Apple’s Pro Display XDR takes Thunderbolt 3 to its limit

Apple’s Pro Display XDR pushes Thunderbolt 3 to its limits. While Thunderbolt is appreciated for its simplicity compared to USB, the Pro Display XDR’s requirements seem confusing. The monitor boasts impressive features, including 1600 nits brightness, 6K resolution, and P3 wide gamut. However, the inclusion of USB 2 ports from 2000 is unexpected. When doing the math, it appears that the Thunderbolt 3 bandwidth is almost maxed out, leaving only 1Gbps for USB 2 traffic. This is possible because the 16-inch MacBook Pro is able to compress the display stream. Thunderbolt 4 and 5 offer advancements in bandwidth and display capabilities.

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