So while a Thunderbolt 3 connector and cable uses USB 3.1, a USB-C connector isn’t necessarily Thunderbolt 3. Thunderbolt 3, meanwhile, is a relatively new and powerful connectivity standard that uses both USB-C ports and that USB 3.1 standard. That port is the physical manifestation of an industry-developed standard, USB 3.1, intended to allow a single cable to do the work of the many cables typically found at a workstation while also improving performance.
USB-C refers to the physical port used for connecting and powering devices. The terms “USB-C” and “Thunderbolt 3” are sometimes used interchangeably, which can lead to confusion.
Where there is typically a messy tangle of cables to operate a monitor and peripherals, there can instead be one cord doing just about everything.īesides decluttering workstations, Thunderbolt 3 is also cheaper than other connection technologies and supports desktop IT demands, such as greater data transfer speeds - eight times faster than conventional USB 3.0 cables.Ī monitor is, by nature, the center of attention and activity at any desk - and with Thunderbolt 3, it’s also the command center. One look at a typical workstation, in almost any working environment, should be enough to explain the allure of Thunderbolt 3 technology, which combines Thunderbolt, USB, DisplayPort, Ethernet and power via a single USB-C connector.