Thunderbolt 4 is the latest technology building upon the innovation of Thunderbolt 3 with the ability to transfer data, video output to display, and power devices using a single USB-C cable. Since there are minimum requirements that have to be guaranteed met, Thunderbolt 4 is the most comprehensive solution available from USB-C connectors.
You can connect external GPUs with Thunderbolt 4. All you need is an eGPU, an enclosure, and a laptop with Thunderbolt 4 that supports eGPUs. The setup is simple. However, the cost of an eGPU and enclosure can make you think twice before getting an external GPU for your laptop with Thunderbolt 4.
One of the best reasons to upgrade to the Thunderbolt 4 laptop is the speed: a Thunderbolt connection can transfer data at up to 40GB per second – that’s four times faster than USB. That means no more waiting forever for large files and videos to load.
Another reason is the increased portability of having fewer cables needed. With only one type of cable, you don’t have to worry about bringing around extra adapters or converters so you can plug in your laptop anywhere on any device with a compatible connector like HDMI or VGA. This makes it perfect for those who need their laptops when they are out-of-office or traveling overseas without an adapter handy. The reduced number of cables also reduces clutter and helps keep things tidy while looking stylish as well.
Last but not least, there is the increased security that comes with the Thunderbolt connection. All data transferred over a thunderbolt cable is encrypted and a password port.
Top 5 Laptops with Thunderbolt 4
- HP Spectre X360 15.6 Inch 4K UHD Touch-Screen 512GB SSD + 32GB Optane 1.8GHz i7 2-in-1 Laptop (16GB RAM, Quad-Core i7-10510U, GeForce MX330, Windows 10 Home) Nightfall Black 15-EB0043DX
- ASUS ZenBook 14 Ultra-Slim Laptop 14” FHD NanoEdge Bezel Display, Intel Core i7-1165G7, NVIDIA MX450, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, ScreenPad 2.0, Thunderbolt 4, Windows 10 Pro, Pine Grey, UX435EG-XH74
- 2021 ASUS TUF Dash 15 RTX 3070 Gaming and Entertainment Laptop (Intel i7-11370H 4-Core, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, 15.6″ Full HD (1920×1080), WiFi, Bluetooth, 1xHDMI, Win 10 Home) with Hub
- Apple MacBook Pro M1 Chip (13-inch, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage) – Space Gray
- Apple MacBook Air M1 Chip, 13” Retina Display, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage, Backlit Keyboard, FaceTime HD Camera, Touch ID. Works with iPhone/iPad; Gold
1. HP Spectre X360
HP’s new and improved Spectre x360 15T is probably the best 2-in-1 laptop you can invest in, considering the crafty aesthetics and a reliable processing setup. You might have a diverse set of preferences that can be best represented by this class-leading convertible.
HP offers the elusive and interactive Windows 10 Pro OS and sweetens the pot further with a bundled flash drive, HP pen, and MS Office trial version. For creatives, media fanatics, and students who are more into reading, the 15.6-inch 4K panel is a necessitated inclusion. With an overall resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels, the featured IPS screen is one of the brightest in the retail sector. Besides, the touchscreen is bezel-less and completely stylus compatible.
Key Features
- 360° Flip-and-Fold Design, 1.8GHz 10th Gen Intel i7-10510U Quad-Core (up to 4.9GHz)
- 15.6″ Diagonal 4K UHD WLED Touch Display (3840 x 2160) 340 nits, intel GPU (2GB)
- 512GB SSD + 32GB Intel Optane, 16GB DDR4 SDRAM, SD Card Reader, Bang & Olufsen Quad speakers
- Windows 10 Home, Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX 201(2×2) + Bluetooth 5.0, Backlit Keyboard with Numeric Keypad, Fingerprint Reader
- 13.5 Hours Battery Life; Ports and Slots: 1 x Thunderbolt 3 Type-C; 1 x USB Type-C; 1 x HDMI 2.0; 1 x USB Type-A; 1 x AC smart pin; 1 x Headphone/Microphone combo; 1 x Media Card Reader
Technical Specifications
| Display Size | 15.6 Inches |
| Screen Resolution | 3840×2160 |
| Max Screen Resolution | 3840 x 2160 Pixels |
| Processor | 1.8 GHz core_i7 |
| RAM | 16 GB DDR4 |
| Memory Speed | 1.8 GHz |
| Hard Drive | 512 GB ssd |
| Graphics Coprocessor | NVIDIA GeForce MX330 |
| Chipset Brand | Intel |
| Card Description | Integrated |
| Wireless Type | 802.11ac |
Pros
- Brilliant aesthetics
- Class-leading display
- All-inclusive connectivity
- Innovative security suite
- Future-proof processor
Cons
- Questionable keyboard actuation
- Not meant for insanely demanding games
Recommendations
If you want a premium laptop that you can also use as a tablet, the HP Spectre x360 14 is one of the very best options you can find right now. It’s a fantastic combination of versatility and portability with a beautiful design that stands out from the crowd.
