If you’ve got a peripheral sitting at home and want to check if it’s equipped with Thunderbolt, check for the Thunderbolt icon near the port of the connector’s plug: USB Jargon Simplified If your device (like a modern Mac) offers Thunderbolt compatibility and you don’t mind splurging a little extra on Thunderbolt-equipped accessories, you should consider investing in a Thunderbolt accessory for top-notch performance. At some point, the AC port on your laptops will likely be replaced with a universal alternative.Įven though Thunderbolt offered better performance, it didn’t see a lot of traction because of its high price. With 100 watts of power output, you can use a USB-C PD cable as a charger for your laptop with a USB connection. USB Type-C also supports higher power output when combined with USB PD (i.e., USB Power Delivery). You’ll also be able to plug either end of a USB-C cable into the computer to connect your peripherals, provided the device also has a USB-C port. USB-C’s reversibility will put an end to the classic USB upside-down jokes, but that’s not all. This means that not only can you charge a peripheral device with USB-C cables, but you can also charge your host device using a peripheral when needed.

Here’s the interesting part: USB-C connectors are bi-directional. They’re pretty much the same size as a micro USB connector that you see on mobile devices. USB Type-C connectors have been around for a while now and are found on modern Android devices, headphones, and gaming consoles.

Usb 2 vs usb 3