What does usb c look like? USB connectors: types, their descriptions, advantages and disadvantages

In 2015, Apple released its first gadget equipped with a new and, surprisingly, only USB Type-C port. , which has only one port, caused a storm of discontent among the company's fans.

And then it was tolerated, fell in love, and Apple to this day not only very successfully sells the 12-inch line of ultrabooks, but also equipped the USB Type-C series MacBook Pro, completely abandoning the classic USB 2.0/3.0, and indeed any additional ports.

Almost three years have passed since the release of the MacBook, but users still have questions about using the newfangled USB Type-C port. I am especially concerned about the selection of cables and accessories.

In this material we will understand all the nuances of the new standard. I will try to present the material in such a way that after reading it no more questions will arise, and everything will become known about the USB Type-C ports in the MacBook and MacBook Pro.

Where did USB-C come from and where did the problem creep in?

The USB standard itself appeared in 1994. USB 1.0 was conceived as a universal port for connecting all kinds of equipment to a PC. They began to actively use it only in the 2000s.

USB 2.0. Then it was time for USB 2.0. USB 2.0 cables have a strict orientation and come in two types of connectors: USB Type-A and USB Type-B. With growing popularity mobile devices Two more types of connectors will appear later: USB Micro-B and USB Mini-B.

Data was transmitted over two cables, usually green and white, while black and red were responsible for power.

The maximum data transfer speed over USB 2.0 is 480 Mbit/s. The main disadvantage of the standard is that the currents are too low ( no more than 500 mA), which often caused problems when connecting external drives.

USB 3.0. Having decided to eliminate the shortcomings of USB 2.0, engineers are developing a new standard - USB 3.0. “Blue USB” became significantly faster and was able to transfer data at high speeds up to 5 Gbit/s.

Perhaps this was due to the appearance of four additional communication lines, and, as a result, an increase in the maximum current up to 900 mA.

In the fall of 2013, the specifications of the updated USB 3.1 Type-C standard were approved. Since then, life has ceased to be the same.

What exactly is USB Type-C?

Despite the fact that engineers had already released three iterations of the USB standard, the main question still remained open to them. It was necessary to provide normal nutrition.

A pathetic current of 900 mA is clearly not enough to recharge the same 8-10 thousand mAh laptop battery. In addition, more power-hungry accessories began to appear on the market, and the tendency of manufacturers to make devices thinner and more compact forced them to abandon ports such as HDMI, Thunderbolt, classic USB, and Ethernet.

Instead of 8-pin USB 3.0, 24-pin USB 3.1 Type C appears. Why are there so many of them? Judge for yourself:

The new USB Type-C specification has opened up a number of new opportunities for users.

Firstly, USB Type-C has a new USB PD standard, according to which this port and the corresponding cables must be able to transmit current power up to 100 W in both directions.

Secondly, the data transfer speeds are impressive. IN alternative mode Thunderbolt 3 can transfer data at speeds up to 40 Gbps. Of course, with certain “ifs”, but more on that below.

Thirdly, it can transmit video with a resolution of up to 5K. There is plenty of speed here and the need for HDMI simply disappears.

Finally, USB Type-C is convenient because no matter how you plug it in, it will work. It's two-sided. A logical continuation of the Lightning cable, but now not only for Apple devices.

What then is installed in the MacBook and MacBook Pro?

Before we figure out the choice of cables and USB Type-C accessories, we need to understand the USB Type-C ports that are installed in MacBooks.

Unfortunately, the USB Promoter Group made a lot of mistakes with the USB 3.1 specification, producing several generations of ports and completely confusing users.

Let's unravel this Gordian knot.

So, here are all generations of MacBook and the corresponding USB Type-C ports installed in them.

That is, you should immediately understand that if you have a 12-inch MacBook, you can forget about Thunderbolt 3 support, which means it’s stupid to overpay for support for this specification when choosing a cable.

The MacBook 12″ supports video transmission via HDMI, VGA and DisplayPort (with appropriate adapters), but it cannot be connected to Thunderbolt devices.

With MacBook Pro 2016 and newer, everything is much more interesting. Until the recent update, the 13-inch MacBook Pro models only had Thunderbolt 3 support (the ones on the left).

