Gigabyte Reveals Dual Port Thunderbolt Motherboard …

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd., manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, announced the GIGABYTE 7 series motherboards, the first to offer a certified dual onboard Thunderbolt ports.

Capable of connecting up to 12 devices plus 3 digital displays simultaneously, with data transfer speeds that can transfer 1TB of data in five minutes, the Thunderbolt motherboards offer a fast connection interface on desktop PC.

Thunderbolt motherboards allow users to daisy chain up to 12 devices simultaneously via an bi-directional 10Gbps data pipeline that includes both PCIe and DisplayPort traffic. They redefine desktop PC connectivity to make it easier to connect multiple high speed storage devices and HD displays to PC.

"It s easy to see how our unique dual port Thunderbolt implementation simply offers more," commented Henry Kao, VP of GIGABYTE Motherboard Business Unit. "We re the only motherboard vendor currently offering DIY PC builders the absolute maximum in terms of device connectivity."

"Thunderbolt technology represents a leap in performance and simplicity for media creators and entertainment enthusiasts," says Jason Ziller, Intel Corp.‘s director of Thunderbolt marketing. "We are pleased to be working with GIGABYTE as they bring the first dual Thunderbolt port motherboard to market. It s a great example of what Thunderbolt makes possible."

GIGABYTE Dual Thunderbolt motherboards open new possibilities regarding performance storage devices. The company has worked with several device partners, including Promise Technology, LaCie, Blackmagic Design Pty. Ltd, Western Digital Corp., Seagate Technology, Elgato, CalDigit and cable manufacturer Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.

"Working with GIGABYTE has been very exciting," said Kosta Panagos, director of Creative Marketing, at CalDigit, Inc.. "GIGABYTE s new line of Intel 7 series motherboards featuring dual Thunderbolt ports, will usher in a new era of flexibility to the PC platform. It is also a perfect match with CalDigit’s new T1 and T2 Thunderbolt drives which provide professional level performance on all platforms at consumer prices, a feat that was previously unattainable, thanks to GIGABYTE and Thunderbolt technology."

"GIGABYTE’s new dual port Thunderbolt motherboards are an exciting innovation, giving incredible performance and are perfect for video and film professionals using Thunderbolt and the PC," said Grant Petty, CEO, Blackmagic Design. "Customers using our wide range of Thunderbolt devices will now be able to choose to work in whatever format they need, giving them the flexibility to build whatever production and post production workflow they need."

"In line with GIGABYTE and its dual on board Thunderbolt ports, WD’s My Book Thunderbolt Duo offers dual Thunderbolt ports for amazing creative flexibility while allowing daisy-chaining of up to six My Book Thunderbolt Duo drives or other high performance peripherals for fast and efficient workflow," said Craig Davis, director Sales & Marketing, Retail Division, Western Digital Corp.‘s Asia Pacific & Japan Region.

"Thunderbolt technology is a fantastic way to deliver both data and display via one interface. It provides unparalleled performance and plenty of flexibility," said Leo Paskin, product marketing manager at Seagate Technology LLC. "With the ability to daisy chain up to 12 devices on GIGABYTE’s new dual port Thunderbolt motherboards, you can turn a desktop PC into a central device hub by plugging in a single cable."
 
"As the first Intel certified cable vendor, Sumitomo is delighted to see GIGABYTE bring the first dual port Thunderbolt motherboard to market, creating the ultimate connectivity for desktop PCs," commented Motoi Matsuo, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. "These new Thunderbolt motherboards are also the perfect fit for Sumitomo’s exclusive high speed 20m optical cables."

"Thanks to their dual Thunderbolt ports, Gigabyte’s new 7 series motherboards deliver unbeatable flexibility", says Adam Steinberg, VP Marketing at Elgato. "The unique dual port feature enables users to combine multiple portable Thunderbolt devices like the powerful Elgato Thunderbolt SSD."
 
"LaCie is pleased to see GIGABYTE announce Thunderbolt technology on their lasted motherboards," said Erwan Girard, Professional Business Unit manager, LaCie. "The time is now for demanding PC users, especially digital content creators, to experience the unprecedented speeds and advantages enabled by Thunderbolt Technology. The desire for computers and peripherals to keep up with their work flow is a concern of the past."
 
Dual Thunderbolt for Motherboard
GIGABYTE Thunderbolt motherboards are the first to be certified by Intel featuring dual Thunderbolt ports directly on the motherboard back panel I/O, with each Thunderbolt port supporting a maximum data transfer speeds with simultaneous bi-directional data transfer at speeds of up to 10Gbps – this means you can transfer a full HD 1080p movie in under 30 seconds.
 
Dual port Thunderbolt implementation ensures the maximum potential connectivity, with support to connect up to 12 individual devices simultaneously, with each port offering full 10Gbps bandwidth.

Thunderbolt combines both DisplayPort and PCIe protocols over a single cable so that users can connect a multitude of device types in tandem with HD streaming video and 8-channel audio, simultaneously in one developed cable. Users can also ‘daisy-chained’ several devices while still enjoying low latency and data transfer speeds.

GIGABYTE Thunderbolt Motherboards Models
Dual Thunderbolt Ports are featured on the following motherboard models:


Ultra Durable 5
The GIGABYTE Z77X-UP5 TH and Z77X-UP4 TH both employ GIGABYTE Ultra Durable 5 technology that includes high current capable components for the CPU power zone including IR3550 PowIRstage ICs from International Rectifier, 2X Copper PCB and high current Ferrite Core Chokes rated up to 60A, which together are able to deliver up to 60°C cooler temperatures than traditional motherboards. Ultra Durable 5 technology is featured on a range of new motherboards based the Intel X79 and Z77 Express chipsets.