The USB Dispute: USB4 vs Thunderbolt 3
- crossportweb
- Apr 25, 2022
- 1 min read
USB-C brought the death of previous different USB connections along with its advanced features. The industry was able to move towards this new standardized connection type for future generations. USB 4 shares many of the same aspects of Thunderbolt 3, but how do they really compare?

Comparing The Two:
Similarities | Differences |
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It's critical to know the difference and which is which when using devices that may or may not support both cable types. While both of them use the standard USB-C connector, Thunderbolt 3 has a small lightning bolt icon next to them. As for USB4, the ports have a speed rating next to the USB logo and should have a 40 on it (representing 40Gbps transfer speed).

What About Thunderbolt 4?
USB4 and Thunderbolt 4 are essentially identical in functionality. The features of Thunderbolt 3 aren't upgraded, instead the supported devices for Thunderbolt 4 are guaranteed to support at least 32Gbps in PCI Express bandwidth to the port. Devices supporting Thunderbolt 4 are able to output 4k on external displays or a single 8k display.
The guaranteed 32Gbps is what makes Thunderbolt 4 stand out, mandating a higher minimum standard while USB4 devices can support traditional USB 3.1 connection of 10Gbps or USB 3.2 20Gbps.
USB4 and Thunderbolt 4 cables will be almost identical and backwards compatible. Thunderbolt 3 will still be able to work with Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 connections, while older USB-C 3.2 connections won't be able to support the fast 40Gbps transfer speeds of USB4.
Thunderbolt 4 will support 100W Power Delivery just like USB4, meaning both cables will be able to charge any device that supports USB4 at full Power Delivery.

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