Here’s what you need to know when comparing USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 specifications for ports and cables and what’s right for you.
The USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 connective interfaces have brought on a new era of wide compatibility across major tech products, not to mention much faster charging and data transfer speeds than ever before. Here’s what you need to know when comparing USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 specifications for ports and cables and what’s right for you.
By looking at the port alone, you can’t tell the difference between a USB-C, Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 port—indeed, they all offer the same basic capabilities, physical appearance and are cross-compatible with the devices they support. These specifications differ mostly when it comes to transfer speeds, charging speeds and size.
In this article, we’re going to break down what makes USB-C, Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 technologies unique, some commonly asked questions, and what you should consider when purchasing devices with these ports or buying cables for your devices.
The USB-C (Universal Serial Bus Type C) is an oval-shaped connector with a 24-pin plug, descended from a long line of USB standards, each with unique shapes, sizes and pin configurations. USB-C cables can transmit both power and data.
After a storied history of changes, USB-C is becoming a standard charging and data transfer port amongst modern laptops due to its compactness (USB-C uses an 8.4mm connector versus USB-A’s 12mm), symmetrical design and higher transfer/charging speed compared to USB standards before it.
Today’s standard USB-C connector was created in response to the flaws of its most common predecessor, the USB-A 2.0 connector. You’ve no doubt noticed when attempting to plug in a USB-A port that it needs to be correctly oriented with the USB-A cable or else it won’t plug in since the USB-A pin connectors at the bottom of the plug need to be aligned to the receiver. In contrast, the receiver in a USB-C port sits in the center so the cable orientation does not matter, eliminating this annoyance.
USB-C has three standard specifications, although the basic functionality remains the same. Before you buy a laptop, check exactly what kinds of USB-C ports it offers, particularly if you transfer a lot of data via USB-C cable or want to charge your USB-C-compatible accessories faster.
When it comes to charging speed, it all depends on what type of port the USB-C cable is plugged into. The default charging speed of a USB-C cable is the same as USB-A at 2.5 watts, but some devices have the “USB Power Delivery (USB PD)” specification, allowing for 100 watts of power transfer between devices.
Like USB-C, the Thunderbolt 3 has a 24-pin, 8.4mm, reversible connector. However, Thunderbolt 3 is not a USB cable at all; it is a unique hardware interface standard developed by Apple and Intel. It does all the same things as USB-C but many times faster, plus transmit video and connect to monitors.
One of the major advantages of Thunderbolt 3 is the ability to support a range of adapters and protocols with its high data transfer speeds, such as USB-C to DisplayPort adapters for connecting dual 4K monitors or one 5K monitor, powered docking stations and eGPU (external graphics processing unit) enclosures for additional graphics processing power.
The Thunderbolt 3 cable doubles the max data transfer speed of USB-C, running as fast as 40Gbps. While it has a default charging speed of 15 watts (six times faster than USB-C’s default speed), if you connect your device with USB PD, you achieve about the same 100 watts of power as USB-C.
You won’t be able to tell any physical difference between a USB-C and a Thunderbolt 3-enabled connector; you’ll have to either refer to your device specs to know what kind of port(s) it has or look for a little lightning bolt symbol with a downward-facing arrow next to the port on your device or on the head of your cable. Most modern laptops offer a mix of regular USB-C and USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 3.
No need to worry about cross-compatibility thankfully, as any USB-C cable can plug into any Thunderbolt 3-enabled port and vice-versa. Thunderbolt 3 uses the USB-C standard as a backup if the connected device doesn’t use Thunderbolt technology; however, this will limit your data transfer speeds to standard, USB-C level.
Thunderbolt 4 ports look identical to both Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C ports and have the same 24-pin connector. In fact, the Thunderbolt 4 hardware interface has the same data transfer speed (40 Gbps) and charging speed as Thunderbolt 3 and are cross-compatible. Most cables will have the arrowed lightning bolt with either the number 3 or 4 on the head of the cable, although this is not a standard. You’ll most likely have to check your device’s specs to see if it supports Thunderbolt 4.
The actual differences between Thunderbolt 3 and 4 technologies are as follows:
No, but they’re related terms. Thunderbolt technology uses a USB-C connector. “Thunderbolt” doesn’t describe the port but describes a type of high-speed data transfer and display technology the USB-C port can utilize. Not all USB-C ports can support Thunderbolt, but all Thunderbolt-enabled ports are USB-C.
First off, USB-C PD is independent of Thunderbolt technology. USB-C PD is a power delivery standard that allows connected devices to deliver power from 5V to 20V and can charge devices faster than a regular USB-C port.
Both Thunderbolt and USB-C PD can exist on the same USB-C port. Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 support USB-C PD and deliver power to connected devices. USB-C PD also has nothing to do with data transfer; it is only referring to charging and power transfer.
If you’re not looking to transfer large amounts of data quickly or connect your laptop to multiple high-resolution monitors, you’ll find regular USB-C to be adequate for your needs. Need fast data transfer and fast charging? Thunderbolt technology is the way to go If you’re concerned about the slower charging speed, you can seek out USB-C PD-enabled devices.
We hope this article was helpful in learning the nuances between USB-C and Thunderbolt technology. CDW sells a wide variety of cables and adapters, including USB-C and devices with Thunderbolt 3 and 4 support. Shop now on CDW.com.
