XPS 8960, Thunderbolt 4 upgrade

Question

I just got my 8960 last month, and am thinking of upgrading to Thunderbolt 4. My original plan was to wait until new systems offered Thunderbolt, but my HP Envy bit the dust.

My starting research said the RTX 3060 video card blocked both PCIe x4 slots. I removed the left side panel today, and the bottom slot is accessible.

I have seen threads that say it's very difficult to find a Thunderbolt card that is compatible. Does anybody have any info or a card they used successfully? I would like to avoid having to play guessing games as to what will work.

I currently get benchmark readings of 7,000 MB/s with the internal SSD, and the Samsung 980 Pro I installed. The USB drives I built only get around 1,000 MB/s. I would like to increase that performance.

I have seen several claims on YouTube of getting 3,000 MB/s with a ORICO USB4.0 M.2 SSD Enclosure 40Gbps NVMe M.2 Enclosure. The authors are very vague, and seem to claim those numbers with the stock USB 3.2 ports. I have ordered an enclosure to test, as I will need an enclosure anyway. I have not seen what speeds to expect with Thunderbolt 4, but suspect it is higher than 3,000 MB/s.

I saw a post on this site that said any up yo date motherboard should work, and that makes sense. The XPS 8960 was released only 3 months ago.

Thanks in advanced for any help.

RoHe · Accepted Answer

@JohnCapo - The USB-C port on rear of XPS 8960 is USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C. This port is capable of a theoretical 20 Gbps, assuming the external device supports that speed. The USB-C port on front of PC is USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C that's capable of a theoretical 10 Gbps. You also have USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports for 5 Gbps plus two slow USB 2.0 ports for mouse and keyboard. So make sure you connect the external drive that supports the fastest speed to the rear Gen 2x2 Type-C port. If necessary, you can get a long(er) USB-CUSB-C Gen 2x2 cable with full support at 20 Gbps and plug it into the rear USB-C port. Put the other end on your desktop or wherever you keep your USB devices. That way you can quickly/easily swap drives connected to that fast port without having to move the PC, etc. That's what I did. Amazing how much faster my backups are using the fast rear USB-C port instead of the front one...

Chino de Oro · Answer

There is no thunderbolt option available for XPS 8960.

JohnCapo · Answer

That's why I'm putting my own 'option' together with after marked parts. https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-ThunderboltEX-Thunderbolt-bi-Directional-DisplayPort/dp/B08ZS3D6JY/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1H375RRWAHKZD&keywords=thunderbolt+pcie+card&qid=1689777609&s=electronics&sprefix=%2Celectronics%2C134&sr=1-3

Chino de Oro · Answer

Please share your result and post the drivers you used, how to bypass thunderbolt header on motherboard and how to enable it in BIOS settings.

JohnCapo · Answer

1. I'm hoping myself for someone to help me with drivers.

2. I don't see any Thunderbolt header on the XPS 8960 motherboard.

3. Nor is there anything about Thunderbolt in the BIOS.

4. Remember; my purpose is to learn about these things. I'm seeking some who has actually done the upgrade. Most PCIe cards seem to be "Plug N' Play". That's what I'm hoping for.

JohnCapo · Answer

Well, I think I've gone as far with this as I can.

It's not a Dell issue so much as Windows Desktops. High speed portable storage is just better in the Laptop and Apple worlds.

The XPS is only 2 months old, so it will be a while before I replace it. And the Dell motherboard isn't very open to replace.

Unless someone has a solution that I don't know about, I'm probably at the end of the trail.

I currently get 1,000 MB/s through my USB ports. I don't think I'll be replacing a desktop that's only 2 months old just yet to get 3,000.

JohnCapo · Answer

RoHe, To clarify; are you saying the rear "C" port will supply the full 20G to a 20G, or higher device plugged into it ? That's pretty much what I am hoping for.

Right now, I have a Samsung 980 Pro in a standard Oric enclosure. It gets a 1,000 MB/s score from CrystalDiskMark 8.

I am waiting for an Oric Thunderbolt 40G enclosure tonight, and a cable with the same specs in two days. If it doubles my speed to 2,500 GB/s, I will be happy.

Thanks for your info.

@JohnCapo

I will route the cable to the front with clear tape, and set the enclosure on the front.

RoHe · Answer

@JohnCapo - The XPS 8960 specs say the rear USB-C port is USB 3.2 Gen 2x2. That type port is rated at up to 20 Gbps, when a similarly equipped external device is connected. In your case, both the enclosure and the SSD would have to support >10 Gbps.

From what I see, your Samsung 980 Pro SSD only supports up to 7 Gbps. So you may not get much/any improvement because the front USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port already provides up to 10 Gbps, which is faster than the SSD specs. I am assuming your "standard Orico enclosure" supports at least 10 Gbps.

I guess time will tell. Don't be too disappointed, because the limiting factor may be the SSD, even when installed in that 40 Gbps enclosure, rather than the PC's USB ports...

I wish Dell had put the USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 port on the front of the PC, rather than on the rear, to make it easier (more convenient) to use that faster port with different devices.

FWIW, I put a stick-on cable clip on top of my PC to hold the free end of the USB-C cable. And that lets me put whatever device I want to connect (eg, portable USB-C SSD) safely on a shelf that's just a few inches above the PC, without having to hunt for the end...

Post back and let us know what happens with the SSD in that faster enclosure...

JohnCapo · Answer

Actually; the 980 Pro is rated at 7,000 MBs. Notice how all the companies keep switching between GB/s (Bytes) and Gb/s (bits). It drives a body nuts trying to keep up.

All assets from the rear output to the enclosure itself are rated for 40 Gbps. I currently get a score of 1,000 MB/s on CrystalDiskMark. That's with the "A" USBs or either "C" port.

I assume all scores are due to my enclosure and cable limits. The lowest being the 5 Gb/s "A" ports.

I will raise my cable and enclosure to the 40 Gb/s level, so my scores should now be 20 Gb/s (the "C" port limit). Folks on other forums are boasting CrystalDiskMark scores of 3,000 MB/s. I'm thinking that 2,000 to 2,500 scores are more realistic. That's better than double what I have now, and 5 to 10 times better than most thumb drives.

Even a 2,000 score will be worth the $250 I spent on parts. But then "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride."

I will definitely upgrade to the stick-on cable clip. Thanks for that one.

XPS Desktops

XPS 8960, Thunderbolt 4 upgrade

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