Thunderbolt Vs USB-C: what’s the difference?

If you’re someone who owns a smorgasbord of tech, all from different brands (guilty), then chances are you’ve come across a Thunderbolt port at some stage or another. They’re identical in appearance to the typical USB Type-C ports (or USB-C to you and me), but there’s actually quite a lot that sets these ports apart under the hood.

You’re more likely to find both a USB-C and Thunderbolt port on some of the most powerful laptops, as well as other peripherals including external hard drives, monitors, printers, cameras, docking stations, and audio interfaces. While Thunderbolt ports aren’t as common as USB-C ports, they offer some serious benefits for creatives, as long as you have compatible devices to get the most out of Thunderbolt power.

For example, some of the best Macs for video editing come equipped with Thunderbolt 4 ports (the Mac Studio has six!) for speedier transfers of large video files, support for multiple 4K displays, and the option to connect additional storage devices to your workstation. Where it gets a little confusing is with compatibility, given that Thunderbolt ports are backwards compatible with USB-C devices, and you can plug a USB-C device into a Thunderbolt 3 or 4 port and it’ll work just fine.

We’ll dive into the main differences between Thunderbolt and USB-C below, but the TL;DR version is: it comes down to speed, compatibility, and power. Both options enable the sending and receiving of data on a single cable, as well as supplying power to your devices, although Thunderbolt is notably much faster than USB-C, with extra capabilities for connecting peripherals.

But what is Thunderbolt?

A collaboration between Intel and Apple is credited for the creation of Thunderbolt technology, which is another USB (Universal Serial Bus) method of connection that allows the transfer of data, power, and video signals.

It was initially only accessible to MacBook Pro devices around the time of 2011, however once Thunderbolt 3 came along, the range of Thunderbolt ports expanded to become more universal and compatible with USB-C.

Thunderbolt 4 came next, and boasts double the minimum transfer speeds of the Thunderbolt 3, with mandatory PC charging, and the ability to wake your computer from sleep through a simple keyboard touch. Thunderbolt 5 is the latest iteration of the port, although there are very few devices compatible with it (more on this below).

Compatibility

First things first, you need to know if your device is compatible with Thunderbolt or USB-C technology, and the quickest way to find out is by checking the product specifications on the box or manual that came with your device, or by taking a look at the manufacturer’s website. This is because the connectors and cables of both Thunderbolt and USB-C devices are virtually identical, although sometimes you might find a lightning symbol near the port to identify it as Thunderbolt compatible.

Confusingly, USB-C cables are compatible with Thunderbolt ports, and equally, USB-C ports are compatible with Thunderbolt cables, without any clear visual indication of which port is which, you could very easily get mixed up with using the correct cables with their designated ports for maximum efficiency.

Today, you’ll find plenty of laptops and PCs branding both USB-C and Thunderbolt ports, although most commonly you’ll find Thunderbolt ports with Apple’s MacBook Pro and MacBook Air laptops. There’s also more of a chance to find Thunderbolt ports on Intel- rather than AMD-powered Windows laptops, and a few desktops such as the Mac mini sport multiple Thunderbolt ports (up to 6) which are popular among creatives for their ability to connect up to four external devices at once, promoting less cable clutter and a neater workspace.

FYI – There are some iMacs that can support dual 6K Apple Pro Display XDR monitors, thanks to the additional resources of Thunderbolt cables (that’s according to PCMag).

As for USB-C ports, these are compatible with almost all new tech releases (including the iPhone 15, which was forced to ditch its lightning-style port). Most modern smartphones, tablets, and laptops will be USB-C compatible as companies begin to move away from the older Micro-USB format for charging and connectivity.

Performance

As we’ve mentioned in the compatibility section, the overall performance of a Thunderbolt port Vs a USB-C port all depends on what type of devices you use them with. Typically, Thunderbolt offers a greater and enhanced performance for activities such as photo editing, video editing, gaming, 3D modelling, and virtual reality. This is thanks to the Thunderbolt’s faster data transfers which ensure that connected peripherals and accessories such as VR headsets and gaming keyboards can respond faster.

Transfer Rate and Bandwidth

Thunderbolt technology offers unparalleled data transfer speeds compared with USB-C, reaching data transfer rates of up to 40 Gbps (gigabits per second) compared to USB-C’s 20 Gbps. What this means is that the Thunderbolt is a much better option for transferring large files, or for streaming content in higher resolution. However, these speeds are only possible when using a Thunderbolt cable with a Thunderbolt port, not a USB-C port (at least that’s according to HP).

Thunderbolt ports and cables also have more bandwidth (data capacity) than USB-C, which makes them faster and way more efficient when it comes to transferring large and secure files. The latest Thunderbolt 5 connectivity is said to offer 120Gbps of single-direction bandwidth, 240 watts of power, and plenty of oomph.

Using a Thunderbolt port also has the advantage of bidirectional data transfer (a two-way flow of communication), which is perfect for connecting two devices together, and it also boasts the ability to daisy chain (a circular wiring scheme of devices connected by passing a signal from one device to the next) without the need for separate power sources.

Charging speeds

Both Thunderbolt and USB-C cables can be used to power your workstations and connected peripherals, and surprisingly, they’re both as speedy and powerful as each other, meaning there’s no advantage to using one over the other for charging your devices.

Many sources say that a USB-C cable can provide up to 100 watts of power to a device when it makes use of the Power Delivery protocol, which is the same amount of power as a Thunderbolt cable can provide. However, Lenovo suggests that a USB Type-C cable is only capable of 45W power delivery, so I would take this figure with a pinch os salt.

The speeds at which a device can charge with USB-C ultimately depend on whether it’s equipped with fast charging, or is plugged into a USB 3.1, or a USB 3.2 port. Many smaller peripherals don’t require the full speed of a USB-C cable, which will provide virtually identical speeds to a Thunderbolt. It’s also worth noting that Thunderbolt 4 ports require PC charging for at least one device, whereas USB-C charging is completely optional.

Which one is best?

We’ve talked about how Thunderbolt cables are generally faster and more powerful than typical USB-C cables, although if your device is not compatible with Thunderbolt then you’re probably not missing out on much. If you only need to connect to a singular monitor and don’t do an awful lot of file transfers, then Thunderbolt ports aren’t a necessity for you.

Whereas for creative pros who already own Thunderbolt-equipped tech, we think it’s a no-brainer to invest in a Thunderbolt cable or a device with Thunderbolt ports to use with your workstation for maximum productivity, instead of opting for standard USB-C connectivity.

If you happen to be a professional photographer, video editor, or graphic designer, then you would certainly benefit from the improved performance of Thunderbolt over USB-C, with faster file transfers, but expect to pay a higher price for this. You should consider that most budget PCs and older devices likely won’t support Thunderbolt technology, and assess if it’s worth upgrading your tech to this format if you only use your workstation for low-end tasks.

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