While the 2016 and 2017 versions of the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar had limited bandwidth on two of their Thunderbolt 3 ports, the 2018 model will have no such handicap.
According to Apple documentation, the newest 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar features full speed on all four of its Thunderbolt 3 ports. The boost is due to the bump up to Intel’s eight-generation Core i5 and i7 processors in the new models, which support up to 16 PCIe channels. Previous processors in the 13-inch model had only 12 PCIe lanes.
The 13-inch now joins the 15-inch MacBook Pro model in having full bandwidth, as the larger model has always supported full PCIe bandwidth its four Thunderbolt 3 ports. With this update from Apple, high-performance Thunderbolt 3 gear such as the OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock can now be fully utilized in any of the four ports on the 13” MacBook Pro with Touch Bar.
For a deeper look at the new 15″ MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, check out our deep dive here.
Related: OWC Confirms Product Compatibility with New 2018 MacBook Pro Models