2. ASUS ZenBook 14 Ultra-Slim Laptop
The ASUS ZenBook 14 ultra-slim laptop is one of the most powerful yet compact notebooks with a 14-inch screen on our list that digital artists, animators, and illustrators would want to consider. It has a 14” screen with a 1920 x 1080 pixel screen resolution with a narrow bezel design. The machine offers a higher screen-to-body ratio compared to the competition, which is bright and color accurate.
The Zenbook 14 offers 8GB RAM and helps an artist open multiple software in the background while surfing the web without any issue. It also has plenty of flash storage, 512GB to be exact, which allows the user to install software locally and store their animations, drawing, and artwork without any picture storage issues.
Key Features
- Display: 14” 400nits Full HD (1920×1080), Anti-Glare IPS level NanoEdge bezel display
- Operating System: Comes with Windows 10 and a FREE upgrade to Windows 11
- Handwriting on ScreenPad: Take note or jot down your ideas by writing on the ScreenPad
- Innovative ScreenPad: 5.65” Full HD+ interactive touchscreen trackpad that adapts to your needs for smarter control and multitasking
- NumberKey on ScreenPad: Turn ScreenPad into a numeric keypad for easy numeric data entry
- App Switcher on ScreenPad: Easily move docked windows between your main display and ScreenPad display
Technical Specifications
| Display Size | 14 Inches |
| Screen Resolution | 1920 x 1080 pixels |
| Max Screen Resolution | 1920 x 1080 Pixels |
| Processor | 4.7 GHz apple_ci7 |
| RAM | 16 GB LPDDR4 |
| Memory Speed | 4266 MHz |
| Hard Drive | 512 GB Flash Memory Solid State |
| Graphics Coprocessor | NVIDIA GeForce MX450 |
| Chipset Brand | NVIDIA |
| Card Description | NVIDIA MX450 |
| Graphics Card Ram Size | 2 GB |
| Wireless Type | Bluetooth, 802.11ax |
| Number of USB 3.0 Ports | 3 |
| Average Battery Life (in hours) | 16 Hours |
Pros
- Good keyboard
- Powerful battery life
- Different trackpad
- Good bezel-less display
- Lightweight and easy to carry
Cons
- Limited ports
- A bit expensive
Recommendations
What stands out about this model is its multipurpose Touch-enabled screen pad. It can especially be helpful for art and design students to draw, take notes, and other minimalistic changes. The keyboard has good keys with a fast travel time.
Overall, it is a great machine for graduating art majors who want a laptop that is lightweight and offers great performance. However, if you’re looking forward to playing high-end games on this, then this might not be the best choice.
3. ASUS TUF Dash 15
The Asus TUF Dash F15 is a gaming laptop from Asus that has a thin form factor and is easily portable when compared to heavy gaming laptops. Armed with Intel’s new 11th-generation Tiger Lake-H35 processors, the laptop delivers a breathtakingly powerful experience. Although it is aimed at gamers, it is highly suitable for performing all kinds of intensive tasks.It has a super-portable design and a great battery life that makes it one of the best gaming laptops. The TUF line of laptops from Asus is aimed at the budget audience who are looking for the best gaming laptop without compromising on specs and performance.
Key Features
- High Speed and Multitasking: 16GB DDR4 RAM (8GB Onboard + 8GB SODIMM); 200W Power Supply, 2-Cell 76WHr Battery; Eclipse Gray Color
- Powerful Performance with Intel Core i7-11370H Quad Core: 11th Gen Intel Core i7-11370H 3.3GHz Processor (upto 4.8 GHz, 12MB Cache, 4-Cores) ; NVIDIA RTX 3070 8GB GDDR6 Dedicated Graphics
- Upgraded: Seal is opened for Hardware/Software upgrade only to enhance performance. 15.6″ Full HD (1920×1080) 240Hz Refresh Rate Display; Wi-Fi 6 AX201 Wifi, Bluetooth 5.2, Ethernet LAN (RJ-45), No Webcam, Backlit Keyboard
- Enormous Storage: 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD; 1 HDMI, Thunderbolt 4 (Type-C), Headphone/Microphone Combo Jack., Windows 10 Home-64, 1 Year Manufacturer warranty from GreatPriceTech (Professionally upgraded by GreatPriceTech)
Technical Specifications
| Standing screen display size | 15.6 Inches |
| Screen Resolution | 1920×1080 |
| Max Screen Resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
| Processor | 3.3 GHz core_i7 |
| RAM | 16 GB SO-DIMM |
| Hard Drive | 1 TB flash_memory_solid_state |
| Graphics Coprocessor | GeForce RTX 3070 |
| Chipset Brand | NVIDIA |
| Card Description | Dedicated |
| Wireless Type | Bluetooth |
Pros
- Multiple ports
- Strong performance
- Thin and lightweight
Cons
- Keyboard backlighting can be better
Recommendations
This computer has all of the power and speed necessary for any type of game, along with enough battery life to last you through hours of gameplay without needing a charge. Whether you’re looking for something in a budget-friendly price range or are willing to spend more money for top-of-the-line performance, this product will not disappoint.
