ASUS Unveils World’s First Thunderbolt Add-On Card At Computex

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ASUS stands committed to the belief that motherboard design is not just about pure spec but ensuring a quality design and overall implementation. This is achieved through many means such as sensible layout, flexible I/O connectivity and robust control over parameters of operation. In addition foresight in design can play an important role. ASUS recently launched the world’s first certified native Thunderbolt motherboard with the P8Z77-V Premium. While the Premium leads the industry in respect to connectivity and overall functionality it carries a flagship price for its premium feature set. ASUS had kept this in mind along with thinking about how to best support the advanced new interconnect that is Thunderbolt. With this in mind ASUS is proud to unveil its exclusive Thunderbolt upgrade solution for its line of Z77 and H77 motherboards. The ThunderboltEX card is the first add-on card on the market enabling an easy way to upgrade ASUS motherboards with the latest I/O. This is proof in having foresight in design as compatible boards had to have a special TB header in place to support this upgrade.

Working with a specially-reserved header on select ASUS Z77 and H77 motherboards, users can connect / link devices to the ThunderboltEX card’s Thunderbolt port for an easy connectivity upgrade. ThunderboltEX plugs into the bottom PCIe slot, taking up a x4 link. It then connects to the Thunderbolt header on the motherboard using a system link cable, and to the DisplayPort-out at the back of the motherboard via a DisplayPort cable. Once all hooked up, users can plug devices to the ThunderboltEX card’s Thunderbolt port, gaining access to 10Gbps data transfer and video connectivity with support for up to six daisy-chained devices and a seventh device in the form of a Thunderbolt or DisplyPort Monitor. This add-on card additionally is fully transparent and provides the same performance and functionality as native solutions including Hot Plug support.


As the world’s first dedicated Thunderbolt add-on card, ThunderboltEX works with a range of ASUS Z77 and H77 motherboards that feature Thunderbolt headers. The cards system link cable ensure full Thunderbolt functionality as well as ensures only compatible ASUS Z77 and H77 motherboards are supported. ASUS accepts no compromises in motherboard specifications and features, providing an instant upgrade while ensuring the ThunderboltEX pass through retains the full performance of Thunderbolt specifications. By doing so, ASUS enables more users the flexibility to choose whether they wish to upgrade to Thunderbolt, making compatible motherboards highly future-proof.

*The ThunderboltEX card is currently awaiting Thunderbolt™ device certification – further announcements will follow soon.
 
Neat...now Thunderbolt cables need to stop being Monster cable level pricing.
 
Not fully familiar w/ thunderbolt, but is it similar to the old dvd decoder cards? (w/ the exception you don't need the jumper cable?) I.e. I can get a 670gtx, slap that in, and that video output is thrown out on thunderbolt? What happens if I have multiple displays? Trying to figure out how it works.
 
Awesome. It shows V Delux (the one I'm getting) will support TB with this card. I was considering Premium because of TB. It seems now I can wait out and buy this card if TB becomes necessary for me after a year or so.
 
I can understand why laptops might want a TB port but why would a desktop? Especially at the cost of a PCIe slot?
 
Marlfox said:
I can understand why laptops might want a TB port but why would a desktop? Especially at the cost of a PCIe slot?
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1. To connect my TB storage device that I use with my MBP to my desktop to transfer data back and forth at the fastest speeds.

2. To connect my 27" TB Display to my MBP _or_ my desktop.

3. To connect any of a number of peripherals that will start being available on TB now that it's gaining more than just Mac popularity.

Off the top of my head...
 
I think TB on the desktop is going to be niche because of things like this. You can't just have the port, you have to buy an add-on device to add to a motherboard header. Since DP already has ubiquity on the desktop I think this is going to fade into obscurity for most people. Though on the lappy having a full GPU is pretty cool I must say.
 
XacTactX said:
I think TB on the desktop is going to be niche because of things like this. You can't just have the port, you have to buy an add-on device to add to a motherboard header. Since DP already has ubiquity on the desktop I think this is going to fade into obscurity for most people. Though on the lappy having a full GPU is pretty cool I must say.
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Save this for yourself. Your going to LOL in a few years.

