Recently, Thunderbolt 3 has become a standard port for laptops. In the meantime, more and more expansion devices will support this port. A diverse variety of devices, ranging from docking stations with simple expansion functions to the external graphics card, which can greatly improve laptop performance, all support Thunderbolt 3.
In the future, it will be widely applied. Therefore, it is necessary for the user to buy a laptop with a Thunderbolt 3 port when replacing a new one. At present, a small number of high-end laptops provide TB 3 ports on the market. In the following form, we will list current Thunderbolt 3 laptops on the market.
This port has only been applied to high-end lightweight laptops and motherboards instead of most of the devices owing to its cost and other reasons. Besides, only a small number of external devices support Thunderbolt 3, and it has not been widely applied to products. However, a policy from Intel may make it gradually become popular. Intel has announced that they will directly integrate Thunderbolt 3 control unit in the CPU in the future and provide this technology to cooperative partners for free, and in the meantime, they will cooperate with Microsoft to make the operating system directly support TB 3 and achieve the hot plug.
In this way, it will be less difficult for laptop products to integrate TB 3, and it will be common to be found in products such as lightweight laptops in the future. TB 3 has high transfer speed, which makes it easier for lightweight laptops to use an external graphics card. In addition, once it has been widely used, it will be possible for a port to replace multiple ports. For example, only a Thunderbolt 3 can achieve all the functions that several USB ports and HDMI ports have in the near future. Therefore, the price will be lower as the number of docking stations increases in the future.
12.5-13.3 inch ultrabooks
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| Model | Screen | Hardware | Battery | TB3 ports | Price |
| Apple MacBook Air | 13.3″ 2560×1600 | 8th gen Core / UHD 617 | 2 x4 | $1199 | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 13 | 13.3″ 2560×1600 | 2.3GHz Core i5 / HD 640 | 2 x4 | $1299 | |
| ASUS ZenBook S UX391UA | 13.3″ UHD Touch | up to i7-8550U / UHD 620 | 50Wh | 1 x4 | $1499 |
| Dell Latitude 7285 2-in-1 | 12.3″ 2880×1920 Touch | up to i7-7Y75 / 16G RAM | 34Wh | 2 x4 | $1525 |
| Dell Latitude 7290 | 12.5″ 1366×768 | Up to i7-8650U / UHD 620 | 60Wh | 1 x4 | $1509 |
| Dell Latitude 7390 | 13.3″ FHD | Up to i7-8650U / UHD 620 | 60Wh | 1 x4 | $1669 |
| Dell Latitude 7390 2-in-1 | 13.3″ FHD Touch | Up to i7-8650U / UHD 620 | 60Wh | 2 x4 | $1519 |
| Dell XPS 13 9380 | 13.3″ FHD | Up to i7-8650U / UHD 620 | 52Wh | 2 x4 | $859 |
| Dell XPS 13 7390 | 13.3″ FHD/UHD Touch | Up to i7-10710U / UHD 620 | 52Wh | 2 x4 | $899 |
| Dell XPS 13 9300 | 13.4″ FHD/UHD+ Touch | Up to i7-1065G7 / Iris Plus | 52Wh | 2 x4 | $1249 |
| Dell XPS 13 9375 2-in-1 | 13.3″ FHD Touch | Up to i7-8500Y / HD 620 | 46Wh | 1 x4 | $1079 |
| Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 | 13.4″ FHD Touch | Up to i7-1065G7 / Iris Plus | 51Wh | 2 x4 | $999 |
| Huawei MateBook X Pro | 13.9″ QHD+ Touch | Up to i7-8650U / MX150 | 57.4Wh | 1 x2 | $1199 |
| Huawei MateBook X Pro 2019 | 13.9″ QHD+ Touch | Up to i7-8565U / MX250 | 57.4Wh | 1 x4 | |
| Lenovo Yoga 730 13 | 13.3″ FHD/UHD Touch | Up to i7-8565U / UHD 620 | 48Wh | 2 x4 | $629 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X280 | 12.5″ FHD Touch | Up to i7-8650U / UHD 620 | 48Wh | 1 x2 | $1399 |
| Lenovo Yoga 920 | 13.9″ FHD Touch | Up to i5-8250U / UHD 620 | 65Wh | 2 x4 | $1199 |
| Lenovo Yoga C930 | 13.9″ FHD/UHD Touch | Up to i7-8550U / UHD 620 | 60Wh | 2 x4 | $969 |
| Lenovo Yoga S940 | 13.9″ UHD | Up to i7-8650U / UHD 620 | 2 x4 | ||
| Lenovo IdeaPad S940 | 13.9″ FHD/UHD | Up to i7-8565U / UHD 620 | 2 x4 | ||
| Lenovo ThinkPad X380 Yoga | 13.3″ FHD Touch | Up to i7-8650U / UHD 620 | 51Wh | 1 x2 | $1199 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X390 | 13.3″ HD/FHD | Up to i7-8565U / UHD 620 | 48Wh | 1 x4 | $999 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X390 Yoga | 13.3″ FHD Touch | Up to i7-8565U / UHD 620 | 50Wh | 1 x4 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet | 13.0″ QHD+ Touch | Up to i7-8650U / UHD 620 | 42Wh | 2 x4 | $1199 |
| HP EliteBook x360 1020 G2 | 12.5″ FHD Touch | Up to i7-8650U / UHD 620 | 49Wh | 2 x4 | $1449 |
| HP EliteBook x360 1030 G3 | 13.3″ FHD Touch | Up to i7-8650U / UHD 620 | 56.2Wh | 2 x4 | $1349 |
| HP EliteBook 830 G5 | 13.3″ FHD | Up to i7-8650U / UHD 620 | 50Wh | 1 x4 | $1249 |
| HP Spectre x360 13 | 13.3″ FHD Touch | Up to i7-8550U / UHD 620 | 60Wh | 2 x4 | $1269 |
| Razer Blade Stealth 13 | 13.3″ FHD/UHD Touch | Up to i7-8565U / MX150 | 53.1Wh | 1 x4 | $1299 |
14.0-17.3 inch laptops
| Model | Screen | Hardware | Battery | TB3 ports | Price |
| Acer Predator Triton 700 | 15.6″ FHD | Up to i7-7700HQ / GTX 1060 | 54Wh | 1 x4 | $1899 |
| Acer Predator Helios 500 | 15.6″ FHD | Up to i9-8950HK / GTX 1070 | 74Wh | 2 x4 | $1799 |
| Alienware m15 | 15.6″ FHD/UHD | Up to i7-8750H / RTX 2080 Max-Q | 60Wh | 1 x4 | $1399 |
| Alienware m17 | 17.3″ FHD/UHD | Up to i9-8950 / RTX 2080 Max-Q | 60Wh | 1 x4 | $2349 |
| Alienware 15 | 15.6″ FHD/UHD | Up to i9-8950HK / GTX 1080 | 68Wh | 1 x4 | $1499 |
| Alienware 17 | 17.3″ FHD/UHD | Up to i9-8950HK / GTX 1080 | 68Wh | 1 x4 | $1499 |
| Apple MacBook Pro 15 | 15.6″ 2880×1800 | Up to Core i9 / Radeon 560 | 83.6Wh | 2 x4, 2 x2 | $2399 |
| Asus Zenbook 3 UX490UA | 14.0″ FHD | Up to i7-8550U / UHD 620 | 46Wh | 2 x4 | $1699 |
| ASUS ROG Zephyrus GX501 | 15.6″ FHD 120Hz | Up to i7-8750H / GTX 1080 | 50Wh | 1 x4 | $2899 |
| Asus Zenbook Pro UX580 | 15.6″ FHD 60Hz | Up to i7-8750H / GTX 1050Ti | 71Wh | 2 x4 | $1589 |
| ASUS ROG G703GS | 17.3″ FHD 144Hz | Up to i9-8950HK / RTX 2080 | 71Wh | 1 x4 | $2199 |
| ASUS ZenBook Pro UX550VE | 15.6″ FHD Touch | Up to i7-8750H / GTX 1050Ti | 73Wh | 1 x4 | $1499 |