4. Apple MacBook Pro M1
The MacBook Pro M1 from Apple is a powerhouse laptop capable of sustained high performance for all kinds of intensive tasks. It is aimed at high-end users who need superior CPU and GPU performance. With the M1 chip, Apple aims to provide the best experience for its users as it can have tighter control over both the hardware and software components of its devicesThe connectivity options include two Thunderbolt / USB4 ports.
You can connect an external display and other devices with a Thunderbolt 4 or USB-C cable. The port also allows you to charge your MacBook with a USB-C cable. Use a USB-C or Lightning cable to charge your iPhone and iPad. You can increase the number of available Thunderbolt ports by getting a Thunderbolt 4 Hub. This will enable you to create a complete workstation setup that is convenient and highly effective.
Key Features
- Get more done with up to 20 hours of battery life, the longest ever in a Mac
- 8-core GPU with up to 5x faster graphics for graphics-intensive apps and games
- 8-core CPU delivers up to 2.8x faster performance to fly through workflows quicker than ever
- Apple-designed M1 chip for a giant leap in CPU, GPU, and machine learning performance
- 16-core Neural Engine for advanced machine learning
- 8GB of unified memory so everything you do is fast and fluid
- Superfast SSD storage launches apps and opens files in an instant
Technical Specifications
| Display | 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2560-by-1600 native resolution at 227 pixels per inch with support for millions of colors, 16:10 aspect ratio |
| Processor | System on Chip (SoC) Apple M1 chip; 8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores; 16-core Neural Engine |
| Graphics and Video Support | Apple 8-core GPU |
| Charging and Expansion | Two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports with support for: Charging, DisplayPort Thunderbolt 3 (up to 40 Gbps), USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10 Gbps) |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 802.11ax Wi-Fi wireless networking; IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac compatible, Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology |
| In the Box | 13-inch MacBook Pro, 61W USB-C Power Adapter, USB-C Charge Cable (2 m) |
Pros
- Touch Bar
- Great Battery Life
- Slim and lightweight
- Stunning Retina Display
- Amazing performance with the M1 chip
- 16-core Neural Engine for machine learning
Cons
- Same design as previous MacBook Pro
Recommendations
The latest macOS Big Sur is designed to work seamlessly with the Apple M1 chip. You can experience the full performance and efficiency gains of the M1 chip with the Big Sur as you can take advantage of the advanced power management features that allow intelligent splitting of tasks between the performance and efficiency cores of the processor. Apple has taken convenience and performance up by many notches with the latest M1 chip. This makes MacBook Pro M1 the best Thunderbolt 4 laptop in 2021.
5. Apple MacBook Air M1
MacBook’s are one of the most popular laptops among computer science students because of their developer-friendly workspace. However, in 2020, Apple released their new MacBook that is powered by the M1 chipset. It is an Apple-made chipset and comes with eight cores based on TSMC’s 5nm processing node. As a result, you will most likely get up to 3.2GHz of clock speed. Meanwhile, this laptop comes with a 16 core neural engine which will give higher AI performance.An HD Webcam is further integrated to help you with online classes, video conferencing, streaming videos, and working from home if you are also doing a part-time job. Seeing the beautiful panel, some students would be thinking of using it for entertainment. This is a perfect machine to do so, whether watching movies, Netflix, Youtube or listening to music. Its dual front-firing setup produces adequately loud audio output. As we know, MacBooks have never been so good in the I/O department, and there is no exception with the latest Macbook Air.
Key Features
- All-Day Battery Life: Go longer than ever with up to 18 hours of battery life.
- Environmentally Friendly: MacBook Air is made with a 100% recycled aluminum enclosure and uses less energy for a smaller carbon footprint.
- Stunning Display: With a 13.3” Retina display, images come alive with new levels of realism. Text is sharp and clear, and colors are more vibrant
- Fanless Design: Your MacBook Air stays cool and runs quietly even while tackling intense workloads.
