AnandTech has tested out Thunderbolt with Windows on a new Z77A-GD80 motherboard from MSI, and has found that many of the issues faced by Boot Camp users on a Mac carry over onto other hardware. Intel has said that one in particular — hot plugging, where devices can be connected while the computer is on — should be fixed in a forthcoming driver release, and that it hopes that other wrinkles should be ironed out before the board gets certified.
Thunderbolt on Windows tested, Intel says hot plugging on the way
One of the first motherboards with Ivy Bridge designed for Windows gets tested by Anandtech, while Intel is quick to respond that fixes for some of the issues are in the pipeline.
One of the first motherboards with Ivy Bridge designed for Windows gets tested by Anandtech, while Intel is quick to respond that fixes for some of the issues are in the pipeline.
Up until now, Thunderbolt has been the preserve of Mac users with other manufacturers slow to pick up Intel's speedy new standard (models from Acer and Gigabyte, as well as the DisplayPort-defying VAIO Z, excepted). The hot plugging issue results from the way Windows handles the port, scanning for connected Thunderbolt devices as the OS boots up and then not monitoring for any new connections thereafter. AnandTech also found that there's a greater propensity for devices to hang on Windows, breaking the daisy-chain of devices linked after it — but we'll have to wait and see whether MSI will fix these issues by the time the board is released.
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