Y'all don't understand that this is a) better than USB 3, and b) like having a 10G card in your system waiting to be exploited _too_. As in addition to the better than USB3 (and in addition to the DP port). Niche? You're going to laugh I say.
 
WarlordBB said:
Save this for yourself. Your going to LOL in a few years.

Y'all don't understand that this is a) better than USB 3, and b) like having a 10G card in your system waiting to be exploited _too_. As in addition to the better than USB3 (and in addition to the DP port). Niche? You're going to laugh I say.
Click to expand...

Again, how many people even use USB3 for more than a friggin mouse? this will be just like firewire for 99% of people, a wasted slot on the MB
 
XacTactX said:
I think TB on the desktop is going to be niche because of things like this. You can't just have the port, you have to buy an add-on device to add to a motherboard header. Since DP already has ubiquity on the desktop I think this is going to fade into obscurity for most people. Though on the lappy having a full GPU is pretty cool I must say.
Click to expand...

Asus actually has 2 SKUs that have native thunderbolt connectors. Here is one:

P8Z77-V Premium

The headers on a wide range of boards were done to save costs but still add the ability if someone wanted it.
 
So is Asus going to put the electronics in the cable and sell it for $50 like Apple. I need one so I can transfer files from my 5400 rpm SATA drive at 10 Gbps!
So far it's the most useless hole put in the side of a computer since Firewire.
 
motomonkey said:
Again, how many people even use USB3 for more than a friggin mouse? this will be just like firewire for 99% of people, a wasted slot on the MB
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How many people needs USB 2.0 for a friggin mouse? If you want to stay in the i386 stone age, by all means stop upgrading. Don't hold the rest of us back.

Stop acting like storage transfer to external backup doesn't happen on USB.

Honestly, the things people say to put other things down.
 
I would love TB to become common on both MB's and external drives. I use dozens at work for various machines for backup. (systems cannot be networked and are physically separated).
 
Any word on the Z77 Sabertooth?

I thought the same thing when USB comes out. What can USB do that I can't currently do with Serial/Mouse Port/PCI/ISA?

Although external hard drives is a weak excuse as eSATA takes care of this quite nicely.
 
Is it cheap enough to be standard even on low end motherboards and implement en mass on other peripherals? Does a TB harddrive cost more than a USB harddrive?
 
Sly said:
Is it cheap enough to be standard even on low end motherboards and implement en mass on other peripherals? Does a TB harddrive cost more than a USB harddrive?
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Yes. TB drives are ridiculously expensive (double the price if not more).
 
I will get more excited about this when I can find something to plug into it that dosn't cost 500.00 + to plug into it. It has potential but I think the cost has to come down for wider market acceptance.
 
Skripka said:
Neat...now Thunderbolt cables need to stop being Monster cable level pricing.
Click to expand...
Well I can sorta understand the pricing of the cables. They arn't just copper wires as seen here:
ifixit-thunderbolt.jpg


I wont argue over having lower prices though.
 
face2palm said:
Yes. TB drives are ridiculously expensive (double the price if not more).
Click to expand...

Wasn't firewire supposed to be superior to USB as well? My impression is that TB is even more expensive than firewire. Is there a particular reason why TB will take over where the firewire couldn't?
 
Skripka said:
That is the most expensive 1155 board I've yet seen, and more expensive than most 2011 boards. Ouch.
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Yeah it sure is, but I doubt if the $300 markup is only due to Thunderbolt, lol.

Still, for $449, you'd think they would get rid of USB 2.0 entirely. :-P
 
Skripka said:
Neat...now Thunderbolt cables need to stop being Monster cable level pricing.
Click to expand...

Not gonna happen. TB cables are expensive because they have to have hardware in them to work. They aren't just a cable, as in some wires, they have other shit in there to make it all work. Costs more money.
 
