Does the Lenovo Yoga 6 (2023) have Thunderbolt?

Thunderbolt is common in laptops these days, but there’s one reason the upcoming Lenovo Yoga 6 won’t.


the Lenovo Yoga 6 (2023) It is set to be released later this April. It doesn’t change much from the last generation, but it still looks to be a great laptop under $1,000 and a solid follow-up to last year’s model. But with a slight bump in AMD CPUs under the hood, that means the Yoga 6 (2023) still doesn’t have Thunderbolt 4 ports.


Instead, the Yoga 6 features two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C ports, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, HDMI, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a microSD card reader. So with no Thunderbolt ports, you won’t be able to enjoy external GPU enclosures or Thunderbolt-certified docking stations for the Yoga 6 (2023). However, there are plenty of alternatives if you still want a dock or other accessories.


What is Thunderbolt 4 and why isn’t it on the Lenovo Yoga 6 (2023)?

If you didn’t already know, Thunderbolt 4 is the latest version of the Thunderbolt protocol, which is developed and manufactured by Intel. Unfortunately, even though Thunderbolt uses a USB Type-C connector (which you’ll see in the Yoga 6), Thunderbolt itself is still a proprietary technology mostly used on laptops with Intel CPUs and Apple Macs. Therefore, laptops with AMD CPUs like the Lenovo Yoga 6 can’t take advantage of it and its benefits, like PCIe signaling and the ability to connect two 4K displays with a 60Hz refresh rate. Future laptops with AMD CPUs will have USB 4, providing data transfer speeds close to Thunderbolt 3, but still not the same and not supported in the Yoga 6.

Thunderbolt 4 alternatives

Don’t worry too much if the Yoga 6 (2023) doesn’t support Thunderbolt 4. There are still plenty of USB-C docks out there that will give you expanded ports, as well as limited ability to use multiple monitors. There are a few options below.

  • The Plugable dock is very unique in that it doesn't use Thunderbolt, yet it does support three 4K displays at 60Hz, thanks to DisplayLink.  It has three HDMI or DisplayPort ports, as well as four USB Type A and Ethernet ports, a USB Type C port that can charge your phone, and another for charging your laptop.
    Pluggable UD-ULTC4K

    Pluggable USB-C 4K Triple Display Docking Station

    This dock from Plugable is great for your Lenovo Yoga 6 (2023). It’s not a Thunderbolt dock, but thanks to DisplayLink technology, it’ll let you enjoy three displays in 4K at 60Hz. You also get additional ports with it, such as USB Type-A and Ethernet, as well as another USB Type-C port for charging the Yoga 6.

  • Kensington SD4839P USB-C Docking Station

    Kensington SD4839P Triple Display USB-C Docking Station

    This is a compact nine-in-one Kensington docking station that supports triple video outputs. It also delivers up to 85W of power and data transfer speeds of up to 10Gbps.

  • This dock features over 15 connectivity options and comes with dual monitor support, along with multiple USB-A and USB-C ports, along with SD and microSD card slots, Ethernet, and more.
    Tobenone USB-C docking station

    Tobenone USB-C docking station

    This USB-C docking station is the ultimate port hub for your Yoga 6 (2023). You’ll get up to 15 different connectivity options, including support for dual monitors.

While Thunderbolt may have some benefits, you can still enjoy the Yoga 6 (2023) with regular USB-C accessories once it hits store shelves later in April. Until then, check out our list of the best Lenovo laptops, many with Thunderbolt 4 technology.

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