| Dell G5 15 Gaming | 15.6″ FHD/UHD | Up to i7-8750H / RTX 2060 | 60Wh | 1 x4 | $859 |
| Dell G7 15 Gaming | 15.6″ FHD | Up to i7-8750H / RTX 2060 | 60Wh | 1 x4 | $999 |
| Dell G7 17 Gaming | 17.3″ FHD | Up to i7-8750H / RTX 2070 Max-Q | 60Wh | 1 x4 | $859 |
| Dell Precision 15 3000 | 15.6″ FHD | Up to i7-8750H / Nvidia Quadro P600 | 68Wh | 1 x4 | $899 |
| Dell Precision 15 5000 | 15.6″ FHD | Up to i7-8706G / Radeon Pro WX Vega M | 56Wh | 1 x4 | $1599 |
| Dell Precision 17 7000 | 17.3″ FHD | Up to i7-8750H / Nvidia Quadro P4200 | 91Wh | 2 x4 | $1329 |
| Dell XPS 15 | 15.6″ FHD | Up to i9-8950HK / GTX 1050Ti | 97Wh | 1 x4 | $1499 |
| Dell XPS 15 2-in-1 | 15.6″ FHD Touch | Up to i7-8705G / Radeon RX Vega M | 75Wh | 2 x4 | $1599 |
| Dell Latitude 7490 | 14.0″ 1366×768 | Up to i7-8650U / UHD 620 | 60Wh | 1 x4 | $1659 |
| Dell Latitude 5491 | 14.0″ FHD | Up to i7-8850H / UHD 620 | 68Wh | 1 x4 | $1609 |
| Dell Latitude 5591 | 15.6″ FHD | Up to i7-8850H / UHD 620 | 68Wh | 1 x4 | $1609 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T480 | 14.0″ FHD/WQHD | Up to i7-8650U / MX150 | 48Wh | 1 x2 | $1199 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T480s | 14.0″ FHD/WQHD | Up to i7-8650U / MX150 | 57Wh | 1 x2 | $1199 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T490 | 14.0″ HD/FHD/WQHD | Up to i7-8565U / MX250 | 50Wh | 1 x2 | $1129 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T490s | 14.0″ FHD/WQHD | Up to i7-8565U / MX250 | 57Wh | 1 x2 | $1229 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T580 | 15.6″ FHD | Up to i7-8650U / MX150 | 56Wh | 1 x2 | $1199 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T590 | 15.6″ FHD/UHD | Up to i7-8565U / MX250 | 57Wh | 1 x2 | $1179 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga | 14.0″ FHD Touch | Up to i7-8650U / UHD 620 | 54Wh | 1 x4 | $1499 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P52 | 15.6″ FHD/UHD | Up to i7-8850H / Quadro P3200 | 90Wh | 1 x4 | $1399 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon | 14.0″ FHD | Up to i7-8650U / UHD 620 | 57Wh | 2 x4 | $1139 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme | 15.6″ FHD/UHD | up to i7-8850H / GTX 1050 Ti | 80Wh | 2 x4 | $1399 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P1 | 15.6″ FHD/UHD | up to i7-8850H / Quadro P2000 | 80Wh | 2 x4 | $1569 |
| Lenovo Yoga 730 15 | 15.6″ FHD/UHD | Up to i7-8565U/ GTX 1050 | 51.5Wh | 1 x4 | $829 |
| Lenovo Yoga C730 | 15.6″ FHD/UHD Touch | Up to i7-8565U/ UHD 620 | 1 x4 | $1569 | |
| HP EliteBook x360 1040 G5 | 14.0″ FHD/UHD Touch | Up to i7-8650U / UHD 620 | 56.2 Wh | 1 x4 | $1399 |
| HP ZBook Studio G5 | 15.6″ FHD/UHD | Up to Xeon E-2186M / Quadro P1000 | 95Wh | 2 x4 | $1999 |
| HP EliteBook 840 G5 | 14.0″ FHD 72% sRGB | Up to i7-8550U/ UHD 620 | 50Wh | 1 x4 | $1569 |
| HP EliteBook 850 G5 | 15.6″ FHD 45% sRGB | Up to i7-8550U/ UHD 620 | 56Wh | 1 x4 | $1499 |
| HP Omen 15 | 15.6″ FHD | Up to i7-8750H / RTX 2080 Max-Q | 63Wh | 1 x4 | $999 |