Sycraft said:
Not gonna happen. TB cables are expensive because they have to have hardware in them to work. They aren't just a cable, as in some wires, they have other shit in there to make it all work. Costs more money.
Click to expand...

Yea, but those 2 chips on either end of the cable cannot add that much to production price when you producing a million of em. Methinks the $50 tag is in Intel licensing, and because Apple can as they are the only ones selling the cables.
 
CvP said:
Awesome. It shows V Delux (the one I'm getting) will support TB with this card. I was considering Premium because of TB. It seems now I can wait out and buy this card if TB becomes necessary for me after a year or so.
Click to expand...

yup - got my deluxe here as couldn't wait for the Premium. Nice to have an upgrade path
 
I don't quite get it....
This is an "add in" card but it only works in boards with a specific and proprietary header on certain asus boards?

Why not just implement it directly on the board, then?
 
Yeah, this is a kludge of a kludge.

So we're making a simple card that just converts PCIe x4 into Thunderbolt.
But then we need a cable that goes from the motherboard to the card separately for some reason.
Oh, and if you want it to carry video, you have to run a DisplayPort cable from your video card to this card.

Just stick the plug on the back-panel, and route video through the motherboard natively. (See LucidLogix Virtu, which allows an add-in card to route its video through the onboard video port.)

For example, the $300 Intel DZ77RE-75K has a Thunderbolt port that can output the display of a PCI Express video card through its Thunderbolt connection, no extra cables necessary. See Anandtech's photo showing an MSI board working similarly:
DSC_6450.jpg
 
Azhar said:
How many people needs USB 2.0 for a friggin mouse? If you want to stay in the i386 stone age, by all means stop upgrading. Don't hold the rest of us back.

Stop acting like storage transfer to external backup doesn't happen on USB.

Honestly, the things people say to put other things down.
Click to expand...

Oh Please. you act like anyone that's skeptical of a new tech is some sort of Luddite

Something like this comes out every year, the next great thing, Would be awesome if it turned into something cheap, useful and every MB had it. Esata and firewire and USB3.0 work fine for ordinary external device access. This is aimed more at the enterprise market.

Firewire s800T is arguably more practical, in that it uses a standard Cat 5e cable , and ethernet and firewire are usable on the same port. if at speeds a fraction of TB.

Honestly, the things people have a geek orgasm over.
 
motomonkey said:
Oh Please. you act like anyone that's skeptical of a new tech is some sort of Luddite

Something like this comes out every year, the next great thing, Would be awesome if it turned into something cheap, useful and every MB had it. Esata and firewire and USB3.0 work fine for ordinary external device access. This is aimed more at the enterprise market.

Firewire s800T is arguably more practical, in that it uses a standard Cat 5e cable , and ethernet and firewire are usable on the same port. if at speeds a fraction of TB.

Honestly, the things people have a geek orgasm over.
Click to expand...

Oh that's right. I forgot this wasn't [H] with SLI and Crossfire users and black edition processors. My bad.

Even money, if Intel had engineered this and the PC picked it up before Apple did, it would be welcomed with open arms among you guys. But we'll never know, right?
 
Azhar said:
Oh that's right. I forgot this wasn't [H] with SLI and Crossfire users and black edition processors. My bad.

Even money, if Intel had engineered this and the PC picked it up before Apple did, it would be welcomed with open arms among you guys. But we'll never know, right?
Click to expand...

My last paragraph should have read "when Intel engineered this and the PC picked it up instead of Apple", not "if".
 
Skripka said:
And all those are adapters...not cables. If there's a Thunderbolt cable out there other than Apple's $50 TB cable I'll be happy to shush. But the fact that even Monoprice has yet to carry a TB->TB cable says a fair deal.
Click to expand...

I thought TB cable are just mini-Displayport cables?
 
How will this work if you have discrete GPU (including SLI/CF) and you want to use a TB Monitor?
I have a MBA with a TB port and have been reluctant to purchase the Apple TB Display since I'm not sure if I can reuse it with a PC build.
 
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