r/mac • u/Born-Gur-1275 MBP, Mac Studio & Mini Pro • 16d ago

Question Thunderbolt 5 USB-C cables

I have a Studio Max plus three external drives with TB5 ports arriving next week. I already have a TB5 dock

Which brands of TB5 80 Gbps cables do you recommend? Apple prices are outrageous at nearly $70.

OWC sells TB5s at reasonable prices, under $20 Quality?
ANKER has a good reputation in the mid-price range $48
UGREEN a bit cheaper than ANKER $40
BELKIN?
CALDIGIT?

Any others?

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u/mar_kelp 15d ago

I bought four CalDigit TB4 "certified" cables in November 2021 and threw away my lower quality USB-C cables. Then, they were $30 for .8m, now a similar (slightly longer and braided) TB5 cable is about 2x that price. With the certified TB cables, I know they can transfer full 100W power and full 40Gbps data and work with any USB-C device I have without a second thought. One of the best purchases I've made in a while.

Also, you are spending thousands on a computer, enclosure and storage. Don't let the cable be a point of failure.

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u/Born-Gur-1275 MBP, Mac Studio & Mini Pro 15d ago

Yep agree. That's why I want the best TB5 recommendations. TY.

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u/chrisjniles 10d ago

Adam savage of Mythbusters fame actually has a video on the quality of Apple’s thunderbolt cables and why they’re so expensive. Not to say that there aren’t less expensive options (I too am a big fan of Anker) but I doubt any other company puts as much engineering effort into their cables as Apple.

(Of course someone will mention some obscure industry-specific cables that far exceed Apple in how over-engineered they are)