About UAD Thunderbolt Compatibility with Windows 10 and 11 Systems

• The latest UAD software provides mixed multi-unit compatibility with all Thunderbolt-equipped Apollo and UAD-2 products (Apollo 8, Apollo 8p, Apollo 16 MkII, Apollo Twin Thunderbolt, Apollo Twin MkII, UAD-2 Satellite Thunderbolt, and first-generation silver Apollo/Apollo 16 models equipped with a Thunderbolt Option Card).
• Apollo Thunderbolt models can be combined with UAD-2 PCIe cards and UAD-2 Satellite (Thunderbolt, FireWire, and USB models). For details, see this article.
• All Thunderbolt Option Card models for Apollo are compatible.
• Apollo Thunderbolt cannot be combined with Apollo FireWire or Apollo Twin USB (multiple Apollo connection types are incompatible).

UAD Thunderbolt PC Compatibility Requirements

• A Windows 10 or 11 PC featuring available Thunderbolt 3 is required. 
• Windows 10 64-bit edition or Windows 11 is required. Earlier versions of Windows are not tested or supported.
• PC systems with Thunderbolt 4 are not compatible with Thunderbolt 1 or Thunderbolt 2 devices.
• A qualified Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt adapter (not included) is required to connect Universal Audio Thunderbolt products to the Thunderbolt 3 port on the computer. 
• Apollo Thunderbolt audio drivers for Windows are 64 bit only. 32 bit DAW applications are not compatible.
• Thunderbolt to FireWire adapters, and Thunderbolt hubs are not tested or supported and may cause unexpected behavior.
• Connections to Thunderbolt 1 or Thunderbolt 2 computer ports are not tested or supported.
• Using Apple's Boot Camp to run Windows on Mac computers with Apollo or UAD-2 devices is not tested or supported.
• For general UAD system requirements, see this article.

General System Notes

• A Quad Core i7 or better processor is recommended for optimum performance.
• 2016 and later systems that have a 6th-generation Intel Skylake processor (or greater) and  Thunderbolt 3 (Alpine Ridge) controller with a Thunderbolt 3 port are expected to be compatible.
• Thunderbolt 3 products listed on Intel’s Thunderbolt Technology Community page are expected to be compatible.
• Systems that use Thunderbolt 3 add-on cards may require additional configuration. For details, check the manufacturer's documentation that came with the system or add-on card.

Qualified Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt Adapters

The following Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt adapters have been tested for compatibility with Thunderbolt-equipped Apollo audio interfaces and UAD-2 Satellite Thunderbolt.

Note: The adapter connects between the Thunderbolt 3 port on the computer and the Thunderbolt-equipped Universal Audio product.

• Startech Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt Adapter (Product ID: TBT3TBTADAP)
• Kanex Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt Adapter (Product ID: K170-1051-BK6I)

Qualified Adapter Notes

• The qualified Thunderbolt 3 adapters are compatible with connections to external Thunderbolt 1 and Thunderbolt 2 devices.

 Apple Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter Notes

• The Apple Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt adapter (Product ID: MMEL2AM/A) has been found to be incompatible with certain Windows systems in our internal testing. As a result, we do not recommend this adapter for Windows Thunderbolt systems. 
• The Apple adapter is incompatible with hot-plugging the adapter into the computer’s Thunderbolt 3 port. However, the adapter is compatible with hot-plugging the Thunderbolt cable into the adapter. 

Windows Configuration

For help configuring your Windows PC for use with UAD Thunderbolt devices, please see the articles below:

Configuring Windows for Thunderbolt
Windows Setup - Required Settings
Windows Optimization - Optional Settings