USB-C, what is it exactly?
Many people associate USB-C or USB Type-C directly with USB 3.1. However, USB-C is much more! Below we will explain USB-C / USB Type-C and the advantages and applications of this standard.
USB generations
First, we want to explain all USB generations. As mentioned above, many people think that USB 3.1 is the same as USB-C. The main reason for this association is that USB 3.1 was equally released with the USB-C standard. Could it be more confusing? Yes it can!
USB 3.1 has two versions: USB 3.1 Gen1 and USB 3.1 Gen2. Gen1 has a maximum speed of 5Gbit/s and Gen2 a maximum speed of 10Gbit/s. USB 3.1 Gen1 is also called USB 3.0 or SuperSpeed. SuperSpeed+ is the name of USB 3.1 Gen2.
USB 2.0 is also a well-known version. It is the predecessor of USB 3.1. USB 2.0 has a maximum speed of 480Mbps. Did you know that HighSpeed is the other name for USB 2.0?
The advantages of USB-C
- Symmetrical reversible connection
- Small connector
- Charge faster and more safe with Power Delivery (PD)
- Thunderbolt™3 support: one cable for both images and power
- Support for DisplayPort Alternate Mode

A compact reversible connector
Charge faster AND safer with Power Delivery
Besides this all, USB-C with PD enables charging in two directions. For example, you can charge your smartphone with your tablet but also your tablet with your smartphone.
Which Power Delivery profiles are available? 5V, 9V, 12V, 15V and 20V.
Thunderbolt™ 3 support
The biggest advantage of Thunderbolt™ 3 is the throughput speed of up to 40Gbit/s. This is four times faster than the throughput of USB 3.1 Gen2: 10Gbits/s. Besides, Thunderbolt™ 3 can provide power and images to two 4K screens of max. 60Hz. All used peripherals, like a laptop, screens and cables, must support Thunderbolt™ 3.
DisplayPort Alternate Mode (DP Alt mode) for connecting (4K) monitors
Which technology or protocol does my USB-C laptop support?
USB-C: intelligent chip (e-marker)
USB-C cables, one cable for all applications, right?
The most important factor is the connector. This connector must have a seamless design.
Some manufactures are recommending some cables that can be safely used.
Charging your laptop requires a more powerful cable and a plain data cable. Please pay attention to this!