Thunderbolt, a better understanding

[Turbosound]

Im not sure if general hardware is the place to ask questions about connections, but didn't know where else to post a thread. I trying to get a better understanding about the different types of connection used for computers, specifically display connections. I know VGA, DVI, HTMI and Displayport are the most common display connections and that displayport is the newest and considered to be the best. Where as USB and Firewire are used for other devices such as printers, cameras, portable hard drives and wireless mice/keyboards etc. I just would like a better understanding of the connections and wonder where Thunderbolt comes into this. The reason I'm so concerned is that I really need to use the best quality graphic card to display connection. VGA was the standard for a long time and then DVI. DVI was also the standard for a long time and now HDMI and Displayport seem to be the next step foward, and have only been out for a few years. I bought a 30" monitor with Displayport and have been waiting 3 years for a Nvidia card to come out with a standard Displayport connection. I just bought a PNY GTX 680 and now Im concerned that I just wasted my money if Thunderbolt is going to be the graphic card to display standard in the near future.
I aware that something new will always come out, but at the same time I just bought a new $600 graphic card and would like it to have the best connection for a little while! I don't think there are any displays or graphic cards with Thunderbolt currently but if they start to come out in the near future, I would feel robbed and made a mistake going with Displayport.

1) USB and Firewire aren't used for connecting displays, right?

2) Will Thunderbolt be used for displays and be another opition like VGS, DVI, HDMI and Displayport or will it be used for other devices and be another opition like USB and Firewire?

3) Is mini Displayport better than the standard Displayport?

4) Will PC graphic cards and displays both start to have Thunderbolt connections or will Thunderbolt just be an apple connection?

 

[vsboxerboy]

Don't at all feel robbed - there is no reason currently to choose anything thunderbolt (and won't be the usable lifetime of your card). Displayport, on the other hand, is something that you'll probably want to have from this point on.

1) USB and Firewire aren't used for connecting displays, right?

Not usually, but there are specific monitors that will run from USB.

2) Will Thunderbolt be used for displays and be another opition like VGS, DVI, HDMI and Displayport or will it be used for other devices and be another opition like USB and Firewire?

Both, there are already monitors that use thunderbolt as well as external hard drives, for example.

3) Is mini Displayport better than the standard Displayport?

It's just smaller - although I don't think it has the same 'locking' feature that I've seen on fullsize display port connections

4) Will PC graphic cards and displays both start to have Thunderbolt connections or will Thunderbolt just be an apple connection?

It's not just an apple thing. I'm sure some will and some won't. It's one of those chicken/egg kinda things. There aren't many thunderbolt displays because there aren't many thunderbolt graphics solutions because there aren't many thunderbolt displays.

 

[Turbosound]

Thank you very much for your insight. Will thunderbolt e the first type that will connect everything and when do you think it will be available on graphic cards and monitors. So I quess when thunderbolt comes out it will be the only connection for compute

 

[Q1DM6]

What you have will run your 30 inch monitor perfectly well. I don't understand why you feel that you need thunderbolt for a graphics connection. TB is really best suited for external storage, although it can surely do other things.

 

[vsboxerboy]

If we were ever to get to the point where TB could be used for everything, there would be something else on the horizon that is even better.

Connections are in a constant state of flux, there will never be a single connector. Don't worry about having TB now.

 

[chx]

Thunderbolt is like a bus on which signals travel. One kind of the signals is Displayport. The other is PCI Express. The current Thunderbolt drivers allow two Displayport passengers and four PCIe passengers to get on the bus.

It gets very confusing when we look at how it uses the same physical connector as Displayport. The connector can work as a simple Displayport connector, driving displays up to 2560x2048 (Displayport 1.1) or 4096x2160 (Displayport 1.2). Or it can work as a Thunderbolt connector (basically the under end sends such signals that a Displayport monitor would never do and so it announces to the system to switch to TB mode) which currently has a limit of allowing only Displayport 1.1 on the bus -- however it allows two of them.

Did I say two Displayport passengers? Well , that is true however the driver is a little bit insane and only allows one DP passenger to get off the bus at one stop! See this http://www.anandtech.com/show/4832/the-apple-thunderbolt-display-review/8 here. Theoretically you could build a dock which uses two drivers to demux both DP signals off the bus but doing so would require two daisy chained Thunderbolt chips. Why do you think noone makes dual video Thunderbolt docks ?

 

[Turbosound]

I have been aware that DP and TB are very similar or that TB stems from DP. I have been waiting for next standard in graphic card to monitor connection, and one that will be considered to be the standard for years to come. DVI has been around for a long time and then HDMI and DP came out around the same time. I though DP would be a better choice and outlive HDMI. I am just concerned that TB will soon wipe out/replace HDMI and DP and become the standard for years to come. Meaning that HDMI and DP were here and gone or shortly lived in the PC world. I am not like this with anything else, worried about new thing coming out and what is considered to be the new standard, just with the graphic card to monitor connection. Then again when spending $3000 for display and graphic card, I'm sure most would agree. Thanks again everyone and I'm glad to know theres a place to go for help.