Frequently asked questions

20
FAQ | HP Z Workstations
Thunderbolt™ 3
Why did HP decide to include Thunderbolt™ 3 port on the USB Type-C
TM
connector on the HP ZBook Studio/15/17 G4
Mobile Workstations?
Thunderbolt
TM
3 —the industry’s fastest and most versatile connection—currently runs over this USB-C connector�
Thunderbolt
TM
3 provides the highest speed I/O and is required by the most demanding users to maximize the overall

Workstations with dual Thunderbolt
TM

allow for added capabilities by connecting to the new HP ZBook Dock with Thunderbolt 3 and still supporting native
Thunderbolt
TM
3 on the system�
What is the dierence between Thunderbolt™ 3 and USB Type-C
TM
?
Thunderbolt
TM
2 was previously the fastest I/O port available and standardized on the mini-DisplayPort
TM
1�2 (mDP)�
Thunderbolt
TM
3 is the next generation I/O port and Intel® has chosen to standardize this technology on the new USB-C
connector� The HP ZBook Studio/15/17 will feature (2) USB Type-C
TM
ports supporting Thunderbolt
TM
3�

support Thunderbolt
TM

data transfer speeds equivalent to that of a USB 3�0 port at 5 Gb/s� Thunderbolt
TM
3 via USB Type-C
TM
allows for transfer
speeds of up to 40 Gb/s� See below for comparison matrix�
Port USB 3.0 USB 3.1 (Gen 1) USB 3.1 (Gen 2) Thunderbolt
TM
2 USB Type-C
TM
(supporting
Thunderbolt
TM
3,
DisplayPort
TM
1.2,
USB 3.1)
Port connector USB Type A USB -C USB -C Mini DisplayPort
TM
USB-C
Transfer speeds
5
Gb/s 5 Gb/s 10 Gb/s 20 Gb/s 40 Gb/s
Protocols supported USB 3�0 USB 3�1 Gen 1 USB 3�1 Gen 2
(SuperSpeed USB)
PCIe, DisplayPort
TM
PCIe, DisplayPort
TM
,
USB 3�1 Gen 2
Platforms supported All HP ZBooks HP ZBook 14u G4
HP ZBook 15u G3/
G4
HP ZBook Studio
G3/G4
HP ZBook 15 G3/G4
HP ZBook 17 G3/G4
HP ZBook 15 G2
HP ZBook 17 G2
HP ZBook Studio G3/G4
HP ZBook 15 G3/G4
HP ZBook 17 G3/G4
Notes USB-C port on
HP ZBook 14u G4,
HP ZBook 15u G3/

G3 series is

3�1 Gen 1
Thunderbolt
TM
3
port integrates
a USB 3�1 host
controller
(1) Thunderbolt
TM
2
port supported on
the HP ZBook 15
G2 and HP ZBook
17 G2
(2) USB Type-C
TM
ports
supported on the
HP ZBook Studio G3/G4,
HP ZBook 15 G3/G4, and
HP ZBook 17 G3/G4
What are the unique features of USB Type-C
TM
available on the HP ZBook Studio/15/17 G3/G4 Mobile Workstations?
• USB Type-C
TM
is a super-set port supporting multiple protocols over a single connection simultaneously: Thunderbolt
TM
3,
DisplayPort
TM

• Industry leading I/O speeds at 40 Gb/s�
• Support for 2 x 4K displays @ 60 Hz through a single port�
• Power – 15 W to bus-powered devices�
• Daisy chain up to 6 Thunderbolt
TM
devices�
• Connectivity with the new HP ZBook Dock with Thunderbolt 3�
How does Thunderbolt™ 3 compare to USB 3.0?
Thunderbolt
™
3 provides 8x the throughput of USB 3�0