Windows 11 now supports USB 80Gbps enabling high-performance connectivity

USB 80Gbps is faster than Thunderbolt 4.

3 min. read

Published on January 11, 2024

published on January 11, 2024

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Good news for Windows Insiders everywhere, as Microsoft just released the Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23615 to the Dev Channel, and this Build comes with an important update: Windows 11 now supports USB 80Gbps which enables high-performance connectivity, faster than Thunderbolt 4, for instance.

We are excited to announce support for the latest generation USB standard, USB 80Gbps, in this build of Windows. USB 80Gbps support will initially launch on select devices based on the Intel Core 14th Gen HX-series mobile processors, such as the new Razer Blade 18.

This is the first major version update of the USB4®standard and increases performance to 80Gbps from 40Gbps. It enables the next generation of high-performance displays, storage, and connectivity. It is fully backwards compatible with peripherals built for older generations of USB and Thunderbolt™ and works alongside all other USB Type-C features.
Microsoft

USB 80Gbps will allow for faster connections, which could be incredibly useful in cases such as Windows 365 Switch, where users will need a strong internet connection to properly enjoy and use Windows 11 Cloud.

As for the other changes and improvements, this Build is quite small, but it brings some important improvements to Windows 11. One of them is the ability to share URLs directly to WhatsApp, Gmail, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and LinkedIn in Windows Share.

Plus, Copilot has its own Settings page, as we discovered a while ago. Take a look below at all the changes and improvements coming to Windows 11 with this build.

Build 23615: All the details

Changes and Improvements

[Copilot in Windows*]

We are trying out opening Copilot automatically when Windows starts on widescreen devices with some Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel. This can be managed via Settings > Personalization > Copilot. Note that this is rolling out so not all Insiders in the Dev Channel will see this right away.

[Windows Share]

For Microsoft Edge and other browsers that invoke the Windows share window, the Windows share window now supports the ability to share URLs directly to WhatsApp, Gmail, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and LinkedIn. In Microsoft Edge, you can invoke the Windows share window by clicking the share icon at the top right in the toolbar and choosing the Windows share options.

Fixes

[Task Manager]

Fixed an issue which was impacting Task Manager reliability for some Insiders.

[Windows Share]

Fixed an issue which was impacting Windows share window reliability for some Insiders.

NOTE: Some fixes noted here in Insider Preview builds from the Dev Channel may make their way into the servicing updates for the released version of Windows 11.

Known issues

[Copilot in Windows*]

When first launching or after refreshing Copilot in Windows while using voice access, you’ll need to use “Show grid” commands to click in the “Ask me anything” box for the first time.

[Widgets]

Announcements from the Microsoft Start feed are still shown on the taskbar after the feed is hidden.
Keyboard navigation from settings subpages back to the top-level Settings page is broken.
Incorrect spacing and fonts used in some settings pages.

What’s your opinion on this build?

More about the topics: Windows 11, Windows Update

Flavius Floare

Tech Journalist

Flavius is a writer and a media content producer with a particular interest in technology, gaming, media, film and storytelling. He's always curious and ready to take on everything new in the tech world, covering Microsoft's products on a daily basis. The passion for gaming and hardware feeds his journalistic approach, making him a great researcher and news writer that's always ready to bring you the bleeding edge!