Question

I just assumed my 6 month old dell xps 8910 had a thunderbolt interface.   Turns out I assumed wrong and have to get a new computer if I want to use the new quantum I just bought.  Wont even have it till wed of next week and looks like it will just sit in the box until I can sell it or figure out a way to upgrade the computer I have.   its a i7 quad 16 gigs, running win 10.

Answer 1

I ended up building my PC.  PC Partpicker list below.  Otherwise, I was able to find that ASUS and ASROCK both offer motherboards with a Thunderbolt header.  Also, both companies produce a Thunderbolt 2 card.  I went with ASROCK, but you can always go with ASUS.  Right not you are kind of limited with CPU, as Intel has cornered the market with a thunderbolt.  I chose to go with Kabylake, i7 7700K to get overclocking.  You can get about the same amount of performance from the Skylake chips too. I was able to build my entire system for about half the cost of premanufactured PCs and with more RAM, HD space, and extra connections.  

However, if you are going to spend the money and plan on taking this stuff out, a laptop as suggested by Charles is going to be a good bet. As Charles mentioned, it really depends on your needs and budget.  Just keep in mind that if you purchase anything with TB3, you will need an adaptor that will run an additional $80 to $100 on top of the actual TB cable that you will need to connect the device to your computer.  That is why I recommend building to fit your needs versus buying prebuilt.  Lots of great YouTube videos on how to do it, and it really is like an adult Lego set.  

Good luck! 

https://pcpartpicker.com/user/Trbone64/saved/#view=zjBt6h

Other known prebuilt desktops.

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIAA0S4KZ0757&ignorebbr=1&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleMKP-PC&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleMKP-PC-_-pla-_-Desktop+PC-_-9SIAA0S4KZ0757&gclid=CjwKEAjws-LKBRDCk9v6_cnBgjISJAADkzXeHnH5Szp55Cs7d-k-yug-sNvltPulmkwlPmWeZOBM2hoCWAfw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

https://jet.com/product/detail/e7fd4fdbacd14615bd259678b9279a91?jcmp=pla:ggl:NJ_dur_Gen_Electronics_a1:Electronics_Computers_Accessories_Desktops_a1:na:PLA_785706707_43734981729_pla-306227260770:na:na:na:2&code=PLA15&pid=kenshoo_int&c=785706707&is_retargeting=true&clickid=b928caf6-692b-438f-b72f-d375aa003883

Answer 2

Hello,

I do not know what your budget is, but I have a ROG g752 series that I got from Best Buy. (Here is a picture of it). Mine has a thunderbolt. They typically run from $1200 to $2000. I've been happy with it. Note that unless things have changed for newer models, My model has the intel skylake (I believe, can't verify that till I am home) and this CPU has a bug in it. I've only really ran into one major problem that I've noticed and the vendor was good enough to work with me to re-write the software to work around the bug.

https://www.amazon.com/G752VT-DH72-Gaming-Laptop-Nvidia-GeForce/dp/B01578ZN0Q

Here is another list of computers (I can't vouch for them though) that have a list of thunderbolt adapters in various sizes and price ranges

http://www.ultrabookreview.com/10579-laptops-thunderbolt-3/

Answer 3

Thanks for the reply.  I forgot to mention my comp is a desktop computer.   I'm searching the internet for models that have thunderbolt.  Not as easy as I thought.   Not many pc's support it.  Don't exactly have an extra 5k lying around to upgrade.

Answer 4

do you have a PCIe slot or something like this? I believe PCIe thunderbolt adapters are available.

and yes, don't forget there's thunderbolt v1, 2 and 3

Answer 5

I just learned I'm going to be going through thunderbolt hell

Answer 6

Looks like I'm in the same situation, and the information I'm finding is fuzzy at best.

@vasilykorytov: According to some information I read on the Presonus site, you can't just add a card. Thunderbolt must be supported natively on the motherboard.

Answer 7

There are no PCIe Thunderbolt cards that will work in any PC. It is not the same as buying a USB add-in card or a graphics card etc. Thunderbolt needs the correct technology built in to the motherboard.

I suggest you read this article:

https://www.dell.com/community/Desktops-General/Thunderbolt-add-in-card/m-p/5147305

I have just been through the same scenario, but luckily I have a Dell 5800 and a 7900, so the add-in card works with both of my machines. I have got the Quantum and have tested it with the add-in card and it works fine. I am selling the 5800 if anyone is interested. If all goes well I will be able to supply it with the supported 7HMHP Thunderbolt card. However, the PC is in the UK. Basic spec is 8 core Xeon 3200 MHz (if my memory serves me correctly) with a 100 gig (yes 100 gig!) of DDR4 RAM.

Other than that, any very modern PC with Thunderbolt 2 or Thunderbolt 3 should work fine. If you have Thunderbolt 3 you will need the converter, if you have Thunderbolt 2 you will need the Apple straight (probably 2 meter) Thunderbolt 2 cable.