USB4 vs Thunderbolt 4 & 5: What’s the Difference?
Ever bought a USB-C cable expecting to connect your 8K monitor, only to get a black screen? Or waited 20 minutes to transfer a 100GB video file? The chaos of overlapping USB-C standards is to blame. We’re breaking down the three most popular high-speed USB-C specs in 5 minutes flat, no jargon included. Quick Comparison Table (At a Glance) Skip the deep dive and use this cheat sheet to pick the right cable: Feature USB4 Thunderbolt 4 Thunderbolt 5 Release Year 2019 (USB4 2.0 / 80Gbps: 2022) 2020 2023 Max Bandwidth 20Gbps (base) / 40Gbps (premium) / 80Gbps (USB4 2.0) 40Gbps (mandatory minimum) 80Gbps (symmetric) / 120Gbps (asymmetric video mode) Video Output Optional (DP 1.4a if supported, max 1x 8K30) Mandatory (DP 1.4a, min 2x 4K60 or 1x 8K30) Mandatory (DP 2.1, min 2x 8K60 or 1x 16K30) Power Delivery 15W minimum, up to 240W (optional) 100W charging minimum (mandatory) 240W charging support (mandatory) Official Certification Optional (USB-IF) Mandatory (Intel) Mandatory (...