I don't see why it would. Thunderbolt is not a USB standard
Kirby64•Apr 25, 2026
Thunderbolt 5 and USB4v2 are the same thing now. They both support 80gbps and pcie pass through.
aleph_minus_one•Apr 25, 2026
>
Thunderbolt 5 and USB4v2 are the same thing now. They both support 80gbps and pcie pass through.
Not completely true: Thunderbolt 5 demands some capabilities that are optional for USB4v2.
Kirby64•Apr 25, 2026
From a protocol/bandwidth level, it’s essentially the same though. Thunderbolt 5 has some more guarantees for power and display, but the data rate of the two is the same.
stevex•Apr 25, 2026
Doesn't it run over a USB-C shaped wire? If you're trying to understand things that plug into USB-shaped ports it seems at least worth mentioning.
DiabloD3•Apr 26, 2026
To be fair: You should refer to these as Type-C cables, as they carry things that are not USB protocol.
The sole exception should be made for "charge only" cables, which can, and should, be referred to as "wired for USB 2.0". These cables "shouldn't" exist, but I also don't want to buy a $30 cable just to charge my phone.
aleph_minus_one•Apr 25, 2026
> Thunderbolt is not a USB standard
Concerning Thunderbolt 3: USB4 is based on the Thunderbolt 3 protocol [1].
Concerning Thunderbolt 4:
"In July 2020 Intel announced Thunderbolt 4 as an implementation of USB4 40 Gbit/s with additional requirements, such as mandatory backward compatibility to Thunderbolt 3 and requirement for smaller notebooks to support being charged over Thunderbolt 4 ports.[14] Publications such as AnandTech described Thunderbolt 4 as "superset of TB3 and USB4" and "able to accept TB4, TB3, USB4, and USB 3/2/1 connections"." [2]
Concerning Thunderbolt 5: Intel considers Thunderbolt 5 as an implementation of USB4 Version 2.0. [3]
Thunderbolt 5 is basically just PCI Express, power delivery, and DisplayPort over the same cable, which for reasons passing understanding is terminated with a USB-C connector.
I think most of those cables will also support USB the protocol.
syhol•Apr 25, 2026
- Thunderbolt 3 is a superset of USB 3.1
- USB4 is built on Thunderbolt 3's protocol, implementing a subset of its mandatory features
- Thunderbolt 4 is a strict profile of USB4 (all optional features made mandatory)
- USB4 v2 introduced 80 Gbps signaling
- Thunderbolt 5 is a strict profile of USB4 v2 (again, optional features made mandatory)
15155•Apr 25, 2026
Good sheet. Worth adding:
- Female vs male crossover naming and pinouts for Type-C connectors
- Actual voltage, modulation and signaling schemes (USB4v2 uses PAM3 11b/7t encoding)
- PD generations and profiles
mschuster91•Apr 25, 2026
... and the bunch of proprietary voltage schemes like Quickcharge.
retired•Apr 26, 2026
Thanks to the EU those are now forbidden, all phones and laptops should be compatible with USB-PD.
Update: USB-PD is a requirement, but manufacturers are allowed to have their own proprietary charging solution.
Neywiny•Apr 25, 2026
I actually like the 3.2 naming. Gen is speed, "by" is width. It puts it very roughly on par with PCIe's naming which nobody complains about. I just don't like that USB 3, USB 3.1, and USB 3.2 are the same things. And that sales people don't seem to understand that saying a chip supports 3.1 or 3.2 tells me it's anywhere from 5-20gbps which isn't ideal.
mistyvales•Apr 25, 2026
PCI-E has had the same standard since its inception: 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, etc. USB has changed multiple times and has remained confusing for the vast majority of people. What was 3.0 is now not 3.0. Even 3.1 has changed. There is no reason to use this naming convention they currently have but for some reason they stick with it..
