For Computex 2023, MSI is presenting an intriguing USB4 PCIe growth card. The card not just provides 2 full-bandwidth USB4 40Gbps Type-C ports, however the card can likewise provide up to 100W of power to a gadget linked to it, permitting it to be utilized to power high-drain gadgets like laptop computers.
The MSI USB4 PD100W Growth Card (MS-4489) has 2 DisplayPort inputs along with 2 USB Type-C ports. The Type-C ports support USB information rates up to40 Gbps, however likewise supports DP alt mode and USB power shipment.
What actually makes this card significant are those power shipment abilities; most USB4/Thunderbolt 4 growth cards are PCIe bus-powered, and can just provide up to 15 Watts or two. MSI’s card, on the other hand, can provide up to 100 Watts of power on its finest Type-C port, which suffices power for charging a high-performance note pad or powering something requiring (e.g., a screen). On the other hand the card’s 2nd Type-C port can provide up to 27 Watts, which suffices for mobile phones and other mid-power periphreals.
The card utilizes a physical PCIe x8 type element, with what seems an electrical x4 user interface. In the meantime MSI does not divulge which variation of the PCIe procedure it supports– or for that matter whose USB4 controller they’re utilizing. PCIe 3.0 x4 suffices to completely drive a 40Gbps port; however it’s uncommon for any external USB controller to be able to drive 2 40Gbps ports at complete bandwidth simultaneously.
Menawhile, as this USB4 host card exceeds and beyond the quantity of power a PCIe slot can offer, the card likewise has a six-pin auxiliary PCIe adapter to provide the staying power. Per the PCIe specificaiton, a x4 card can prepare to 25W from the slot, so the 75W auxillery adapter brings the card to its 100W limitation. Though this likewise implies that if MSI is staying with the PCIe specification, then they can’t provide a complete 100W + 27W at the exact same time.
MSI’s USB4 PD100W Growth Card is generally focused on users who require to connect bandwidth requiring peripherals (such as direct connected storage or some expert devices) and USB-C display screens to their desktop PCs. The board will serve similarly well both the most recent PCs that do not support USB4 ports (or require additional Type-C ports) and devices that are currently is usage and require to acquire innovative connection.
MSI does not divulge rates of its USB4 growth card or when it is set to be offered, though we would anticipate it to be priced competitively versus comparable Thunderbolt 3/4 growth cards that have actually been offered for a long time.