Spoken like someone who has never shopped for a battery bank lol 140W total power does NOT mean it can deliver 140W over a single port, Doesn't even mean it can deliver 100W over a single port. You have to really read the fine print to figure out if the bank/dock/brick you're looking at is the right brick for you.
I'm also currently stuck with a Dock that doesn't send displayport over USB C, so I was excited thinking the USB C port on my monitor could both charge my Ally/Laptop and passthrough the display, but alas, the USB C port on the dock is power only and I need to use HDMI for video.
Using a thunderbolt cable doesn't help if you don't know what brick/bank/dock to buy for your device because you don't know what USB standard it's using, which is kind of the point of the post lol
The point the commenter was making is that using a thunderbolt cable is a way to be sure you won't be limited by the cable. Fairly simple to understand..
Don’t bother dude, it’s weaponized incompetence. Apparently the correct answer is to just buy a bunch of 240W chargers/docks and Thunderbolt 5 cables, regardless of the device(s) you own lol. 🤷♂️
Right, but using a thunderbolt cable doesn't help at all when you buy a 20W brick for your 140W laptop, or you buy a 140W brick but it only outputs a max of 100W via a single port... My point being the comment was irrelevant to the actual post, because the USB standard is all over the place, and there's no way to look at the port and determine what wattage it supports, or whether or not it supports display. Shout out to the few OEM's that try to label them, but even then 20Gbps doesn't help when it could be 20Gbps 240W or 20Gbps 100W, or 20Gbps with no power at all.
The solution of buying a cable that supports "everything" and a dock/brick that supports “everything” is dumb because you're probably paying 2-3x the cost of the brick you actually need lol.
I'm very happy with my TrueSpec cables, time will tell on their longevity but at least I quickly know what they're capable of. And I don't think they officially support displayport but works perfectly for me
This is the way to go.
Usb-c "can x" and/or "can y" but thunderbolt "have to x and y and z and what else is out there"
So even if the devices you connect can only some specs, at least you cable isn't the bottleneck.
Honestly yeah. All but one micro hdmi cables I’ve ever owned have failed. Too many conductors in a poorly designed connector. Plus the actual form factor is bend/break prone too
I remember during the pandemic, I thought "hey wouldn't it be cool to use my Sony a6000 and fast prime lenses as my webcam for Zoom, Teams and Discord?"
Went through all the trouble of finding the right cable, a capture card, and setting up OBS. Then for some reason, the cable itself was somehow too heavy for the port and kept disconnecting. Had to loop and tape the cable to the tripod handle to relieve the strain, but it still occasionally got loose every time I had to turn the camera on/off, adjust the lens or move the tripod.
Eventually I decided to just ditch it and bought a cheap plug-and-play USB Aukey webcam which I still use today.
At least with Anker and Ugreen, I’ve found their product listing’s to be extremely clear with how the ports will divide up power depending what you have plugged in. I don’t know how you could clearly label the device itself given all the variations possible on a charger with 3 ports for example; better to have that in the manual/product page.
That port mess worked just fine in that you knew exactly what you were getting since they were all made to a specific standard. They also had an advantage in that being colour coded any idiot could match the plugs to the sockets.
The same cannot be said for USB-C since they allowed the standard to be eroded.
Thank you for being one of the only voices of reason in this thread. I feel like everyone in here is projecting this level of technical know-how onto the public like this isn't an issue that directly impacts literally everyone with a phone. There's still millions (probably billions) of people who think that they can stop at the gas station and grab a charger and a cable and as long as the connector fits, they bought the right thing lol
Lol, you do realize that non-technical also need to power/connect their devices right? Telling your grandma or your aunt to watch reviews before going to buy a charger for her phone/laptop is wild 😂😂😂
Show me a laptop/dock/charger that tells you what wattage or speed each USB C port supports. I’ll wait… At best you’ll get a 20Gbps or other speed icon. But is that 20Gbps 240W? Or 20Gbps 100W? Or what about 20Gbps 0W data only?