Neywiny•Apr 25, 2026
Possibly they stick with it because it's usable (ish) and it was driving everyone up the wall when they'd change it?
kimixa•Apr 25, 2026
PCIe also had things like "1.1", "2.1" and "3.1" - that fixed issues and added functionality - but there wasn't the same crossover between "feature sets and spec revisions" and "speeds" we see in USB today.
mistyvales•Apr 26, 2026
Manufacturers of mainstream consumer motherboards never used 1.1, 2.1, etc. for PCI-E though. What is 4.0 on the spec sheet will be 4.0 to the buyer. My old 2016 motherboard has a slew of 3.0 labelled USB ports that are now not 3.0, hence the conundrum. It just doesn't make sense why they changed established naming conventions. Is this something that causes me sleepless nights? Not in the least. But it's still an annoyance for consumers and even advanced users as detailed in that latest Geerling video et al.
kimixa•Apr 26, 2026
1.1 was very much commonly used in consumer marketing, to the level where there's many instances today of people referring to pcie1.x speeds as "1.1". And I'm pretty sure I've seen 2.1 in consumer marketing contexts. But you're right I didn't know 3.1 existed until I looked it up :p
But USB 3.0 is pretty much the only "speed" that hasn't changed - it always required the extra connectors for 5Gbps from the start - but no more. What about those ports is now not "3.0"?
retired•Apr 25, 2026
And not only the sales people. Windows doesn't report anywhere what your motherboard is capable of, and even if you connect with a device it will not tell you the speed it agreed on.
Liftyee•Apr 26, 2026
Out of curiosity, what do you use the higher 20gbps transfer speeds for? Video production?
I use USB-C displays, but they run in DP Alt mode. I don't have many (any?) storage devices that can max out a 20gbps connection, and usually don't exceed 5gbps
DHowett•Apr 25, 2026
Excellent article.
If I could offer one correction, it would be that SBU (as specified by the USB 3.0 Promoter Group[1]) means "Sideband Use" rather than "Secondary Bus".
On some devices, it is used to carry UART; on others, audio.
Their email address is under the Contact link in the header :)
maxloh•Apr 25, 2026
I once heard that the USB naming is misleading by design so that vendors could still sell older generations accessories they had in stock. The USB-IF just rebrands the old ones to make them sound current.
Imagine the following naming:
USB 3.0 / USB 3.1 Gen 1 / USB 3.2 Gen 1 -> USB 3 5Gbps
USB 3.1 / USB 3.1 Gen 2 / USB 3.2 Gen 2 -> USB 3 10Gbps
USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 -> USB 3 20Gbps
Isn't that much clearer? I think USB 4 is finally going to the right direction.
kubik369•Apr 25, 2026
I think this practice is rather blatantly what you say. The same thing with HDMI forum folding HDMI 2.0 into HDMI 2.1. They made the new 2.1 features optional, therefore manufacturers were able to call their 2.0 devices 2.1 without actually supporting the 2.1 features. AMD has been recently doing similar things, releasing “new” generation of mobile processors where half of them are just rebrands of the older generation.
xzjis•Apr 25, 2026
Or it could be:
5 Gbps --> USB 3
10 Gbps --> USB 3.1
20 Gbps --> USB 3.2
Higher number = better
sgjohnson•Apr 26, 2026
> I think USB 4 is finally going to the right direction.
USB 4 is actually going into an even worse direction. USB 4 = Thunderbolt 4, except everything is optional. e.g. USB 4 might not even support DP Alt mode. Thunderbolt 4 always will.
brigade•Apr 26, 2026
Even backwards compatibility is optional in USB4. There are USB4 devices (SSDs at least) that will not function when connected to USB 3 ports.
privacyking•Apr 26, 2026
That’s not backwards compatibility
QuantumNomad_•Apr 26, 2026
I have a USB hub that I bought recently, that has very nice markings on it that are almost like you say :)
I connects via USB4 to the host, and has the following markings on its ports:
- Power in/USB 10Gbps
- USB 10Gbps
- USB 10Gbps
- 8K HDMI
Pretty happy with this one so far.
