USB4 Cables: Logo, Speed, and How to Choose

In 2019, the USB-IF announced the arrival of the USB4 standard, or USB 4.0, which basically copies the specifications of Thunderbolt 3 to make it reach all the computers and devices on the market. However, its specification was really confusing, and now luckily they have established categories that allow us to easily identify which cable to buy.

USB4 will introduce new logos for all USB cables

These cables offer load powers of up to 100 W , as well as up to 40 Gbps of transfer. This speed, unfortunately, depends on the cable, having to use a dual track to have several simultaneous channels that allow to reach that transfer. In the case of not having it, the speed stays at 10 or 20 Gbps if the cable is USB 3.2 Gen 2 or USB 3.2 Gen 2 × 2. In addition, all USB4 cables have to be USB C.

usb c

The USB-IF has tried to confuse users as much as possible, with “flexible” standards with some specifications that it is not necessary to meet, or changing the name of standards that were already launched. Now, luckily, they will put some order in terms of the cables of each standard beyond the “SuperSpeed” and other appellatives.

Five speed categories: 5, 10, 20 and 40 Gbps

Thus, there will be a total of five speed categories: two for USB4, and another three for the previous standards.

In the case of USB, we will find USB4 20Gbps and USB4 40Gbps , accompanied by the corresponding logo on the box and in the port. These cables will only be USB C, since this is what the specification requires. They may also be accompanied by the Thunderbolt 3 logo or certification, although in this case it will be Intel who must grant the certification, and we can easily identify them by the presence of a lightning logo above the port or cable.

usb 4 cables

As for the previous standards, they also receive new logos based on speed to be able to identify them more easily. Thus, we will find SuperSpeed USB 5 Gbps, 10Gbps or 20 Gbps , as well as 5, 10 or 20 in the port or on the cable to denote the maximum speed that these cables reach. As we can see, there will be two types of cable that reach 20 Gbps, so you will have to look at whether they are SuperSpeed 20 or Certified USB 20, where the latter can only be USB4, and the SuperSpeed will be left for those who have USB A in the other connector tip.

usb 3 cables

With this information, it will be much easier for us to buy a USB4 cable when they start to be available this year, where we will only have to look for things like “USB 20 Gbps” in online stores so that cables appear that meet the requirements and standards that we search The arrival of these cables is expected by 2020, although their entry into the market may take longer than expected depending on the device segment. The most logical thing would be to arrive first at desktops and then reach portable, mobile, external SSD, etc.

Looking ahead to the future of connectivity, Intel has announced at CES 2020 that it is working on Thunderbolt 4 , which could reach speeds of 80 Gbps, thus doubling what current standards offer. So far we have enough with Thunderbolt 3 or USB 4, and Intel says it will include it in its future chips based on the Tiger Lake architecture.