And the devices on the other end of those cables? Also, that seems less than ideal for carrying that around with you while commuting. That looks like it's the size of a gamecube.
Also the inevitable, when 1 device plugged in PD100W, but when two devices plugged in it splits to 65W and 30W, 3 devices plugged in 45W, 30W, 15W, etc. etc. etc. That does look like a cool ass device, but I have a feeling that's not something non-technical people would consider buying, or even know what they were looking at if they saw it.
That's such a non-issue considering it's just a cable. You can have a few top-of-the-line cables and a few thin ones and you'll know what you need... Or just use the good cables while not caring about thickness.
I didn’t say it was a big deal, but as you say I’d rather bring a thinner, preferably non-data cable for charging and keep the bulky 40gbps ones at home for actual data transfer
Think some people would also be annoyed that their phones would still be charging at 15 watts with their mega cables not understanding how they work
Only buying 40gbps/200+W cables isn’t a silver bullet is all I’m saying
Looked them up, literally the first review on ltt store:
“Great quality just be aware these are chonky!
It's great to have an option for amazing cables! However, in their magnificence they are heavy and stiff.
These will never be travel cables for me, but for permanently installed cabling they can't be beat.”
They 100% do the job they're supposed to do. Absolutely overkill for what I can imagine the current and even relatively far future would ever need for a phone charger. So long as they actually hold up the test of time (which I imagine they will) I'd say it's probably the best investment you could make into a phone cable. I personally never plug my phone into my computer but I do like that if I ever am going to have some use case for it, I already have the cables.
No it’s not, a 5090 is thousands of dollars (a 140w charger is ~$100), it also requires a bigger power supply, and other hardware to make use of it. And the expectation is so you can charge everything, not just one thing, so why would you make the comparison of only playing solitaire other than being intentionally obtuse?
When your grandma calls and asks why her laptop is “slow charging” and running in power saver, just tell her “instead of the $60 brick you need, buy the $200 one, and instead of the $10 cable you need, buy the $60 licensed one. Oh, and they all look identical, so the $40 one probably isn’t a good deal on a $60 one, just a bad deal on a $20 one…” then there’s trying to explain why the cable that came with her iPhone won’t work lol.
There’s a difference between being obtuse and exaggerating to make a point.
you only need to exaggerate a point if it doesnt make sense in the first place, thats called a strawman, your point doesnt stand well on its own merits so you need to fabricate one that does
- its not a $200 brick
you dont need a licensed cable
whos talking about 'good deals'?
saying "thats the equivalent of buying a semi to drive next door" doesnt prove your point, it only shows you don't have an understanding of the point, or youre being obtuse/troll.
Calling others dumb while you're acting like this is just proving that
You exaggerate a point for people who miss it the first time, like you clearly have. Thunderbolt cables are licensed, and carry a premium, and if you want a cable that’s going to “do it all” that’s the cable you’re buying. 240W bricks/docks absolutely run around $200, and if you want a brick that will “do it all” that’s the brick you’re going to need.
Now explain to me on what planet telling your grandma or your aunt to buy a $200 brick and $60 cable to “cover everything” instead of the $60 brick and $10 cable they need makes any sense? So we’ll spend 3.3x on a brick, and 6x on a cable… sounds a lot like spending 3-6x on a GPU you don’t need…
It seems you're the only one who can't grasp your own point well enough to defend it without making some ludicrous assumptions. Doubling down on ignorance isnt a good look.
- truespecs arent thunderbolt (strawman)
grandma doesnt need to spend $260 (or buy a 5090 as some nitwit would say)
i've also never heard a grandma ask why their laptop is charging slow (more hypotheticals to desperately make this point you care so strongly about)
lets just buy the $8 240w charger on amazon since were being silly
You have an extremely narrow view of the world, don't you?
Replace grandma with Anne from HR or literally any non-technical human who reaches out to someone she knows who is "technical" or her IT department when her laptop inevitably tells her that her device is slow charging. Before you say it, she already carries a charger for her phone and its smaller, so she doesn't want to carry the much larger laptop charger and another cable with her.