phatskat•Apr 26, 2026
I got a jCreate5 hub at clearance from an Office Max (rip) and the ports are labeled just like this, no futzing on which port is the PD
I read it once years ago and I come back to it every now and then wishing my current PC (10+ years and going) would gently die so I could finally build something small and tiny.
fabiensanglard•Apr 26, 2026
You know, accidents happen. If you were to trip over the carpet and that venerable PC falls in the dumpster.
vasvir•Apr 26, 2026
This sounds kinda premeditated though...
thenthenthen•Apr 26, 2026
Maybe walk back and forth a bit dragging your feet on said carpet and open your pc for ‘maintenance’ and accidentally fry some critical component?
moffkalast•Apr 26, 2026
Ah that's where your wrong, see it's called Mjolnir. Only the worthy can move it.
It's totally not because its density is probably close to lead given the concentration of parts in such a tiny space, with some rubber feat that thing ain't going nowhere.
retired•Apr 25, 2026
The simplicity of Thunderbolt. Versions 1 and 2 used mini DisplayPort, 3 and upwards USB-C. Version 1 was 10Gbps, 2 was 20Gbps, 3 was 40Gbps, 4 was 40Gbps, 5 is 80 or 120Gbps with boosting.
A Thunderbolt 5 cable will always support 80Gbps, DisplayPort 2.1, PCIe, USB4 and power of up to 240 watt.
sgjohnson•Apr 26, 2026
> and power of up to 240 watt
Except active optical cables. None exist yet that I'm aware of though.
retired•Apr 26, 2026
I'd guess that most people who use optical Thunderbolt cables are aware that they do not carry power.
conception•Apr 25, 2026
This article is why I replaced all the usb dock cables in the office to make sure the usb cable connected to the laptops was transferring enough power so the laptop wouldn't silently lower its frequency for the lower power draw. 10-30% speed bump just because.
drob518•Apr 25, 2026
I’ve been a tech guy for 45 years and I still can’t figure out USB and Thunderbolt and what goes with what and how fast it’s supposed to run.
15155•Apr 26, 2026
If you buy Thunderbolt 5 cables: every USB standard is compatible and then some.
ProllyInfamous•Apr 26, 2026
It wasn't until last year that I finally purchased my first USB-C device/cables – and after years of solid DisplayPort and Thunderbolt2 connections I absolutely hate USB-C (it's too delicate, physically).
Not until 2023 did I even have a computer newer than 2012, so I missed almost all of USB3's hayday — including nomenclature disputes — but the speeds sure are an improvement!
adrian_b•Apr 26, 2026
While USB Type C can be broken much more easily by brute force and it is more prone to accidental disconnects than Type A, the Type C connectors are guaranteed to survive much more cycles of plugging/unplugging than Type A connectors.
Type A connectors are typically guaranteed only for around 1000 cycles, with some better connectors rated up to 1500 cycles and some worse connectors rated only for a few hundred cycles.
If you have a device with a Type A connector that you plug and unplug at least once per day, there is a non-negligible risk that the connector will become defective before other components of the device.
On the other hand Type C connectors are guaranteed for at least ten thousand mating cycles, with the best guaranteed for at least twenty thousand cycles, so you should not be able to wear them out through normal usage.
It is true however that you must handle Type C connectors much more delicately than Type A, otherwise you can break them before they are worn out by mating cycles.