In 2018, all four ports in models with TouchBar fully support data transfer at full speed. For the 12-inch MacBooks, everything remains unchanged.

Choosing the right cable for specific tasks

The choice of USB Type-C cable directly depends on the task you are pursuing. This specification is very extensive and has certain limitations.

1. For charging

USB Type-C supports charging power up to 100 W. MacBooks come with a corresponding charging cable with a built-in controller that limits the maximum charging power.

The 12-inch MacBook comes with a cable with a maximum charging power of up to 61 W. With MacBook Pro 13 and 15 inches 87 W respectively.

This means only one thing: if you connect a 61-watt cable to an 87-watt charger and try to charge a MacBook Pro 15" from, say, 2018, it will charge at 61 watts. That is, one and a half times slower.

This also applies to other certified charging cable manufacturers.

Is it possible connect your MacBook to a higher power charger? Can. Instead of the included 29 W power supply, you can power it with a charger from a 15-inch MacBook Pro at 87 W. This is not terrible, but there will be no miracle and the MacBook will not charge faster.

And yes, it's not harmful. The MacBook will take exactly as much as it can. By the way, the story is the same with the iPad.

To finally resolve issues with charging and get a cable “for all occasions,” you can opt for the original 2-meter USB-C cable for RUB 1,490.

2. For transmitting video signal like HDMI

You decide to connect an external monitor or TV to your MacBook or MacBook Pro. Let's figure out what to use to transmit a video stream in conjunction with USB Type-C.

First and foremost, determine which input port the external monitor or TV is equipped with.

For HDMI. There is a universal option that will not only add a standard USB 2.0/3.0 port and HDMI to MacBooks, but also duplicate USB Type-C. Costs 5,490 rubles.

For VGA. A similar, but more archaic solution for VGA for the same 5,490 rubles.

For Thunderbolt 3. There are already several Thunderbolt 3 display models on the market (12-inch MacBooks are passing by). 0.8 meters of such cable will cost 3,190 rubles.

The same option can be used for charging (up to 100 W). By overpaying 2 thousand rubles and buying this instead of a USB Type-C charging cable, you will get a truly universal cord that supports data transfer at speeds of up to 40 Gbps.

Important. Don't go for length. Two-meter and half-meter cables supporting Thunderbolt 3 are different things.

But, here it is worth bringing some clarity.

3. For connecting USB 2.0/USB 3.0 devices

Perhaps this is the only case when there are no problems with adapters. The same standard USB Type-C -> USB adapter for 1,490 rubles. capable of delivering up to 5 Gbit/s.

This is exactly what the USB Type-C port in the 12-inch MacBook family is designed to do.

4. For maximum data speed (5K and 4K 60Hz)

40 Gbps - this is the maximum USB Type-C gen 2 with Thunderbolt 3 support can transmit. But this is under ideal conditions.

To ensure this speed, the cable length must not exceed 18 inches or 45 centimeters. Otherwise, the speed drops sharply.

But even here everything is not so clear. Thunderbolt 3 cords fall into two categories: passive And active. And you should pay attention to this if speed is important to you.

The first, with a length of two meters, transmit data at half the speed, that is, at the level of 20 Gbit/s, or even less.

Active ones have a special transmitter that controls the transmission speed along the entire length of the cable. With such laces the speed is maintained.

Google and Apple recently launched new mobile computers, although the machines are completely different, they have something in common: both computers have USB Type-C ports. So what is USB Type-C? Let's see.

The two most famous devices that already have a USB Type-C port are the new Google Chromebook Pixel and new Macbook. However, USB 3.1 and Type-C connectors will become standard over the next few years.

Each of us is probably very familiar with the USB port. If you have a computer, then most likely you used a USB flash drive, or maybe connected a printer to a USB port. If you have a smartphone running Android, then you know that the USB port can be used to recharge or transfer data from the phone and back. USB ports have been present everywhere for a long time. It first came into widespread use when Microsoft included support for it in Windows 98 and Apple to remove keyboard and mouse ports. This happened almost 20 years ago, and little has changed since then.

The USB 1.1 port can transfer data at a speed of 12 Mbps, that is, 1.4 megabytes per second. In those days, a floppy disk was 1.4 megabytes, so it was fast. The USB 2.0 port was released in 2000, which could theoretically handle 480 Mbps. However, its actual average speed is approximately 280 Mbps, which is about 35 megabytes per second.

