What are the Specs of the "Surface Connect Port"?

Hi M-J_J_B,

I searched through all the information I could find, and to be honest, I couldn't find any specifications for the Connect port, anywhere.

However, I think there is a good chance that your speculation is right. This is because neither the Surface Dock 1 nor the Surface Dock 2 carries a Thunderbolt 4 port. Normally, the Surface Dock can only be expanded if the Connect port supports the corresponding protocol, and if the Connect port supports Thunderbolt, there's no reason why the designers couldn't have added a Thunderbolt 4-enabled port to the Surface Dock.

Earlier Surface series didn't even have USB-C ports, and for the Surface Pro series devices, it's only since the eighth generation that they've carried Thunderbolt 4 ports.

Best Regards,

Mitchell | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Thank you for your reply. While it did make a few things clear, the main question is still largely unanswered.

I understand the specs of the Surface Dock, but I was asking specifically about the Connect Port that is on the Surface computer devices themselves.

Each dock has different technical specifications, but the Connect Port on the Surface Pro also has limitations. Much like how USB or Thunderbolt has very clearly stated specifications regarding speed and maximum wattage. This is what I am asking about, the Port itself.

Since the the only Surface Dock that supports Thunderbolt 4 is the type-c dock, this leads me to assume that the Surface Connect Port does not support data transfer matching that of thunderbolt. This is what I meant by compatibility. If the port specifications do not support the data transfer speed, video transfer resolution, or wattage required for the thunderbolt 4 standard; Which it appears they do not.

Hello M-J_J_B,

Welcome to Microsoft Community.

In fact, since the launch of the Surface Pro series, the size of the Surface Connect port has never changed, and in the past generations of Surface Pro devices, the port has always appeared on the right side of every Surface Pro device.

Special devices connected to this port are generally:

• Each device uses a separate power adapter with different power levels: Surface power supplies and charging requirements - Microsoft Support
• Surface docks, specifically Surface Dock and Surface Dock 2, because docks for Surface Pro 1, Pro 2, and Pro 3 do not Connect with the Connect port. The latest Surface Thunderbolt™ 4 dock is connected via a USB-C port: Identify your Surface Dock and features - Microsoft Support

The power requirements of different models of equipment are different, so the power of the power adapter used will also be different, so the supported charging data is in the first link above.

But if the problem involves other parameters, such as data transfer speed, video resolution and refresh rate, Ethernet speed, etc., then this is actually determined by the Surface Dock or Surface Dock 2, because the Surface is only connected to a dedicated docking station. To transfer data, connect to external displays, and use Ethernet, all of which are in the second link.

As a supplement, here are the external display resolutions and refresh rates supported by different Surface devices:

Supported external display resolution and refresh rates for Surface - Microsoft Support

As for "Thunderbolt compatibility," I probably don't understand what you're asking, because the Connect port itself is not directly connected to the Thunderbolt port, so the compatibility should be related to the Surface Dock port. Unfortunately, neither Surface Dock nor Surface Dock 2 support the Thunder protocol.

Surface Dock 2 overview - Surface | Microsoft Learn

The current dock that supports the Thunderbolt protocol is the Surface Thunderbolt™ 4 dock, but it is connected via USB-C instead of the Connect port.

Some models of Surface Pro series devices come with USB-C ports that support the Thunder 4 protocol, such as Surface Pro 11.

So in fact, I may not be able to give a clear answer to your question. Future Surface Pro devices may still have Connect ports, unless the designer team has a new inspiration in the future. As for Thunderbolt 5, I suspect this feature may gradually be prioritized in the USB-C ports of some Surface series devices.

Are there any questions? I will answer everything I know.

Best Regards,

Mitchell | Microsoft Community Support Specialist