Thunderbolt™ 2 Speeds Up Your HP System as Much as 4x

HP is dedicated to providing high-end workstations to video professionals that will match the speed and power they need to perform high-end applications. If it weren’t for the extreme muscle behind the Z series workstations (read more about them here), HP would simply be in the business of making standard desktop PCs. The designers and engineers at HP are not. They want to prove to the world that they are contenders and leaders in the high-end market and that they can compete with established leaders like Apple and the MacPro series to perform and surpass that level of professionalism.

But in order to compete at that level, you have to have the hardware, and although beefy Xeon processors and hefty RAM loadouts are a great start, you have to go to the base level of component hardware to really show your dedication. HP does that with the HP Thunderbolt-2 PCIe 1-port I/O Card.

The HP Thunderbolt-2 PCIe 1-port I/O card provides speed at the hardware level that easily surpasses what the old USB 3.0 ports could do. It delivers faster backup speeds, steadier data transfers, and a reduction of the time it takes to complete other I/O tasks.

If you didn’t know what Thunderbolt was capable of, you may have trouble appreciating what Thunderbolt 2 can do. Thunderbolt 2 quadruples the data transfer rate of USB 3.0 and offers up to 20 gigabytes per second of bi-directional, dual-channel transfer speeds. In fact, Thunderbolt 2 is the only I/O capable of managing the simultaneous display and transfer of 4K video content. You’ll find much less need for post-production demuxing and tweaking with that kind of speed and power.

The HP Thunderbolt-2 PCIe 1-port I/O card uses a single connector to support data and video on an open PCIe slot in your computer, and the Thunderbolt protocol allows daisy-chaining of up to six devices, with DisplayPort 1.2 functionality. This ability to transfer both data and display content over a single cable is a unique feature of Thunderbolt, resulting in simple, more flexible workflow options at the desktop. This means you can install the card, connect a dual-port Thunderbolt 2 device, and then continually add to the chain until you’re left with just one port open. You can then attach a DisplayPort Monitor to complete your system. It is compatible with the following professional level systems: the HP Z820, Z620, Z420, and Z230 Workstations, and is offered as a Certified System Solution with those workstations and select graphics cards only, which includes NVIDIA K2000, K4000, and K5000series.

There is a robust ecosystem of Thunderbolt and Thunderbolt2 devices, including storage, displays, and media devices that will greatly aid the videographer, graphic designer, or digital archivist. Having Thunderbolt 2 as an option on your professional workstation is probably one of the most efficient and useful additions to a complete system since the keyboard.

These Z-Workstations from HP are some of the most innovative  Windows-based PCs to embrace the Thunderbolt standard, which was initially the eminent domain of Mac-based computers. 

The HP Thunderbolt-2 PCIe 1-port I/O card includes a full-height and half-height bracket, DisplayPort to DisplayPort cable and two internal header cables so that you can get started right away. It also includes a one-year limited warranty.

Data Transfer Rate	Supports up to 20Gb/s (20,000Mb/s)
Devices Supported	Thunderbolt certified devices
Bus Type	PCIe card, full- or half-height PCIe slots
Ports	One Thunderbolt 2 external 20-Pin output connector (Rear)
Internal Connectors	One 5-Pin header connector
System Requirements	Genuine Windows 7 Professional 64-bit, Genuine Windows 8.1 64-bit, Intel i5 series or higher processor, 128-MB RAM, 1-GB Hard Drive, available PCIe slot.
Temperature - Operating	50° to 131° F (10° to 55° C)
Temperature - Storage	-22° to 140° F (-30° to 60° C)
Relative Humidity - Operating	20% to 80%
Compliances	FCC Part 15B, cULus 60950, CE Mark EN55022B(1995)/EN55024-1998 STD, Taiwan BSMI CNS13438, Korea
Operating Systems Supported	Genuine Windows 7 Professional 64-bit, Genuine Windows 8.1 64-bit.
Form Factor	Plug-in PCIe card
Kit Contents	HP Thunderbolt 2 PCIe 1-port I/O Card, full-height and half-height bracket, DisplayPort to DisplayPort cable, internal header cables(2), user documentation, and warranty card.
Warranty	The HP Thunderbolt 2 PCIe 1-port I/O Card has a one-year Limited Warranty or the remainder of the warranty of the HP supported product in which it is installed. Technical support is available seven days a week, 24 hours a day, by phone, as well as online support forums. Certain restrictions and exclusions apply.