The USB 3.0 port was announced in 2008 and allows theoretical speeds of up to 5.0 Gbps. However, the actual speed achieved is around 400 Megabytes per second, not bad, right?.

On desktop PCs, USB 1.1, 2.0 and 3.0 ports used the same type of connector, and then micro-B or mini-B on peripheral devices (phone, camera, etc.).

The situation has changed somewhat with the advent of USB 3.1 ports. As you'd expect, the USB 3.1 port is even faster than its predecessors, with speeds so fast that it can be used to connect 4K displays. This means that in the future in laptops and PCs, we will not see HDMI or VGA connectors, users will see a new type of ports. In other words, type “A” and “B” are already history. The new connector is called USB Type-C. So, what does the new USB Type-C port give us, and why can’t Type-A and B provide it?

Firstly, the new USB Type-C connectors are not large. This means that we will no longer need mini or micro ports, which means there will be no confusion with choosing the right cable. The Type-C connector is small enough for smartphones and powerful enough for PCs and even servers.

Secondly, the USB Type-C port can handle 100W of power, which means it can be used not only to charge smartphones, but also to power many other devices that previously required a different power source (power supply). In the future, your printer may only need one cable – USB Type-C, which will provide both power and data transfer.

Thirdly, the Type-C cable is double-sided - now it doesn’t matter how you connect it. There is no longer any need to worry about which side to connect the cable to.

Finally, the USB Type-C cable uses a new small connector on both ends, no longer using Type A on one end and Type B on the other. Now you can really connect the cable any way you want, and it will just work!

The two most famous devices that already have a USB Type-C port are the new Google Chromebook Pixel and the new Macbook. However, USB 3.1 and Type-C connectors will become standard over the next few years. Since it is backward compatible, you will need a passive adapter to connect devices running on previous versions of USB ports. So that companies that adopt new technology will not alienate their existing customers.

Adam Rodriguez, Product Manager at Google stated that “We are proponents of USB Type-C. You'll see it in many Chromebooks and Android devices in the near future." It is worth noting that the Type-C connector can be obtained by devices that do not even support USB 3.1 yet. For example, mid-range smartphones may use the new connector without actually having support for the new USB standard. This will make the transition to a new connector type easier, but it can cause some confusion when the port doesn't deliver as much speed as expected.

The latest line of Type-C (and USB 3.1) ports takes the best of the beloved USB and makes it even better, providing a universal connector size that will work well with both types of devices - mobile phones and personal computers.

Good day, Geektimes! Has everyone already heard about USB Type-C? The one that's two-way, fast-fashionable, charges your new MacBook, makes your hair silky smooth, and promises to be the new standard for connectivity for the next ten years?

So, firstly, this is a connector type, not a new standard. The standard is called USB 3.1. Secondly, we need to talk specifically about the new USB standard, and Type-C is just a nice bonus. To understand what the difference is, what is behind USB 3.1 and what is behind Type C, how to charge an entire laptop using a USB cable, and what else can be done with the new USB Type-C:

Briefly about the main thing

USB as a standard appeared almost twenty years ago. The first specifications for USB 1.0 appeared in 1994 and solved three key problems: unification of the connector through which equipment that expanded the functions of a PC was connected, simplicity for the user, and high speed data transfer to and from the device.

Despite certain advantages of the USB connection over PS/2, COM and LPT ports, its popularity did not come immediately. USB experienced explosive growth at the beginning of the 2000s: first cameras, scanners and printers were connected to it, then flash drives.

In 2001, the first commercial implementations of the USB that is familiar and understandable to us appeared: version 2.0. We have been using it for the 14th year now and it is designed relatively simply.

USB 2.0

Any USB cable version 2.0 and lower has 4 copper conductors inside. Two of them transmit power, the other two transmit data. USB cables (according to the standard) are strictly oriented: one of the ends must be connected to the host (that is, the system that will manage the connection) and it is called Type-A, the other - to the device, it is called Type-B. Of course, sometimes in devices (such as flash drives) there is no cable at all; the “to-host” connector is located directly on the board.

