Intel's Thunderbolt Share: Using Multiple PCs to Handle Demanding Workflows

28 de fevereiro de 2025 • 6min
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The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence has significantly increased demand for developers who can create new AI-powered programs and applications. But processing, analyzing or training with vast amounts of data can strain even a powerful PC's bandwidth, making it difficult to multitask with other applications working in the background.
It's a pain point that can be solved by connecting two computers. Intel's Thunderbolt Share software lets users easily connect two Windows PCs to share screens and to control using a single keyboard, mouse and storage. Using a PC's existing Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 5 port, a single cable provides secure high-speed, low-latency compute for file-sharing and screen-sharing. One of the PCs or accessories needs to be Thunderbolt Share-licensed.
"AI uses language models, and those models are huge. So maybe you're working and tweaking a model, but then you need to send it over to another PC to test it. This whole idea of developers and AI and moving mass amounts of data is huge for Thunderbolt Share," said Lyle Warnke, technical marketing engineer at Intel. "It's not having to go over my Wi-Fi network, which is slow, or the cloud, which is even slower, or use an external drive, which takes time and is not very efficient. This is private. I'm not going to the cloud, no one will ever see my data because it's simply going from one PC to the other over a cable."
Most computers, Windows and Apple, are equipped with a Thunderbolt port. It looks the same as a USB-C port and is designated by a lightning symbol. While it can be used as a USB-C port, which typically has a 10 gigabit per second bandwidth rate to transfer information, the use of a Thunderbolt cable boosts the speed 4x to a 40 gigabit per second bandwidth or 8x to an 80 gigabit per second bandwidth with Thunderbolt 5.
Thunderbolt Share software can be downloaded and installed on Windows PCs with Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 5 ports. The software checks that at least one PC or Thunderbolt accessory, such as a dock, monitor or storage, is Thunderbolt Share-licensed by the manufacturer, then allows the connected PCs to share resources. The first licensed PCs and docks are available now, with more coming in 2025.
More Jobs Require More Than One Computer
Using multiple computers is more common than many think. But before the introduction of Thunderbolt Share in 2024, there was no easy method to connect two Windows PCs directly with a cable.
"This is the productivity part that we see for business users that's so great," Warnke said. "Maybe I have a desktop and it's doing my finance stuff, but I've got my laptop that's doing email and PowerPoint, but I just want to use the one desk monitor area."
Enthusiast gamers and professional creators often use two to three computers for more flexibility, reduced system strain and the ability to dedicate machines to specific tasks. The more computers used, the better the workflow and the fewer bottlenecks.
For example, a visual artist will have a powerful desktop for intensive tasks like video editing, AI video creation, 3D rendering or graphic design. Those applications take most of the desktop's bandwidth to run smoothly. That creator will likely also have a laptop for portability in attending client meetings, presentations or on-location shoots. And they might have a third, older PC in use as a dedicated server.
Ben Hacker, general manager of Intel Client Connectivity Division, explains it this way: "If I'm a creator, I have a laptop and a desktop simultaneously running multiple applications; my laptop may be running different applications than my desktop, but I want to use them together. Thunderbolt Share allows me to utilise my high-resolution, large monitor with both computers without having to buy a KVM to switch between the two."
Everyday Uses of Thunderbolt Share
Screen sharing is among the most powerful operations for Thunderbolt Share, comprising over 50% of Thunderbolt Share's usage, Hacker s...
It's a pain point that can be solved by connecting two computers. Intel's Thunderbolt Share software lets users easily connect two Windows PCs to share screens and to control using a single keyboard, mouse and storage. Using a PC's existing Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 5 port, a single cable provides secure high-speed, low-latency compute for file-sharing and screen-sharing. One of the PCs or accessories needs to be Thunderbolt Share-licensed.
"AI uses language models, and those models are huge. So maybe you're working and tweaking a model, but then you need to send it over to another PC to test it. This whole idea of developers and AI and moving mass amounts of data is huge for Thunderbolt Share," said Lyle Warnke, technical marketing engineer at Intel. "It's not having to go over my Wi-Fi network, which is slow, or the cloud, which is even slower, or use an external drive, which takes time and is not very efficient. This is private. I'm not going to the cloud, no one will ever see my data because it's simply going from one PC to the other over a cable."
Most computers, Windows and Apple, are equipped with a Thunderbolt port. It looks the same as a USB-C port and is designated by a lightning symbol. While it can be used as a USB-C port, which typically has a 10 gigabit per second bandwidth rate to transfer information, the use of a Thunderbolt cable boosts the speed 4x to a 40 gigabit per second bandwidth or 8x to an 80 gigabit per second bandwidth with Thunderbolt 5.
Thunderbolt Share software can be downloaded and installed on Windows PCs with Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 5 ports. The software checks that at least one PC or Thunderbolt accessory, such as a dock, monitor or storage, is Thunderbolt Share-licensed by the manufacturer, then allows the connected PCs to share resources. The first licensed PCs and docks are available now, with more coming in 2025.
More Jobs Require More Than One Computer
Using multiple computers is more common than many think. But before the introduction of Thunderbolt Share in 2024, there was no easy method to connect two Windows PCs directly with a cable.
"This is the productivity part that we see for business users that's so great," Warnke said. "Maybe I have a desktop and it's doing my finance stuff, but I've got my laptop that's doing email and PowerPoint, but I just want to use the one desk monitor area."
Enthusiast gamers and professional creators often use two to three computers for more flexibility, reduced system strain and the ability to dedicate machines to specific tasks. The more computers used, the better the workflow and the fewer bottlenecks.
For example, a visual artist will have a powerful desktop for intensive tasks like video editing, AI video creation, 3D rendering or graphic design. Those applications take most of the desktop's bandwidth to run smoothly. That creator will likely also have a laptop for portability in attending client meetings, presentations or on-location shoots. And they might have a third, older PC in use as a dedicated server.
Ben Hacker, general manager of Intel Client Connectivity Division, explains it this way: "If I'm a creator, I have a laptop and a desktop simultaneously running multiple applications; my laptop may be running different applications than my desktop, but I want to use them together. Thunderbolt Share allows me to utilise my high-resolution, large monitor with both computers without having to buy a KVM to switch between the two."
Everyday Uses of Thunderbolt Share
Screen sharing is among the most powerful operations for Thunderbolt Share, comprising over 50% of Thunderbolt Share's usage, Hacker s...