During the last few years, high-endurance Type A connectors have also appeared, which can survive a limit between 5 thousand and 20 thousand mating cycles, matching Type C connectors, but most equipment with Type A connectors does not use such more expensive connectors.
pxeboot•Apr 26, 2026
I still don't understand why MacBooks support USB4/Thunderbolt 4/5, but NOT USB 3.2 Gen 2x2. So you can get 20-40Gb/s speeds with more expensive external disks, but only 10Gb/s with the cheaper, more commonly available ones that advertise 20Gb/s.
altairprime•Apr 26, 2026
I believe it’s that MacBooks support Thunderbolt primarily and USB only where absolutely necessary beyond what’s coded into one of the TB specs; and I assume TB doesn’t define 3.2x2x2 as part of any TB spec <=5?
userbinator•Apr 26, 2026
IMHO USB 3.0 was the last sanely-named version. Then again, if you're familiar with Ethernet, the proliferation of variants isn't unexpected.
offbyone42•Apr 26, 2026
I just wish product listings were clear and actually followed the specs.
I don't know what short-distance data communications will be like in 2050, but we know it will be called USB.
jasongill•Apr 26, 2026
USB-G 4.6 SuperSpeed Plus, but the cables will still just be used for charging your random electronics and won't even work for that half the time.
SlightlyLeftPad•Apr 26, 2026
…because Staples has replaced Amazon and Temu, which both went bankrupt in 2042, and all usb-c cables are made in Papua New Guinea with only 1/4 of the pins connected to wires. Some things never change.
dotancohen•Apr 26, 2026
I know not with what technology 2030 will use, but 2040 will use USB sticks and stones.
AdamH12113•Apr 26, 2026
This is generally good but it’s missing low speed (1.5 megabits/second), which is also under USB 1.1.
mahirsaid•Apr 26, 2026
Great way of identifying the difference in types of USB
Traubenfuchs•Apr 26, 2026
Why do we constantly change this?
What technological advance was not available x years ago to dream up usb 4?
We already know we will use the bandwith, why not dream up what will be the usb 8 spec in 20 years now and have everything working without change for 20 years?
SyncOnGreen•Apr 26, 2026
> SBU1 and SBU2 are secondary bus wires, for the DisplayPort AUX channel and hot plug detection (HPD).
Correction - HPD signal is translated into vendor message and carried over CC lines - same ones that are used for PD and AltMode negotiation.
In DP-Alt mode SBU1/2 basically becomes AUX+/-.
esskay•Apr 26, 2026
I'd love for someone who's part of the USB-IF to try and explain what the heck they were thinking with their naming conventions. They're indefensibly awful in every way.
gblargg•Apr 26, 2026
The wires count is suspect. USB 1.0-2.0 only use two wires for data (the other two are ground and power). USB 3.0 uses 4 for data (plus extra shield, 2 for USB 2.0 and 2 for power). I don't know well enough the others.
Liftyee•Apr 26, 2026
The wires count seems to be the number of conductors in the cable (i.e. the number of wires you'll find if you cut a cable in half, including ground and power).
It's true that the actual data is sent over a lower number of diffpairs.
I suspect the shield is not included in the number of wires, since all USB cables have a shield (not sure if usb 3.0 has an extra return ground wire for high speed).
21 Comments
Not completely true: Thunderbolt 5 demands some capabilities that are optional for USB4v2.
The sole exception should be made for "charge only" cables, which can, and should, be referred to as "wired for USB 2.0". These cables "shouldn't" exist, but I also don't want to buy a $30 cable just to charge my phone.
Concerning Thunderbolt 3: USB4 is based on the Thunderbolt 3 protocol [1].
Concerning Thunderbolt 4: "In July 2020 Intel announced Thunderbolt 4 as an implementation of USB4 40 Gbit/s with additional requirements, such as mandatory backward compatibility to Thunderbolt 3 and requirement for smaller notebooks to support being charged over Thunderbolt 4 ports.[14] Publications such as AnandTech described Thunderbolt 4 as "superset of TB3 and USB4" and "able to accept TB4, TB3, USB4, and USB 3/2/1 connections"." [2]
Concerning Thunderbolt 5: Intel considers Thunderbolt 5 as an implementation of USB4 Version 2.0. [3]
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=USB4&oldid=134742...