On the host side there is a special chip: a USB controller (in desktop computers it can be either part of the system logic or placed as an external chip). It is he who initializes the operation of the bus, determines the connection speed, the order and schedule of data packets, but these are all details. We are most interested in connectors and connectors of the classic USB format.

The most popular connector that everyone used was USB Type-A of classic size: it is located on flash drives, USB modems, at the ends of the wires of mice and keyboards. Full-size USB Type-B is a little less common: printers and scanners are usually connected with this cable. The mini version of USB Type-B is still often used in card readers, digital cameras, and USB hubs. Through the efforts of European standardizers, the micro version of Type-B has become de facto the most popular connector in the world: all current mobile phones, smartphones and tablets (except for the products of one fruit company) are produced with the USB Type-B Micro connector.

Well, probably no one has really seen USB Type-A micro and mini formats. Personally, off the top of my head I can’t name a single device with such connectors. Even the photographs had to be taken from Wikipedia:

Hidden text

All these connectors are united by one simple thing: inside there are four contact pads that provide the connected device with both power and communication:

With USB 2.0 everything is more or less clear. The problem with the standard was that two conductors were not enough to transmit data, and the specifications developed in the middle of the first decade did not provide for the transmission of large currents through power circuits. External hard drives suffered the most from such limitations.

USB 3.0

To improve the characteristics of the standard, a new USB 3.0 specification was developed, which contained the following key differences:

• Five additional contacts, four of which provide additional communication lines;
• Increase in maximum throughput from 480 Mbit/s to 5 Gbit/s;
• Increasing the maximum current from 500 mA to 900 mA.

In addition, 4 more connectors have appeared that are electrically and mechanically compatible with USB Type-A version 2.0. They allowed both USB 2.0 devices to be connected to 3.0 hosts, and 3.0 devices to 2.0 hosts or via a 2.0 cable, but with limitations in power supply and data transfer speed.

USB 3.1

Since the fall of 2013, specifications for the updated USB 3.1 standard have been adopted, which brought us the connector Type-C, transfers up to 100W of power and doubles the data transfer speed of USB 3.0. However, it is worth noting that all three innovations are just parts of one new standard, which can be applied all together (and then the device or cable will receive USB 3.1 certification) or separately. For example, technically, inside a Type-C cable, you can organize at least USB 2.0 on four wires and two pairs of contacts. By the way, Nokia pulled off such a “feint”: its Nokia N1 tablet has a USB Type-C connector, but inside it uses regular USB 2.0: with all the limitations on power supply and data transfer speed.

USB 3.1, Type-C and power

The new standard is responsible for the ability to transfer truly serious power USB PD(Power Delivery). According to the specifications, to be certified as USB PD, the device and cable must be able to transmit current with a power of up to 100 Watts, both in both directions (both to and from the host). In this case, the transmission of electricity should not interfere with the transmission of data.

There are currently only two laptops that fully support USB Power Delivery: the new MacBook and the Chromebook Pixel.

Well, then, who knows, maybe we’ll install sockets like this at home?

USB Type-C and backward compatibility

USB as a standard is strong in its backward compatibility. Find an ancient 16 megabyte flash drive that only supports USB 1.1, insert it into a 3.0 port and go. Connect a modern HDD to a USB 2.0 connector, and if it has enough power, everything will start, the speed will just be limited. And if that’s not enough, there are special adapters: they use the power circuit of another USB port. The speed will not increase, but the HDD will work.

It’s the same story with USB 3.1 and the Type-C connector, with only one amendment: the new connector is geometrically in no way compatible with the old ones. However, manufacturers have actively begun production of both Type-A wires<=>Type-C, as well as all kinds of adapters, adapters and splitters.

USB Type-C and tunneling

The data transfer speed of the USB 3.1 standard allows you not only to connect storage devices and peripherals, charge the laptop from the network via a Type-C cable, but also to connect, say... a monitor. One wire. And a USB hub with several 2.0 ports inside the monitor. 100 W of power, speed comparable to DisplayPort and HDMI, a universal connector and just one wire from the laptop to the monitor, the power supply of which will provide electricity to the display and charge the laptop. Isn't this wonderful?

What's on USB Type-C now?

Since the technology is young, there are very few devices with USB 3.1. There are slightly more devices with a USB Type-C cable/connector, but still not enough for Type-C to become as common and natural as Micro-B, which any smartphone user has.

