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If the maximum is 100W or less, a capable USB-C cable that supports USB-only or Thunderbolt 3 or 4 data will suffice. More energy-demanding models, like the 16-inch M1 Pro/Max MacBook Pro, require more than 60W.
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#MACBOOK USB C THUNDERBOLT MAC#
A Mac or other device’s power-charging system retrieves data about maximum power limits from the adapter and from the cable.) If a cable is built to standard for 60W, plugging it between a 96W power adapter and a Mac that can pull in that much power won’t cause the cable to pass 96W. (Note that only out-of-specification USB-C cables will attempt to pass power at levels above their design. Apple labels some of its USB-C cables as below 60 watts, but that appears to be related to how it tracks cables and paired adapters they’re all capable of 60W. In practice, you can find USB-C cables sold as supporting 15 watts and sometimes lower values, but avoid these-they’re out of compliance by design. Thunderbolt 3 and 4 cables are designed for either 60W or 100W.
#MACBOOK USB C THUNDERBOLT FULL#
That’s enough for nearly all Mac laptops to charge at full speed or while in use. All USB-C to USB-C cables are supposed to be designed to allow up to 60 watts of power. It’s a trickier matter to find out how much power a USB-C cable can pass, though you can start with certain assumptions. System Information should report the speed of the cable rather than the speed of the device if you use a cable that isn’t rated for the maximum speed of the device. That cable shipped with most USB-C-equipped laptop Macs until recently. Apple’s “USB-C Charge Cable,” for instance, was designed for high wattage but only passes data at USB 2.0’s 480 Mbps. You might find USB-C devices under a “USB2.0 Hub” item, a sort of subset of the USB 3 bus. You can scan through various buses and listings to find your item System Information only allows searching with the text of a selection, so browsing and scrolling are required. There, System Information shows the correct cabling was recognized as it shows the device can transfer up to 10 Gbps. Even though it’s connected to a Thunderbolt 4 hub that is in turn connected to one of the Mac’s USB-C ports, because the dock has only USB 3.2 Gen 2 built-in, it shows up in the USB listing under the USB 3.1 bus. On this Mac, I’m testing a Satechi USB dock that includes a SATA-compatible SSD card slot.
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Each peripheral bus can support a separate full-speed data connection for the standards it manages.) (A “bus” is the technical name for any data pathway. Macs have multiple buses, sometimes as many as one for each port. In the left-hand navigation list, you can click Thunderbolt (or “Thunderbolt/USB4”) or USB to see items connected to the various internal buses. Now hold down the Option key and choose > System Information. With knowledge of the speed of a peripheral and your unknown cable, plug it into your Thunderbolt 3 or 4 capable Mac. Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4: Up to 40 Gbps.If you have an SSD or RAID with USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 and the appropriate cable, Apple devices will still report they can handle only up to 10 Gbps. USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (SS20 or SuperSpeed 20 Gbps): While some cables support this faster USB 3.2 standard, Apple doesn’t.USB 3.2 Gen 2 (SS10 or SuperSpeed 10 Gbps): With both ends sporting USB-C, 10 Gbps is the top potential speed if one tip is a USB Type-A connector, it might transfer at rates up to 10 Gbps.(Formerly known as USB 3.0 and 3.1 Gen 1.) USB 3.2 Gen 1 (SS5 or SuperSpeed 5 Gbps): With a USB-C to USB Type-A cable or adapter, you may only be able to pass up to 5 Gbps.