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=USB4&oldid=134742...
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=USB4&oldid=134742...
I think most of those cables will also support USB the protocol.
- USB4 is built on Thunderbolt 3's protocol, implementing a subset of its mandatory features
- Thunderbolt 4 is a strict profile of USB4 (all optional features made mandatory)
- USB4 v2 introduced 80 Gbps signaling
- Thunderbolt 5 is a strict profile of USB4 v2 (again, optional features made mandatory)
- Female vs male crossover naming and pinouts for Type-C connectors
- Actual voltage, modulation and signaling schemes (USB4v2 uses PAM3 11b/7t encoding)
- PD generations and profiles
Update: USB-PD is a requirement, but manufacturers are allowed to have their own proprietary charging solution.
But USB 3.0 is pretty much the only "speed" that hasn't changed - it always required the extra connectors for 5Gbps from the start - but no more. What about those ports is now not "3.0"?
I use USB-C displays, but they run in DP Alt mode. I don't have many (any?) storage devices that can max out a 20gbps connection, and usually don't exceed 5gbps
If I could offer one correction, it would be that SBU (as specified by the USB 3.0 Promoter Group[1]) means "Sideband Use" rather than "Secondary Bus".
On some devices, it is used to carry UART; on others, audio.
[1]: https://www.usb.org/sites/default/files/USB%20Type-C%20Spec%... (pdf)
Imagine the following naming:
Isn't that much clearer? I think USB 4 is finally going to the right direction.Higher number = better
USB 4 is actually going into an even worse direction. USB 4 = Thunderbolt 4, except everything is optional. e.g. USB 4 might not even support DP Alt mode. Thunderbolt 4 always will.
I connects via USB4 to the host, and has the following markings on its ports:
- Power in/USB 10Gbps
- USB 10Gbps
- USB 10Gbps
- 8K HDMI
Pretty happy with this one so far.
I read it once years ago and I come back to it every now and then wishing my current PC (10+ years and going) would gently die so I could finally build something small and tiny.
It's totally not because its density is probably close to lead given the concentration of parts in such a tiny space, with some rubber feat that thing ain't going nowhere.
A Thunderbolt 5 cable will always support 80Gbps, DisplayPort 2.1, PCIe, USB4 and power of up to 240 watt.
Except active optical cables. None exist yet that I'm aware of though.
Not until 2023 did I even have a computer newer than 2012, so I missed almost all of USB3's hayday — including nomenclature disputes — but the speeds sure are an improvement!
Type A connectors are typically guaranteed only for around 1000 cycles, with some better connectors rated up to 1500 cycles and some worse connectors rated only for a few hundred cycles.
If you have a device with a Type A connector that you plug and unplug at least once per day, there is a non-negligible risk that the connector will become defective before other components of the device.
On the other hand Type C connectors are guaranteed for at least ten thousand mating cycles, with the best guaranteed for at least twenty thousand cycles, so you should not be able to wear them out through normal usage.
It is true however that you must handle Type C connectors much more delicately than Type A, otherwise you can break them before they are worn out by mating cycles.
During the last few years, high-endurance Type A connectors have also appeared, which can survive a limit between 5 thousand and 20 thousand mating cycles, matching Type C connectors, but most equipment with Type A connectors does not use such more expensive connectors.
USB Cheat Sheet - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31271038 - May 2022 (168 comments)
What technological advance was not available x years ago to dream up usb 4?
We already know we will use the bandwith, why not dream up what will be the usb 8 spec in 20 years now and have everything working without change for 20 years?
Correction - HPD signal is translated into vendor message and carried over CC lines - same ones that are used for PD and AltMode negotiation.
In DP-Alt mode SBU1/2 basically becomes AUX+/-.
It's true that the actual data is sent over a lower number of diffpairs.
I suspect the shield is not included in the number of wires, since all USB cables have a shield (not sure if usb 3.0 has an extra return ground wire for high speed).