OCulink all set to become mainstream thanks to upcoming Lenovo ThinkBook 14p 2024 with Meteor Lake

The Lenovo ThinkBook lineup offers a viable middle ground between the budget oriented IdeaPad and the more premium ThinkPad series. The last Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G4+ arrived back in CES 2022 with Intel 12th gen Alder Lake processors and Nvidia GeForce RTX 2050 graphics. Now, it seems like Lenovo is finally refreshing the ThinkBook 14 with Meteor Lake processors and a new OCulink connector.

According to Chinese publication ITHome, the upcoming Lenovo ThinkBook 14p will offer OCulink (Optical-Copper Link) as an alternative eGPU connector to Thunderbolt 4. For those not in the know, Oculink isn't exactly new tech — it has been in the server space for quite some time now — and is basically a PCIe slot turned into a port.

OCulink offers up to 16 GB/s bandwidth, which is the same as that of PCIe Gen 3 x16 one-way. Compare this with the 5 GB/s bandwidth of Thunderbolt 4 and 10-15 GB/s of Thunderbolt 5, and you can immediately see the benefits for gamers and content creators.

However, the exact bandwidth offered depends on the implementation and the adapter used. For instance, the Minisforum EliteMini UM780 XTX uses an M.2-to-OCulink adapter that works at PCIe Gen 4 x4 speeds (63 Gbps). Similarly, the GPD G1 with an AMD Radeon RX 7600M XT is an eGPU dock with a 63 Gbps OCulink connector. The GPD Win Max 2 2023 also offers a 63 Gbps OCulink port but is capped at 32 Gbps.

Adoption of OCulink in the consumer segment is happening at a snail's pace, but the 2024 Lenovo ThinkBook 14p could offer the perfect launchpad to make this connector mainstream.

Lenovo's decision to offer a native OCulink port in the laptop could be due to the fact that M.2-to-OCulink adapters that replace the onboard USB connector are quite popular in Asia.

ITHome states that Lenovo will offer the ThinkBook in three variants — ThinkBook 14p, ThinkBook 16p, and the ThinkBook 13x convertible. Additionally, the company will also offer a ThinkBook Plus Android tablet with a detachable keyboard.

Unfortunately, no additional specifications or pricing information is available at this point. Lenovo hasn't officially confirmed the arrival of the new ThinkBooks, so the specs can change at launch. It is also not clear if the OCulink connector will feature on all upcoming ThinkBooks or just the ThinkBook 14p, and whether it would arrive in global variants or be restricted to Asian markets.

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