On Type-C personal computers, you can expect it already in 2016, but some manufacturers have taken and updated the line of existing motherboards. For example, USB Type-C with full USB 3.1 support is available on the MSI Z97A Gaming 6 motherboard.

ASUS is not far behind: ASUS X99-A and ASUS Z97-A motherboards support USB 3.1, but, unfortunately, do not have Type-C connectors. In addition, special expansion cards have been announced for those who do not want to either upgrade the motherboard or give up a pair of USB 3.1 ports.


SanDisk recently introduced a 32 GB flash drive with two connectors: classic USB Type-A and USB Type-C:


Of course, don’t forget about the recent MacBook with passive cooling and only one USB Type-C connector. We’ll talk about its performance and other delights separately, but about the connector today. Apple abandoned both its “magic” MagSafe charging and other connectors on the case, leaving one port for power, connecting peripherals and external displays. Of course, if one connector is not enough for you, you can buy an official adapter-splitter to HDMI, a classic USB and a power connector (the same Type-C) for... $80. :) We can only hope that Type-C will come to mobile devices Apple (and this is where the zoo with wires for smartphones will finally end), although the chances of such an update are minimal: was it in vain that they developed and patented Lightning?


One of the peripheral manufacturers - LaCie - has already released a stylish external storage with support for USB 3.1 Type-C. Its price, however, is absolutely Apple, but what can you do - you have to pay for new technologies and the PORSCHE DESIGN inscription.

In addition to Apple, they are flirting with USB 3.1 Type-C and Google: The new ChromeBook Pixel, in addition to interesting characteristics, also received a corresponding port.


And, of course, don’t forget about the device from Nokia. Their N1 tablet was one of the first to receive a Type-C connector, although without support for USB 3.1 functions.

Results

USB 3.1 will finally become the “king” of connectors. You can use it to connect almost anything: an external drive, a display, peripherals, a power adapter, and even an array of SSD drives. Bandwidth and 100 W of transmitted power are a serious claim to success.

Imagine the world in 5 years? No matter where you go, there is a charger, and the connector fits, and you don’t need to ask. It’s easy to connect a camera, a telephone, and in general everything, everything, everything... And only in the accounting department they used floppy disks, and will continue to use them.

Our previous reviews:
» Two months with LG G Watch R
» The evolution of Razer mice using the example of DeathAdder and Naga
» Studying Philips TV flagship: Part 1 | Part 2

Thank you for your attention!

Over the past years Apple company systematically reduced the number of ports in MacBooks. The 13-inch MacBook Pro, released in 2012, had eight of them (including a headphone/microphone input and AC for power), and the thin Air of 2015 with an 11-inch screen already had four. , there are only two left: 3 ,5mm audio jack and universal USB Type-C, which simultaneously serves for charging, data transfer and connecting monitors. Vesti.Hi-tech looked into what the “USB of the future” is and what it is needed for.

What is this?

USB Type-C is a new super-fast connector based on the USB 3.1 and 2.0 specifications. It has a lot of advantages over USB “versions” of previous generations. Firstly, the Type C connector is symmetrical, like the Lightning plug in i-devices, which means that users no longer have to guess which side to insert the flash drive into the computer - with Type-C this can be done without looking at all. Moreover, such a cable is also double-sided: the same connectors are used on both sides, which allows you to connect it to the device at either end.

Secondly, the dimensions of USB Type-C are very close to Lightning in iPhones and microUSB (more precisely, USB 2.0 Micro-B) in Android smartphones. Compactness (~8.4x2.6 millimeters) allows the connector to be used in devices of any type: from personal computers and ultra-thin laptops to smartphones, tablets and other electronics. Thirdly, USB Type-C is compatible with the USB 3.1 2nd generation standard, which means its data transfer speed can be very high - up to 10 gigabits per second (~1.25 gigabytes per second).

Fourthly, USB Type-C is a universal connector, and this is perhaps its most important quality. The new USB connector can be used for anything: to connect flash drives, monitors, external hard drives and others peripheral devices, for charging (compatible with the USB Power Delivery 2.0 standard with a “recharge” power of up to 100 watts), as well as for transmitting video and other multimedia content.

