Cable Matters launches world's first Thunderbolt 5 cable, offers higher bandwidth than OCuLink

Previously shown off at CES 2024, Thunderbolt 5 is now making its way to more and more commercial products. As for accessories, Cable Matters has just launched the very first cable supporting this connectivity standard. It is faster than any other Thunderbolt 4 cable available in the market.

More specifically, while the predecessor topped out at 40 Gbps of bi-directional data bandwidth, the new Thunderbolt 5 cable maxes out at 80 Gbps. This is even higher than OCuLink, one of the leading solutions for eGPU setups. Cable Matters further says that the video bandwidth is up to 120 Gbps, which is a substantial jump from the last generation.

Speaking of video output, this Thunderbolt 5 cable from Cable Matters can support multiple 8K or 6K displays. There's support for high refresh rate monitors too. The company says that it lets gamers take advantage of up to three 4K 144 Hz displays or a single 540 Hz monitor (ROG Swift Pro PG248QP available on Amazon). It even brings enhanced fast-charging capabilities at up to 240W.

Jeff Jiang, the President of Cable Matter, emphasizes the broad compatibility of this Thunderbolt 5 cable. It's backward compatible and works with USB4, Thunderbolt 3, Thunderbolt 4, and DisplayPort 2.1 standards. The pricing starts at $22.99 for the 1-foot version, and the 3.3-foot option costs $32.99. There's a 1.6-foot variant in the middle, and it costs $26.99.