We evaluate two new flagship Z77 motherboards targeting different price points - ASUS's P8Z77-V Premium billed as a feature packed, four-way GPU capable workhorse while MSI opted for a more understated approach with their Z77A-GD80. Both of them feature a debuting Intel 'Cactus Ridge' Thunderbolt controller, which we will cover quite extensively in this piece.
We have to say that Intel's first Thunderbolt equipped motherboard is something of an anti-climax, as the DZ77RE-75K is nigh on identical to the DZ77GA-70K, although we spotted at least one change beyond the Thunderbolt port. On top of that, it's also quite an expensive motherboard, more so than MSI's Z77A-GD80.
Apple is working on a 15-inch MacBook Pro with a Retina display and USB 3.0, according to a report by 9to5Mac.
We already know what Intel has planned for this year when it comes to its Thunderbolt chips, but VR-Zone has managed to get hold of an updated roadmap covering what to expect for 2013 and we'll even give you glimpse at what Intel has planned for 2014. Intel is set to continue its strategy with two different solutions, but the company has decided to add a few new features and we should be able to expect lower cost for Thunderbolt in the future as well.
We've just had confirmation that Intel is finally shipping its second generation Thunderbolt controllers, previously codenamed Cactus Ridge. The timing appears to be spot on, as rumours about Apple's upcoming Ivy Bridge MacBook Pros have kicked off and the first of the new models are expected to be announced end of May.
Ah yes, Thunderbolt, that revolutionizing new standard that next to no-one's using due to the high costs. Well, ok, that's not entirely true, but it has yet to take off, although LaCie is doing its best when it comes to getting products out there and its new eSATA Hub Thunderbolt series might win a few Mac owners over.
What can only be called a very recent addition in the world of peripheral IC makers, ASMedia has quickly made a name for itself, thanks to in to small part to its USB 3.0 host and device controllers as well as its SATA 6Gbps controllers. Now the company is said to be aiming to product solutions that are compatible with Intel's Thunderbolt standard.
Updated with a correction from ASMedia
We're not sure if this is good news or bad news, but Intel has decided to cancel one of its planned Thunderbolt chipsets in the upcoming Cactus Ridge range of chips. The company has canned the 3.4W TDP part, also known as the L3510H in favour of the lower power L3510L.
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Thunderbolt devices are finally starting to trickle out into the market, albeit most of them so far have been storage devices and Western Digital's new My Book Thunderbolt Duo is no different in this regard. However, where WD has managed to excel compared to its competitors in terms of pricing.
Back at CES the first pictures of MSI's Z77A-GD80 motherboard made an appearance, a board that was said to feature Thunderbolt connectivity, but back then MSI hadn't actually implemented it. Fast forward three months and the company is now showing off the final board with the actual hardware fitted to the board.
What everyone expected to be Belkin's Thunderbolt dock appeared IDF a couple of months back and it was a rather stylish if somewhat impractical design. Now the company has unveiled the final product design and well, it's a grey slab of what looks like rendered metal in the pictures, but could just as well be plastic.
With Intel's Ivy Bridge based Ultrabooks and a fair few other Ivy Bridge notebooks and desktops expected to offer Thunderbolt connectivity – the first time for computers no from Apple – it looks like several companies are getting interested in the still relatively new, high-speed interface. OCZ has shown off its upcoming external SSD with Thunderbolt interface at CES, as well as its new Indilinx Everest 2 SSD controller.
There's no secret that Intel wasn't going to let Apple keep its Thunderbolt technology as an exclusive forever, but no reports are coming out stating that we can expect Thunderbolt equipped PCs, notebooks and motherboards in April of next year. We've been hearing rumours for a while, but this is the first solid lead on an actual launch date.
According to information that has reached VR-Zone, Intel has big plans when it comes to Ultrabooks and the first major step forward from the fairly unimpressive machines we've seen so far is the addition of support for docking stations. This being Intel doing things the Intel way the company will rely on its Thunderbolt technology as well as an additional dock connector, at least if the company can sell its plans to the notebook manufacturers.
At IDF earlier this month Intel revealed its upcoming Cactus Ridge Thunderbolt controllers, but it turns out the company is about to launch a third Thunderbolt controller and it should arrive ahead of Cactus Ridge. The yet unannounced chip is known as Port Ridge or L2210 and it's a low-cost device only controller which should hopefully make it more appealing for peripheral manufacturers to create Thunderbolt devices.
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