Berlin But beyond charging, USB-C cables have other capabilities that are defined by the USB Implementers Forum ( USB IF): Above all, USB-C cables can also transfer data. If speed is important to you here, you need to check what the respective cable can do when buying. Lame strip or fast cable Because the cheapest strips around five euros only send data relatively slowly, for example with up to 5 or 10 gigabits per second (Gbit / s). If you spend around ten euros for a USB-C cable, you usually also get the opportunity to transfer much faster data – theoretically up to 20 Gbit / s. Meanwhile, all three speeds mentioned run under USB 3.2. Buyers can only pay attention to the USB logo with the note 5, 10 or 20 (Gpbs). However, the award is far from uniform and reliable. And of course, the achievable data transfer rate is always dependent on the connected devices. In case of doubt, try it. If you spend around 20 euros or more, you will usually receive a cable that meets the latest USB 4 specification, can theoretically transmit data at up to 40 Gbit / s and up to 100 watts of charging or operating current. This is enough bandwidth to connect a high-resolution monitor or a USB-C docking station with several devices to a notebook, for example. USB 4 is compatible with other display and data interfaces such as DisplayPort or Thunderbolt.
Standard charging cables from 2024: More than charging: what USB-C cables can do