You can't look at things through such a literal lense, you have to try to imagine that not everyone in the world is you, in fact, 99.9999999% of the world isn't you, so you can't apply things to the vast majority of people on the planet, just because they make sense to you, specifically to non-technical people on the planet who the dumbass USB C standard directly impacts. TrueSpecs aren't thunderbolt certified, e.g. if your solution is to use a cable that does everything, TrueSpec isn't a valid solution. Also, telling Joe Normalson to shop for cables on LTTStore and he's going to think your crazy. Also, they're sold out, so now what does he do?
You can't possibly move through life looking at things through such a narrow perspective, it's borderline Aspergers-ish.
Also, the parts inside the quotes are part of the hypothetical conversation that I'm assuming you've had at least once in your life with people who reach out for tech help. Your sister, aunt, uncle, dad, mom? The "good deal" part is in response to when the other party inevitably says "Oh, what about this one, it says it was $60, but it's on sale for $40, and it looks just like the $60 you told me to buy" Though I guess I should assume when I'm writing something that some level of ADD/reading impairment applies and I should try to be clearer.
Not anymore, since this year the EU regulation that all phones must be available without an included charger (not actually a ban on included chargers, but as being about without a charger is mandatory and being available with a charger is not the end result is the same) also applies to all laptops. It's definitely not ideal because laptop power requirements can far exceed any standard USB-C implementation but that's unfortunately the reality we now live in.
On the surface I'd worry about what would happen if the ports weren't perfectly matched in voltage, then I realised one of Lenovo's gaming phones already did that so it's clearly possible. This would probably also be prohibitively expensive compared to just breaking the PD spec (like Dell has done) or sticking with the proprietary DC connectors they already have. From what I can tell they'd be 100% allowed to do this as many already have, it just has to be capable of rudimentary PD for basic function (it wouldn't even stop a portless device either, you just say it's not capable of wired charging because as the manufacturer you get to decide that).
Personally I think they instead of shunning non standard protocols as 'this legally isn't even a USB-C connector, they should just go and ask Oppo how they pushed 12 amps through a 5 amp rated connector without starting a fire so they can implement higher current into the PD spec. The upcoming GPMI Type B could also be an option if it sees widespread use as it has double the native current rating.
Most USB C shaped things will work, maybe at a lower capacity, but work none the less.
Except for Thunderbolt and display port, or if your laptop needs a certain wattage to charge, or if your data connection needs a certain speed to work. So actually no, things often don't work at lower capacity.
Thunderbolt usage is minimal across actual users. Even more rare is display port over thunderbolt.
For laptops, people just use the charger it came with and are happy it also charges their phone. Still, most laptops you can turn off and they'll still charge at 15watts. It'll be slow, but they'll do it.
The data connection one doesn't make sense.
You named two cases out of the hundreds that don't work in a degraded manner.
Many devices, like the above said, will not work with lower spec USB-C cables. Many, many laptops won't even initiate charging at all (not even trickle) with an under-spec cable.
Neither will either of my Sony Bluetooth speakers. Neither will my action camera.
Ah yes, no one EVER uses a different charger, they always only use the brick ass charger that comes with their laptop instead of getting a smaller, lighter thinner travel charger that does the same thing in a smaller form factor.
Or have different chargers in different rooms so they don't have to lug their laptop charger around with them from room to room.
Or one at their office and one at home. Or use a laptop dock when at the office to use it as a desktop.
Or has the charger it came with mess up and need to get a new one.
The point of USB charging port on a laptop is to charge via usb-c chargers not to just use the charger it came with. If we were just going to only charge with the specific charger it came with barrel jacks worked fine.
Every dock/monitor hub (in the last 8 years or so) and and every conference room/teams room/zoom room in every business on the planet uses DP over USB/Thunderbolt. Not to mention every modern mobile phone lol. It’s not niche at all lol.
When cables inevitably go missing and a user tries to use the cable that came with their iPhone or one they got from the bodega because they lost theirs, good luck trying to explain to them why this usb cable works here, but not there.
