Intel has corrected itself when it comes to the new Raptor Lake Refresh range of desktop processors, clarifying that these 14th-gen chips won’t support Thunderbolt 5 after all.
When Raptor Lake Refresh launched, Intel’s release statement observed that the 14th-gen processors “include support for … upcoming Thunderbolt 5 wired connectivity.”
A correction has now been issued – as flagged up by Tom’s Hardware – in which Intel clarifies that the above assertion was incorrect.
Intel notes: “While some processors in the Intel Core 14th Gen processor family will include support for Thunderbolt 5, Intel Core 14th Gen desktop processors, specifically, will not support it.”
Analysis: An eye-opening launch blunder
Thunderbolt 5 connectivity is hardly the biggest issue around Intel’s Raptor Lake Refresh – naturally, all the focus has been (as ever) on how much faster they are gen-on-gen, as well as how much power they chug, and pricing. Still, it’s pretty bad for Intel to get a fundamental fact on the 14th-gen wrong in its launch announcement.
At least we now know that the desktop CPUs won’t get Thunderbolt 5, which may leave you wondering – which 14th-gen processors will, then? Intel must be referring to the other family of chips launching in December, running alongside Raptor Lake Refresh, namely Meteor Lake.
Meteor Lake are laptop (mobile) processors, and so this makes sense – that’s where Thunderbolt ports are most prevalent. They’re present on far more notebooks than desktops.
It’s also worth noting that Thunderbolt 5 has not long been announced, and devices using the standard won’t be around until 2024 (later in the year, probably). So, there’s still a fair bit of road to go before it really arrives, but Thunderbolt 5 is a huge deal simply because of how blazing-fast it is. However, it’s something Raptor Lake Refresh PC owners will have to live without, it seems.