- Powerful Performance: Take on everything from professional-quality editing to action-packed gaming with ease. The Apple M1 chip with an 8-core CPU delivers up to 3.5x faster performance than the previous generation while using way less power.
- Superfast Memory: 8GB of unified memory makes your entire system speedy and responsive. That way it can support tasks like memory-hogging multi tab browsing and opening a huge graphic file quickly and easily..
- Why Mac: Easy to learn. Easy to set up. Astoundingly powerful. Intuitive. Packed with apps to use right out of the box. Mac is designed to let you work, play, and create like never before.
- Simply Compatible: All your existing apps work, including Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft 365, and Google Drive. Plus you can use your favorite iPhone and iPad apps directly on macOS. Altogether you’ll have access to the biggest collection of apps ever for Mac. All available on the App Store.
- Easy to Learn: If you already have an iPhone, MacBook Air feels familiar from the moment you turn it on. And it works perfectly with all your Apple devices. Use your iPad to extend the workspace of your Mac, answer texts and phone calls directly on your Mac, and more.
- AppleCare: Every Mac comes with a one-year limited warranty and up to 90 days of complementary technical support. Get AppleCare+ to extend your coverage and reduce the stress and cost of unexpected repairs.
Technical Specifications
| Product Dimensions | 11.97 x 0.63 x 8.36 inches; 2.8 Pounds |
| Item Weight | 2.8 pounds |
| Manufacturer | Apple Computer |
| Language | English |
| ASIN | B08N5M7S6K |
| Item model number | MGND3LL/A |
| Batteries | 1 Lithium Polymer batteries required. (included) |
| Date First Available | November 10, 2020 |
Pros
- Outstanding Performance
- Aluminum Build Quality
- Adequate Audio Output
- Long-Lasting Battery Life
- Color Accurate Display
Cons
- Only Two USB Ports
- Limited Room for Repair
- Restricted 256GB Onboard Storage
Recommendations
The laptop includes only two Thunderbolt 4 capable USB Type C ports with DisplayPort and charging support. Additionally, it gets a headphone jack. So you will have to use a dongle to get more functions, especially if you tend to use external devices more often. Apart from that, this laptop has Wi-Fi 6 technology along with Bluetooth 5 support. The laptop is framed with solid Aluminium construction regarding the build quality, weighing less than 3 pounds. Speaking of the overall design, this is outstanding with great portability.
Bottomline
Thunderbolt 4 is a hardware function upgrade of the USB-C port, which can provide more power. The Thunderbolt 4 port has four PCIe channels, allowing more data to be parsed at any given time. You can enable unique use cases, such as faster file transfer, power transfer, and even the use of an external GPU.
With all Thunderbolt 4 laptops certified, you can be sure of the quality and reliability. You’ll also have peace of mind knowing that any laptop with a Thunderbolt port will charge your monitor while driving resolutions up to 8K. And this is really what makes it worth spending on a Thunderbolt 4 machine not only does it offer universal compatibility but also high-resolution displays at lightning speeds. If you want to buy an affordable yet reliable laptop, choose one with a T4 port because they are unmatched in performance and versatility when compared to other ports like USB or HDMI.
One thing to keep in mind is that if the laptop has a Thunderbolt port, it means its price will be higher. The next thing is that this laptop made of Thunderbolt will be very popular because it moves at a high speed.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is Thunderbolt 4 on a laptop?
Thunderbolt 4 is an upgraded cable connection interface from Intel capable of powering your devices, transferring data, and displaying a video source to an external monitor all at once all with just one port. When it comes to speed, Thunderbolt 4 ports have a 40Gbps bidirectional bandwidth.
2. How do I know if my laptop has a Thunderbolt port?
The port’s appearance is physically the same as miniDP (DisplayPort). To confirm you have a Thunderbolt port on your computer, display, or cable check for the Thunderbolt symbol next to or above the port or connector.
3. Are Thunderbolt and USB-C the same?
Thunderbolt 3 ports look exactly the same as USB-C ports, and indeed, the connector is physically the same from a plug-in perspective. Indeed, Thunderbolt 3 is a superset of USB-C; you can plug a USB-C-only device into a Thunderbolt 3 port on a computer, and it’ll work just fine.
4. Which is better: HDMI or Thunderbolt?
When it comes to connecting your laptop to your monitor or TV, HDMI is the preferred connection type capable of transferring high-definition audio and video over a single cable. Thunderbolt is significantly faster than USB 3.0 or FireWire and provides more video bandwidth than HDMI.
5. What is the latest version of Thunderbolt?
Intel introduced Thunderbolt 4 in their latest 11th Gen Intel Core processor family (codename Tiger Lake). Here’s a quick breakdown of some of the features Intel says users can expect: An increase in the minimum video and data requirements provided by host devices through Thunderbolt 4.
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