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Difficulty: MediumNetwork and Peripheral Cables and Connectors

A systems administrator needs to attach a high-throughput external drive array requiring PCIe signaling and an ultra-high-definition monitor to a mobile workstation using a single interface. The connection must support up to 40 Gbps total throughput along with DisplayPort Alternate Mode. Which cable assembly and protocol specification should the administrator deploy to satisfy these bandwidth and signal transport requirements?

  1. Thunderbolt 4 cable with USB Type-C connectorsAnswer
  2. B
    Standard USB 3.2 Gen 2x1 cable with USB Type-C connectors
  3. C
    Category 6A shielded twisted-pair cable with RJ45 connectors
  4. D
    USB 3.2 Gen 1 cable with USB Type-A to Type-B connectors

Answer

Thunderbolt 4 cable with USB Type-C connectors
The correct specification is a Thunderbolt 4 cable with USB Type-C connectors. Thunderbolt 4 mandates a 40 Gbps minimum bandwidth requirement and natively encapsulates PCIe data for external storage devices while simultaneously delivering DisplayPort video signals via Alternate Mode.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the required bandwidth and protocol support from the scenario.
The requirements demand 40 Gbps throughput, PCIe tunneling, and DisplayPort Alternate Mode over a single cable interface.
High-throughput external storage arrays using PCIe protocol alongside high-resolution monitors require specific bus capabilities beyond standard USB data standards.
2
Evaluate the capabilities of the physical connector and underlying interface protocols.
Thunderbolt 4 guarantees 40 Gbps bandwidth across compatibility profiles, supports PCIe data encapsulation, and natively integrates DisplayPort Alt Mode.
While USB Type-C is the physical connector form factor, only Thunderbolt 3/4 protocols satisfy both the 40 Gbps speed and PCIe encapsulation requirements simultaneously.

Key Concept

Distinguishing physical connector form factors (USB Type-C) from high-speed protocols (Thunderbolt 4 vs USB 3.2 standards)
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Topics

Network and Peripheral Cables and Connectors

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