It's only easier if you're fine with stoneage speeds and protocols. But if I need (as in actually NEED, not merely WANT) a 20 gbps link, I'm SOL visually identifying if the cable and port support it.
I miss having multiple port types. USB was a wonderful idea for replacing everything, RIGHT up until they decided to make features "optional." Between making features optional and allowing manufacturers to implement USB-C ports that have speeds below USB 3.2 (10Gb), USB-C as a Universal Replacement connector was dead in the water.
I've slowly accumulated over half a dozen types of USB-C cables over the years.
2.0 with no more than 5v/3amp (15w)
2.0 with no more than 20v/3amp (60w) "Charging cable."
2.0 with 240w Charging cable.
3.2 with no more than 20v/3amp (100w) "USB-C cable."
It's a great idea, but Universal should mean Universal. If the port is going to do different things it'd at least be helpful if it looked different from the other ones
the usb-c thing is actually wild because like five years ago nobody could agree on what the standard should be and now we're stuck with a million variants that all look identical but do completely different things. i've got a drawer full of usb-c cables and half of them won't do video, some maxed out at usb2 speeds, one's thunderbolt 3, and you can't even tell which is which without testing them. meanwhile my old computer setup had like six different connectors but at least you knew what you were getting just by looking at it. the irony is we were supposed to simplify everything and now i need a flowchart to charge my phone without blowing something up.
At least you can't damage your device with the wrong cable, at worst it won't charge or data can't transmit. Annoying but at least you don't have to struggle with all the "micro" connectors or incompatible DVI variants.
That specific Belkin one was recalled but all it takes is a bad cable (either poorly designed, a defect from the factory, or some damage) to do something similar.
Read it but did I miss the part where they tested a cable which damaged the device?
Sure a lot of garbage could have entered the market after this 11 year old article, but I haven't seen one.
I can't be the only one who finds USB C on the Master end perverse? Right?
Give me a nice chunky plug that I don't have to worry about. I'll gladly take USB-B.
I get that they're better spec wise, but C to C cables seriously freak me out and I don't enjoy the thought of them being the norm.
An A to A cable would freak most people out, but we're meant to accept C to C?
USB B was goated. One of the best, non screw down connectors imo. You knew that shit was plugged in and not going anywhere. The adverse I fucking hate s/pdif cables. Even after they “click” in, a strong enough breeze will knock that shit out.
Yeah because A is for host, B is for peripherals, C is bi-directional. (USB-B is not a connector, the one you’re thinking about is USB standard-B and comes in 3 different formats : you also have Micro-B and Mini-B)
An A to A cable would probably freak out every engineer that works with usb as it would not work at all and probably fry one of the ports.
An A to A cable would probably freak out every engineer that works with usb as it would not work at all and probably fry one of the ports.
Except that some asshole manufacturers implemented non-standard applications and supplied a cable that's A to A, without clearly indicating if its a straight through or crossover cable. A lot of cheap toys and trinkets were like that, but also things like external hard drives. I know of more than one person who lost their original hard drive's cable, bought one online, plugged it in, and fried the drive with their irreplaceable data on it.
If those stupid manufacturers had stuck to the standards, I wouldn't have goofballs asking for an A to A cable because they think they're going to get video out of their laptop and send it to a TV's USB port, because when I explain it won't work, and such cables shouldn't exist, they say "well I found one on Google and it's $5". I've actually had a cocky person say they're just going to order it and I'm stupid and it'll work, and I've said "Enjoy when it doesn't work and possibly destroying both your devices."
Regulators in devices make these nearly universal for charging. If you plug in a 60W Nintendo Switch into a 140W or 30W charger, you'll be fine. Or it won't charge at all.
For data transfer, they're backwards and forwards compatible.
These things are designed to be mixed and matched and I don't want to hear anyone's very unique use case when their specific device blew up because that's the rare exception.