Is USB Type-C the same as USB 3.1?
No. USB Type-C cables and ports can be used for USB 3.1, however, depending on the host controller and devices, they may only be compatible with USB 2.0 or 3.0.

The specifications of the new MacBook say that its Type-C port is compatible with USB 3.1 Gen 1, which means its maximum data transfer speed is limited to 5 Gbps. USB 3.1 Gen 2 has twice the bandwidth at 10 Gbps.

What is USB Power Delivery?
The USB PD standard allows devices to send and receive up to 100 watts of power over a single connection while simultaneously exchanging data. The latest Apple laptop, for example, is capable of outputting 4K video to an external monitor via USB Type-C while simultaneously charging via the same port. In terms of power, 100W is more than enough to charge high-end laptops. For comparison, USB 2.0 (the most common connector on smartphones and tablets) can carry up to 2.5 watts, while most laptops need 20-65 watts.

Which devices support USB Type-C?
The 12-inch MacBook was the first laptop, but not the first device with USB Type-C. For the first time, support for the newest connector was implemented in . It uses Type-C for charging and data transfer. True, the “Nokiev” implementation of the port is based on the outdated USB 2.0, and not USB 3.1 or USB PD.

The drive, clad in a stylish aluminum case, will be available in three versions: with 500 GB, 1 TB and 2 TB of memory

Cable for connecting LaCie hard drive to computer

First motherboard with Type-C from MSI

Soon it will be the turn of smartphones to support USB Type-C. According to Google engineer Adam Rodriguez, his company is "very committed" to the new connector, and we'll see it in Android devices and Chromebooks in the "near future."

What are the disadvantages of USB Type-C?
The main disadvantage of the new USB connector is that it is not compatible with current ports on PCs and laptops. To create a connection, for example, via microUSB, miniUSB or full-size USB, you will need to buy a special adapter or adapter. They will have to be used during a “transition period” (perhaps a year or two) until new connector will not be distributed everywhere. But in the future, a laptop, smartphone and tablet (produced by different companies) will be able to be charged with just one wire.

USB-C (Digital AV Multiport Adapter)

In the meantime, if you want to charge newest laptop Apple, connecting a monitor and a LaCie drive to it requires you to spend almost $80 for a reversible USB-C connector with HDMI, USB 3.0, and a power port. For the same amount, you can buy a VGA USB-C adapter in the Apple online store. An adapter that “turns” USB Type-C into a regular USB 3.0 port will cost $19.

Google has also already started selling accessories for the new ports. A Type-C to DisplayPort cable costs almost $40, a Type-C to Type-A cable costs $13.

Another disadvantage of USB Type-C is that it does not detach as easily as the MagSafe magnetic connector familiar to Apple laptop users. Therefore, if someone accidentally touches the wire connected to the new MacBook, he will pull the computer along with him, which is fraught with falling and damage.

Finally, USB Type-C is not as fast as the Thunderbolt 2 interface implemented in models MacBook Air and Pro. Through the “lightning-fast” port, data is transferred at speeds of up to 20 Gbit/s in both directions, while via USB 3.1 1st generation (this is the “version” implemented in the new MacBook) – up to 5 Gbit/s.

The speed of the interface depends on the controllers installed, and you would be surprised at what some manufacturers do with them. USB Type-C technology promises us data transfer speeds of up to 10 Gbps, but the first generation of devices with USB Type-C turns out to be far from that fast. In this article we figure out what's going on here...

USB Type-C is an intriguing new standard that began appearing in laptops, tablets, phones and other devices more than a year ago. And we have long had a desire to check what speed it can actually provide. With the arrival of the SanDisk Extreme 900, we can really push this two-way port to its limits. For testing, we prepared 8 laptops with USB Type-C, and also inserted a special PCIe card into the desktop PC to make the test more complete.

What your USB-C port is silent about

USB Type-C is supposed to become a universal standard port, but to date its versatility has only manifested itself in confusion. USB Type-C can operate at 5 Gbps or 10 Gbps while still being labeled as USB 3.1 by the laptop manufacturer. Technically, USB Type-C can even operate at USB 2.0 speeds - a measly 480 Mbps. So if you see a USB Type-C port, all that can be said is that the interface speed can vary from a modest 480 Mbps to an impressive 10 Gbps.

