt 4 Add-In card. [1] Thunderbolt combines PCI Express (PCIe) and DisplayPort (DP) into two serial signals [9][10] and Jan 12, 2024 · It should work. 2 support: Attach the supplied DisplayPort cable to the card and the onboard DisplayPort connector Turn on your computer, connect your According to PC Perspective, "These TB_Headers, on ASUS motherboards, are General Purpose I/O (GPIO) connections used for a fairly unclear task. I noticed all the x670e motherboards in the Asus lineup that support usb4 do so by only advertising usb4 support despite using a thunderbolt 4 controller. Either way: you need a Thunderbolt header to use those cards. Here's what I have on my tower: 3 full-height PCI 1 full-height PCIe x1 2 full-height PCIe x16 What is pci express version in my pc? Is there a thunderbolt card that works with my pc Hi. Make sure your Thunderbolt device has one Thunderbolt™ IN port and one Thunderbolt™ OUT port and use Thunderbolt™ cable (Not the regular Type-C cable). How to connect Thunderbolt devices in the daisy chain? A3. Mar 30, 2024 · Only a few high-end models include Thunderbolt ports while some may come with a dedicated header. It's a management connection for an add-in PCIe card sold by your motherboard vendor, which adds external Thunderbolt ports. So, before purchasing one, I highly recommend inspecting the specs to confirm if your mainboard supports Thunderbolt headers. Sep 8, 2023 · Only high-end motherboards support Thunderbolt ports and only a few ones integrate a dedicated header for AICs. It appears that my motherboard supports Thunderbolt 4 natively. *To determine the slot in which to install the Thunderbolt 4 AIC, refer to the user manual that comes with your motherboard. Align and insert the card into a PCI Express 3. A Thunderbolt header is not like an USB2 or USB3 header that you can just plug the corresponding I/O panel connector of your PC case into and get a data connection going. Sooo Either get a new motherboard or return the card. I have a Z690 Edge WiFi DDR4 and have my TBM4-8K card connected this way. Oct 21, 2012 · I see that there is a header on the Formula board for Thunderbolt - but I don't see any info on it. 2 cards can I add? Nov 20, 2013 · Connect the TB_HEADER cable between ThunderboltEX II and motherboard header If you are using an Apple Thunderbolt display, connect the DisplayPort from motherboard to ThunderboltEX II card, before connecting a Thunderbolt cable to the display. Install the Thunderbolt_Header cable from your TB3 card 10 pin connector to your motherboards Thunderbolt Header. The website for the card specifically mentions: Please note that only ASUS Intel 500 series and later motherboards with a 14-1 pin Thunderbolt header can support ThunderboltEX 4 card. Now, behold the first TBT5 cards from Gigabyte and from Asus. [7][8] It was initially marketed under the name Light Peak, and first sold as part of an end-user product on 24 February 2011. Connect one end of the TBT Header Cable to the TBT Header (A) on the Thunderbolt 4 AIC. 3. It does not contain any USB signals, it's a proprietary signalling header for the motherboard to reserve more PCIe buses. Is this just an issue of AMD not paying the licensing to advertise thunderbolt 4 support, or is thunderbolt 4 support actually disabled by the BIOS? Hello everyone, recently i got a macbook pro for work and i would like to use the 3 monitors of my gaming pc setup for it, while being abled to switch to my gaming rig easily. Asus Nov 15, 2013 · The Thunderbolt card slips right into a PCIe slot, and an included cable connects to the GPIO header. Then connect the other end of the cable to the The header isn't a whole thunderbolt connection, it's just a few GPIO pins for communication between the chipset and the thunderbolt controller, so you still need a card, which has the controller on it. Can I connect it to a thunderbolt header on the motherboard? Works for me without thunderbolt headers. Edit: Apparently the Aorus Xtreme kept the Thunderbolt header on the cover, but once again, according to OC3D’s video and photos, it was also scrapped with the same unused solder points. 0 header on the motherboard (B). So it was scrapped across The recommended PCIe slot may differ between models. What harness with header plug, cable and USB C at the other end can I use to wire this to the rear? This We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Connect one end of the TB header cable to the J1 connector on the card. Sep 26, 2022 · The new Thunderbolt interface is less about raw speed than about display connectivity and better device charging. The header is not inherently important for Thunderbolt. Want to buy Gigabyte B550 Aorus Pro (probably not AC) or MSI B550 Tomahawk for probably Ryzen 5800x when it will be released). It does edge cases like force-power if controller is asleep in old implementations, some power / sleep management stuff, and for old implementations, lets the motherboard BIOS when a device has been added so it can run the SMM handler. Sep 24, 2022 · If there is a thunderbolt I/O port on the board, you could plug thunderbolt capable devices, such as an external GPU enclosure like the Razer Core and Gigabyte's one (I forgot the name). Insert the ThunderboltM3 card into the PCIe 3. Thunderbolt 3 was launched in the year 2015, while Thunderbolt 4 was launched in the year 2020. Please follow the diagram below to connect the Thunderbolt devices. You can get up to two Thunderbolt 3 ports and other slots depending on the type of card. Unfortunately as with most new things, these cards can Jul 9, 2019 · Asrock has gone full steam ahead with Thunderbolt, sad to see Gigabyte making a last minute decision to scrap Thunderbolt, when USB 4 is going to use Thunderbolt 3 down the line. " So that's another idea for its purpose. Anyone know the functionality? Is it for future use? Sep 7, 2022 · My understanding is that this specific header is used to supply the high watt power used in Thunderbolt 3 / 4 devices. 11 votes, 17 comments. Using a PCIE card can work on boards that have the header but I would personally avoid it. 1 Type C port (the picture specifies a 1280 MB/s speed) The motherboard I'm looking to buy is the X570 Steel Legend and it has a thunderbolt 3 header Jan 5, 2025 · Thunderbolt-5-usb-c-cables Producer writes: 100% USB-C Compatible: Connect to Macs, PCs, iPads, Chromebooks, Surface, and other devices with a Thunderbolt 5, Thunderbolt 4, Thunderbolt 3, USB4, or USB-C port. Aug 20, 2023 · And whereas there is no ‘thunderbolt’ wording (rather USB4) on the x670 creator specs, the specs of the B650 list a ‘thunderbolt header’ rather than ‘USB4 header’. Sep 17, 2021 · [SOLVED] Case has a usb c port. Thunderbolt is the brand name of a hardware interface for the connection of external peripherals to a computer. This video shows how to add Thunderbolt USB4 to an AMD X670E motherboard. Connect the bundled 10-1 pin USB 2. The Asus Arion enclosure with a Samsung 970 pro drive behaves the same. Wait for Windows 10 to recognize the device and configure the necessary drivers. pjgns bjsn eifsec fqiv byuqtg filqpw toku tzi pvdfob lxe