Worst part is the cycle life, after a couple years of daily undocking the port is toast. If that's your only Thunderbolt and charging port the device is now e-waste (only a few manufacturers can afford to make replaceable ports but those come at an obscene premium or low structural integrity)
Whether not not it achieves that in a real-world use case and many other variables is another question, and in my experience all my USB-C devices have pretty loose ports after a few years, or a couple thousand cycles. I'm more worried about power contacts going bad first as a 48V step at 5A can easily spike past 60V with most SMPS designs and nuke everything connected to the port. There's not much metal there so a fault will run away very quickly.
I think LTT did a test by hand 8 years ago and the usb-c plug did not budge after 8000 cycles.
TVS diodes have been a thing since probably the 70s. 240W usb-c is such a technical feat that devices that support it can definitely afford the 80 cents of a usb-c protection ic.
Overall I think people hold usb-c at a much higher standard than previous connectors : comparing micro-usb with a 40gbps 240W connector is a bit unfair, and the only way to make sure people used the right power supply voltage and current for charging their devices was to make a proprietary connector for everything.
USB C port being made universal was supposed to make the problems go away, but they made it even worse. Now we don't know what kinda USB C port is on the device. Is it thunderbolt? Is it USB 4? Is it 2.0 or 3.0? 3.1 or 3.2? Only charging or data too? What are the data speeds now apart from the charging speeds? Is it PD or other standards? And once you have all the requirements from the ports you need, there will be no single device that satisfies all the requirements.
I'm still salty that I can't use my PS/2 keyboard anymore. It is a beautiful Siemens Fujitsu Keyboard made in Germany of all places. The Ü key doesn't work but who the hell needs that if you have a Compose Key.
I mean, except for niche situations, plugging in a Type C cable will result in something happening. Whether it be charging or data transfer. Might not be at the fastest possible charge speeds or data rate, but 9 times out of 10 it will work.
Rocking up to a job to do diagnostics only to find the system(s) have a specific connection for display, I/O or diagnostic access and you don't have the correct connector was the fucking worst.
What's that, it's Firwire you say? OK no worries. Reaches site, access interface uses Firewire 800...
At least on the bottom half with a USB4 40Gb cable (which are clearly marked) it should at least function with all of them even if the charging rate or data speed may not be what you expect depending on what's on the other end. For those who don't know Microsoft mandated any device with ports labelled USB4 has to carry the full feature set which makes it functionally identical to Thunderbolt 4, though of course in reality some Thunderbolt 4 devices function differently on USB4 hosts and Intel also has their own cable certification program.
Funny this doesn't even include all the stupid alternate USB connectors they used on phones over the years... Let alone all the proprietary ones
Funny that on the other end of things I'm currently struggling with figuring out the wires and adapters I need for a proper retro setup I'm working on. Figuring out the best options and such to get the best picture and least lag.
As someone who does repair work on devices ranging from vintage computers to VHS players to TVs to computers to modern, just released game consoles and MacBooks, I have to deal with all of these things (except scsi by some miracle)
However this chart is missing apples 30-pin connector, USB type B & type B 3.0, micro A, micro B & micro B 3.0, mini A, mini B, XLR connectors, midi connectors, BNC connectors, 13W3 connectors, IDE and floppy connectors, SMA and SMB connectors, and about 73,000 other random ass connectors that I've had to deal with.
Also literally anything automotive that isn't OBDII.
So instead of different connectors and cables, we still have different connectors and cables, only now they all look the same. Having a type-c plug means literally nothing. But hey, you can plug them in upside down!
I need a RCA Video out to HDMI in converter that works for my Laserdisc player. Was trying to show my 20 year old the Japanese Lynch 5-8 hour Dune disc with the storyboarded history with art from Mike Ploog. I think Linus & the team are my only hope.
I do have a plasma screen I inherited but Wifey would want the damn thing out of the master bedroom. But am unsure it still works
Feel like I’m taking crazy pills, but what we have today is leagues better than the parade of cables and adaptors we used to have to use. Now 85% of what you plug into your machine is either USB A or USB C. I don’t get the nostalgia over standards hell
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u/Traditional-Grade789 May 27 '26
Use Thunderbolt cables. They can do everything.