To make things even more confusing, Intel Thunderbolt 3 technology uses the USB Type-C port to transfer data over PCIe. And it also supports USB 3.1 at 10Gbps.

Thunderbolt 3 and support for video transmission via USB Type-C need to be discussed separately, and we will devote another article to this. However, power and not so universal charging via USB Type-C have already been mentioned.

Not all USB Type-C ports are created equal

What's installed on your laptop?

USB Type-C performance is affected by a number of key factors. The first is opportunities. hard drive on your PC. If you are copying from a built-in hard drive, it is simply impossible to get speeds even close to the speed of the port, simply because most disk interfaces do not reach maximum performance USB Type-C.

Another important factor is the controller used to connect the port. There are two popular chips available in the market today. The first one is ASmedia ASM1142. This USB 3.1 chip, running at 10 Gbps, can be found in many early versions of laptops and desktops that were equipped with USB Type-C. And since we were unable to quickly find a laptop with this chip, we inserted an Atech BlackB1rd MX1 PCIe card into the desktop PC. The performance of the assembled system should be almost the same as that of laptops with this chip. Another candidate for leadership is the expensive Intel Thunderbolt 3 chip, which also supports USB at 10 Gbps.

And finally, a very popular solution today that can be found in many laptops is a USB 3.0 controller built directly into the Intel system logic chipset. The same chip is used to connect standard rectangular USB 3.0 Type-A ports. Many PC manufacturers simply pass its signal to oval USB Type-C ports. And this solution is the most popular, since it is cheaper and requires less energy. However, it also limits any USB Type-C port to a maximum USB 3.0 speed of 5 Gbps.

SanDisk Extreme 900 is one of the first drives to support USB 3.1 10 Gbps

Test Method

To conduct our tests, we used a SanDisk Extreme 900 SSD, which actually supports USB connection Type-C at 10 Gbps. SanDisk was able to create this 2TB drive by combining two M.2 SSD drives into a RAID 0 array inside a single enclosure. And it turned out to be a really fast USB drive. By connecting it to the USB Type-C ports of each computer, we ran the AS SSD utility, which allows us to evaluate the actual serial data transfer speed of the port.

You can see the results that speak for themselves in the chart below. We have arranged them in descending order of performance. The signatures indicate both laptop models and versions of installed controllers.

We evaluated 8 laptops to examine USB Type-C performance (click on image to enlarge)

It is not surprising that laptop manufacturers who chose the cheapest option (connecting an Intel USB 3.0 5 Gb/s controller to USB port Type-C), provide you with... 5 Gbps performance. We weren't able to test the 12-inch MacBook because the AS SSD doesn't work on OS X, but it uses the same controller. So you have to wait for equivalent performance.

Of much greater interest is the operation of chips with a speed of 10 Gbps: ASMedia and Thunderbolt 3. In the diagram they are represented by 2 Dell XPS models (for Thunderbolt) and an ASMedia card in a desktop PC. In our test, ASmedia showed a slight advantage over the Thunderbolt 3 controller. However, PC manufacturers confirm these data, citing the results of their own internal tests.

Samsung model Notebook 9 Pro only uses the USB 3.1 portion of the Intel Thunderbolt 3 controller

However, there is another interesting participant in the test - this samsung laptop Notebook 9 Pro. The 15.6-inch model uses the rather rare approach of equipping a USB Type-C port by using an Intel “Alpine Ridge” chip with Thunderbolt 3, but only includes USB support. Even in the Device Manager panel, you will only find the Intel USB 3.1 controller, as shown in the above screenshot.

Samsung representatives have confirmed that this laptop does not work with Thunderbolt 3. We tested this using the Akitio Thunderbolt 3 drive and it does not work. Why Samsung engineers did this remains a mystery.

However, we do know that performance has been surprisingly poor. Yes, this port is faster than regular USB Type-C with built-in Intel chip, but much slower than ASMedia and full version Thunderbolt 3. Strange move.

Conclusion

One look at the test chart makes it clear that there are real benefits to having a full 10 Gbps USB 3.1 port in your computer. The most obvious conclusion is that you won't have to wait long for files to be copied to a USB drive. But besides this, only with a full-fledged port can you unlock all the advantages external drive with USB 3.1. And as more and more PC models with USB ports Type-C, we recommend that you read the specifications more carefully before purchasing a computer.