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 gadgets reminiscent of screens, storage drives, and GPUs. Thunderbolt 4 turned broadly adopted in premium laptops from each enterprise and gaming classes, bringing constant requirements and broader compatibility.

Thunderbolt 5 is the newest technology and is starting to look in laptops launched in 2025. It doubles the out there bandwidth in comparison with Thunderbolt 4, helps new show requirements, and opens the door for superior exterior graphics and docking setups. Nevertheless, adoption remains to be at an early stage. Solely a restricted variety of high-end laptops at the moment characteristic Thunderbolt 5, and the know-how requires an exterior controller reasonably than being built-in into the CPU. This text explores how Thunderbolt 5 compares with earlier requirements, why its availability is restricted, and which laptops at the moment 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 Enhance” mode for demanding show eventualities). That’s a strong doubling of Thunderbolt 4 and a big 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 manner when wanted. For content material creators and customers working huge 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 massive laptops or demanding peripherals. In my testing, nevertheless, that is restricted by the selection of USB-C cables and what laptop computer makers implement – most Thunderbolt 5 laptops high out round 100–140W charging.

Why are there no AMD laptops with Thunderbolt?

In the event you’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 fashionable 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 just a few 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 price and the Intel-centric ecosystem as boundaries. Except Intel opens up Thunderbolt licensing or AMD makes a breakthrough getting certifiable controllers into their platforms, this example is unlikely to alter within the subsequent {hardware} cycle.

Why are there so few laptops with Thunderbolt 5

Thunderbolt 5’s gradual rollout is especially a perform of price, chipset complexity, and demand. Proper now, supporting Thunderbolt 5 on laptops requires becoming a separate Barlow Ridge discrete controller and working extra energy and sign traces, reasonably 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 price, house, and advertising elevate 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 normally discover this characteristic.

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

Laptops with Thunderbolt 5

This part lists the present Thunderbolt 5 laptops out there (or introduced) as of summer time 2025. In the event you’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. In the event you’re invested within the macOS ecosystem or are a artistic professional working with massive photos or video tasks, these are at the moment the one Apple laptops providing Thunderbolt 5, however availability within the UK could also be restricted to the highest-tier fashions. Efficiency is great, significantly by way of sustained exterior SSD switch speeds and working a number of Professional Show XDRs.

Acer Predator Helios 16 AI

This gaming powerhouse comes with two Thunderbolt 5 ports. I admire 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 may 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 provides two Thunderbolt 5 ports in the event 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. Nevertheless, 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 under the £3,000 mark.

Asus ROG Strix SCAR 16 (2025) G635

Asus is normally fast to suit its premium gaming laptops with the newest I/O, and the 2025 Scar 16 isn’t 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 huge 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 sturdy 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 in the event 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 provides one Thunderbolt 5 port on this high-end mannequin tailor-made for players 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 it’s essential join a number of gadgets 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 knowledge, DisplayPort 2.1 for screens, and as much as 140W energy supply. It’s overkill for normal customers, however artistic execs and players who want most versatility will admire it. Downsides, in addition to value and bulk, are fan noise and so-so battery life.

Maingear ML 17 & Mainhear Ultima 18

I haven’t had the prospect to evaluation these fashions immediately as US availability is greater. Each are desktop replacement-class machines with Thunderbolt 5 help. Patrons within the UK might face lengthy lead instances 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 provides two Thunderbolt 5 ports with superior show and charging options. In my expertise, MSI’s implementation is effectively executed, with full bandwidth and secure energy supply. The Titan and Raider fashions are significantly massive and heavy, prioritising cooling and efficiency, whereas the Vector balances portability and utility. UK pricing is steep, typically beginning above £2,500.

Actual World Utilization Eventualities for Thunderbolt 5

Content material Creators

Photographers, videographers, and 3D artists will discover the most important 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 principle, with bandwidth for high-frame-rate 4K gaming by way of laptops. In observe, driver points and the value of eGPU instances imply that is nonetheless area of interest. Most players won’t see a transparent enhance simply from Thunderbolt 5 until working a full multi-monitor battle station.

Workplace and Productiveness

For information employees who merely dock right into a monitor, keyboard, and mouse, the distinction between Thunderbolt 4 and 5 is barely noticeable. The primary bonus is future-proofing in the event you plan to run multi-display 6K or 8K setups within the subsequent 12 months or two.

Cellular Workstations

Engineers and scientists who use high-end processing laptops on the transfer, then dock on the workplace, will admire the bandwidth bump for distinctive peripherals like logic analysers and quick exterior GPUs. Nonetheless, the additional spend required means most enterprises will watch for 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 cellular, wearables, and sensible dwelling gadgets.

As a health fanatic who loves working 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 various pursuits enable me to carry a novel perspective to tech running a blog, merging life-style, health, and the newest tech developments.

In my educational pursuits, I earned a BSc in Info Methods 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 persistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of many high know-how blogs within the UK. With my dedication to know-how and drive to share my insights, I intention to proceed offering my readers with participating and informative content material.