Can you use Thunderbolt 3 on an AMD Ryzen PC?

Best respond: Yep, simply right now, there are just a couple of motherboards that support both AMD CPUs and the Thunderbolt 3 standard. These are the ASRock Phantom Gaming ITX TB3 for Ryzen and the Gigabyte Designare TRX40 for the Threadripper platform.

Extremely rare, non impossible

Thunderbolt has been an Intel projection going back many years, and in the earlier days, its nearly prominent apply was by Apple tree. Thunderbolt 3 was the pregnant coming of age for Windows PCs, though, with the use of a USB-C port opening it up to a new world of machines.

But if you're not using an Intel-powered auto, more likely, you won't accept Thunderbolt 3. But there are exceptions, and right now, you lot tin build a PC based on either AMD's Ryzen or Threadripper CPUs and have Thunderbolt 3. But you can't be picky. In each case, you have one pick, and they're certainly not the most affordable.

ITX or Workstation

If you're building a Ryzen system, so you lot'll be needing the ASRock Phantom Gaming ITX TB3 motherboard. This Mini-ITX lath is something of a Frankenstein, not just because information technology carries Thunderbolt three certification, simply considering it besides sacrifices the traditional AMD cooler mounting system in favor of Intel'due south. This is mostly down to the space available, but it's a pretty incredible creation.

The Phantom Gaming ITX TB3 also supports Wi-Fi 6 with an included antenna, and as information technology carries the AMD X570 chipset, you also get super-fast PCIe 4. ITX motherboards are inherently limited by their size, but if you're looking for Thunderbolt connectivity, this is the 1. The USB-C port on the motherboard doubles as both USB 3.two and Thunderbolt three.

If you're building something a bit more workstation-oriented, then you'll be looking for the Gigabyte TRX40 Designare, a motherboard for Threadripper systems that too supports Thunderbolt 3. The implementation is a little less elegant than on the ASRock only still effective.

Gigabyte bundles its GC-Titan Ridge PCIe expansion menu with the motherboard, which opens upwards admission to the Thunderbolt iii connection. And as with the X570 platform, you besides get PCIe 4 back up as well every bit Wi-Fi vi here, besides.

One cable, exceptional ability

The advantage to Thunderbolt 3 is the incredible bandwidth that'southward possible downward i single cable. Likewise super-fast information transfers, you lot can claw upward accessories such as docks, external high-res displays, external GPUs, and fifty-fifty daisy chain together up to six devices.

It's all the same extremely limited in support for AMD users, just hopefully, every bit time passes, more volition get the certification and make it possible.

The unicorn

X570 Phantom Gaming ITX TB3

ASRock Phantom Gaming ITX TB3

The only mode to build a Ryzen PC with Thunderbolt 3

This Mini-ITX motherboard supports Thunderbolt 3, Wi-Fi 6 and is a perfect heart for a small, yet extremely powerful AMD Ryzen PC.

Workstation power

Trx40 Designare

Gigabyte TRX40 Designare

Combining the power of Threadripper and Thunderbolt iii

The Designare comes bundled with a PCIe expansion card that unlocks Thunderbolt iii to pair with the latest generation Threadripper CPUs.

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