MSI’s USB 4 expansion card tested: It challenges Thunderbolt 4

Even though USB has a confusing naming system, it has an important place in all of our lives. This standard, which constantly raises the bar with its new versions, was updated with the USB 4 interface in 2019. This standard, which also supports USB-3, Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 interfaces, has been included in many motherboards in recent years, but MSI’s new expansion card reveals what kind of performance USB-4 over PCIe can offer.

MSI’s USB-4 card draws attention with its transfer speed

The USB 4 add-on card included in MSI’s Z790 Max motherboards uses the ASMedia ASM424X controller and offers PCIe 4.0 x 4 interface, dual USB 4.0 Type-C, dual DisplayPort 1.4 and 100W power output connection. Test results of the card, which supports 40 Gbps connection speed, reveal a successful fight against Thunderbolt 4.

In Wccftech tests, a USB-4 card was connected to the MSI MPG Z790 Carbon MAX WIFI motherboard and a Samsung 980 M.2 SSD was tested on USB 4.0. On this connection, the SSD achieved speeds of 3745 MB/s. In Benchlife tests, MSI’s USB-4 connection reached a speed of 3700 MB/s (29Gbps), ahead of Thunderbolt 4, which offers 3000 MB/s (24 Gbps).

USB 4 expansion card not yet sold separately

Although the USB 4 standard is now found in many modern PCs and motherboards, MSI’s additional connection card is a ray of hope for devices that do not have a USB-4 connection, thanks to its PCIe connection. The company’s USB-4 add-on card is not yet sold separately and comes with the company’s Z790 motherboards, but it is possible that we will see similar USB-4 cards in the future.