| HP Omen 17 | 15.6″ FHD | Up to i7-8750H / RTX 2080 Max-Q | 63Wh | 1 x4 | $1099 |
| HP ZBook 15 G5 | 15.6″ FHD/UHD | Up to Xeon E-2186M / Quadro P2000 | 50Wh | 2 x4 | $1649 |
| HP ZBook 17 G5 | 17.3″FHD/UHD | Up to Xeon E-2186M / Quadro P5200 | 96Wh | 2 x4 | $1899 |
| MSI GT75 Titan | 17.3″FHD/UHD | Up to i9-8950HK / RTX 2080 | 90Wh | 1 x4 | $2399 |
| MSI GT83 Titan | 18.4″FHD | Up to i9-8850H /GTX 1080 | 75Wh | 1 x4 | |
| MSI GS75 Stealth | 17.3″FHD | Up to i7-8750H / RTX 2080 Max-Q | 82Wh | 1 x4 | $2199 |
| MSI GS65 Stealth | 15.6″ FHD | Up to i7-8750H / RTX 2080 Max-Q | 82Wh | 1 x4 | $2099 |
| MSI GS73 Stealth | 17.3″FHD/UHD | Up to i7-8750H / GTX 1070 | 51Wh | 1 x4 | $1799 |
| MSI GS63 Stealth | 15.6″ FHD | Up to i7-8750H / GTX 1060 | 65Wh | 1 x4 | $1599 |
| MSI P65 Creator | 15.6″ FHD | Up to i7-8750H / GTX 1070 Max-Q | 82Wh | 1 x4 | $2199 |
| Razer Blade 15 | 15.6″ FHD | Up to i7-8750H / GTX 1060 Max-Q | 65Wh | 1 x4 | $1599 |
| Razer Blade 15 Advanced | 15.6″ FHD/UHD Touch | Up to i7-8750H / RTX 2080 Max-Q | 80Wh | 1 x4 | $2299 |
| Razer Blade Pro 17 | 17.3″FHD/UHD | Up to i7-7820HK / GTX 1080 | 70Wh | 1 x4 | $1999 |
Owing to the development of broadband, it can support two 4K displays or a 5K display and successfully transfer a 4K video within 30 seconds. In the meantime, it can utilize a new USB Type-C port to achieve such a high transfer speed instead of a MimDisplay port. Undoubtedly, this will greatly benefit both device manufacturers and host computer manufacturers.
The transfer speeds up to 40 Gbps. Source
Compared with first and second-generation products, the port has better performance. It adopts the technology that has made a big breakthrough, and its compatibility and adaptability have been greatly improved. To provide maximum speed, it owns bandwidth reaching 40Gb/s, which is eight times faster than the USB 3.0 port and four times faster than the USB 3.1 port.
In addition, the port also provides a device with more power, supporting a 100W power supply and providing a device with a maximum charging power reaching up to 15W. Intel also offers the same alternate mode, which makes ThunderBolt’s signal pass PCIe. It also fully supports USB 3.1 since the control unit of USB 3.1 10Gbps has been integrated into the Thunderbolt control unit.
Generally speaking, a Thunderbolt 3 can handle many tasks which require many ports. That’s why an increasing number of laptops that pursue perfect lightweight features only provide a USB Type-C, which supports TB 3. After all, in addition to the device, keyboard, and motherboard, the lightness and thickness of a lightweight laptop depends on the expansion ports.
As a computer protocol, Thunderbolt can be thought of as a transport technology rather than a port for laptops. The implementation of Thunderbolt 3 technology relies heavily on USB Type-C ports. Unlike other hardware that uses a USB Type-C port, the USB Type-C that supports TB 3 has a small flash symbol printed on both the plug and the connector, representing TB 3.