Is the end of HDMI close? Here is the GPMI, the Chinese alternative with 480 W of power

China shakes up standards with GPMI, a new universal cable capable of replacing HdmiDisplayport, USB-C and even Thunderbolt. With a bandwidth that can climb up to 192 Gbps – almost 5 times more than Thunderbolt 4, 4 times more than HDMI 2.1, and more than 10 times that of HDMI TMDS still widely used – this new standard is positioned as a technical coup.

Cherry on the port: it can also deliver up to 480 W of power. Something to consider, seriously, a unique connectivity to feed everything, display, transmit. All … on one cable.

GPMI: a bandwidth monster

The GPMI is available in two versions. The first, called Type-B, sports a owner connector, still little documented but clearly thought of for industrial or professional applications. The second, more familiar, is based on the USB-C connector. But that we are not mistaken: this physical compatibility does not mean that we remain within the usual limits of the standard.

The GPMI Type-C offers a maximum bandwidth of 96 GBPS, doubling without forcing the 40 GBPS of the Thunderbolt 4 or the USB4. As for the GPMI Type-B, it plays in another courtyard with 192 Gbps, four times what HDMI 2.1 FRL allows. Clearly, it is a multimedia motorway capable of transitting 8K video at high frequency, while keeping margin for additional flows (audio, data, control, etc.).

A single cable to do everything (or almost)

But where the GPMI digs the gap is on food. The type-C goes up to 240 watts, reaching the current maximum allowed by the USB-C EPR. For its part, the type-B explodes the meters with a capacity of 480 W, enough to feed a muscular gaming laptop and its 8K screen … without dedicated mains block. At the time of the whole-in-one and the office without visible cables, it is an attractive advance.

Add to that compatibility with a form of universal control at HDMI-CEC (allowing, for example, to manage several devices with a single remote control), and the table becomes clear: GPMI aims to rationalize our jungle of cables and connectors, without compromise on performance.

The stake behind the standard

Technically impressive, the GPMI is also strategically. By launching a national standard – even potentially international – Chinese industrialists intend to free themselves from dependence on Western standards, often dictated by consortia dominated by American or Japanese companies. It is also a way to strengthen the local ecosystem around 8K, an area where China invests massively.

The future within cable range?

Still embryonic in terms of deployment, the GPMI could primarily seduce Chinese manufacturers of televisions, laptops and reception stations. It remains to be seen whether the GPMI will manage to set up beyond the Chinese market. To date, no official announcement mentions an arrival in Europe, and the standard remains closely linked to the local industrial ecosystem. Even if the Type-C version uses a connector identical to that of the USB-C, this does not guarantee direct compatibility with existing ports and devices. All the more The HDMI 2.2 standard has been official since January 2025.

The European Union having recently Standard USB-C as a compulsory standard For many electronic devices, the introduction of a new standard such as the GPMI will have to deal with an increasingly structuring regulatory framework. Clearly, before dethroning HDMI, DisplayPort or Thunderbolt, the GPMI will first have to convince out of its borders – and that is not won.