14 DAY TRIAL // Thunderbolt is a technology that can transmit a lot of information via what is essentially an implementation of the DisplayPort standard, so ASUS put that to good use when it made the ThunderboltEX II adapters.
As the name suggests, the adapters provide computers with support for the interface, and they go inside a PCI Express 2.0 x4 or x16 slot.
They don't only add a Thunderbolt connector though, or two. They also have DisplayPort outputs. Specifically, one of them has one of each, the other has two.
For those who want the technical details, the two new products are called ThunderboltEX II, and the two-port ThunderboltEX II DUAL.
The former is powered by the Intel DSL5320 controller chipset and has one Thunderbholt 2.0 port, as well as a DisplayPort connector.
The transfer speed is of 20 Gbps over TB, which means that lots of data will go through it, and video will play seamlessly even if you daisy-chain six different TB output devices at once (monitors, storage units, streaming devices, etc.).
The other card, ThunderboltEX II DUAL, is powered by the Intel DSL5520 chipset and has two Thunderbolt 2.0 ports and as many DisplayPort outputs.
Sadly, they aren't completely independent. Even if you have a motherboard with a free PCI Express 2.0 x 4 or x16 slot, the add-in adapters will be dead weights if you lack the special headers used for timing, and low-level system interface.
Also, you'll need an end-to-end DisplayPort if you intend to replay display from your graphics card through the Thunderbolt pipeline.
Fortunately, the ASUS ThunderbolEX II Dual product page has a full list of supported motherboards. Now if only the pricing and availability details were also there.
Seeing as how the devices surfaced only in Japan up to now (Hermitage Akihabara), we could assume they'll sell only there for a short while. Or maybe ASUS, not being a Japanese company, will ship it everywhere it can from the start. We'll have to wait and see.
