It also adds quite a few ports and supports dual 4K displays, though the supported refresh rate depends on the model. The one Microsoft would have you use is probably the Surface Dock 2, which is a docking station that uses the proprietary Surface Connect port on various Surface devices. If you need some kind of docking solution and you want the Surface Pro 9 with 5G, there are some options. However, USB 4 is not supported by the Microsoft SQ3 processor inside the Surface Pro 9 with 5G, so that's not an option either. An option some laptops have gone for is using USB 4, which is the same as Thunderbolt 3, and fairly close to Thunderbolt 4.

PCIe signaling is also a very interesting feature because it allows you to use an external GPU as if it were inside your computer, effectively turning a lightweight tablet like the Surface Pro 9 into a gaming machine.īecause Intel develops it, Thunderbolt tends to be exclusive to laptops with Intel processors, which is why you can't get it on the Surface Pro 9 with 5G. That means that with Thunderbolt 4, you can connect something like a Thunderbolt docking station and have 40Gbps of bandwidth for your peripherals like external storage, or even up to two 4K displays with a 60Hz refresh rate. Thunderbolt expands on the capabilities of USB Type-C by supporting up to 40Gbps of bandwidth, but it also includes power delivery and PCIe signaling. Thunderbolt 4 is the latest version of the Thunderbolt protocol, a technology developed by Intel that uses the USB Type-C connector. SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT What's Thunderbolt 4, and why do you need it on the Surface Pro 9?

Thunderbolt 4 surface