About the Thunderbolt port of your Mac

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What is the difference between the Thunderbolt and the USB-C ?

Whether you are a PC or Mac user, you’ve necessarily seen new connectors in laptops flourish in recent years. USB-C and Thunderbolt have almost completely replaced the other ports intended for the charge and transfer of data. But what differently differentiates them from each other ?

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Despite their almost identical form at first glance, USB-C USB-C and Thunderbolt Thunderbolt 3 have several differences. To put it simply, the Thunderbolt 3 is a connection that uses the USB-C standard and adds several improvements to it as better speed and data transfer speeds. This means that all Thunderbolt ports are compatible with USB-C connectors. But then why not prefer the Thunderbolt to the USB-C on all our computers laptops ?

Owner technology

Unlike USB-C which is the work of a business consortium and which can be integrated into any device without paying rights, Thunderbolt is an exclusive technology in Apple and Intel whose first versions used MDP connection (Mini DisplayPort). It is therefore impossible to find a computer equipped with an AMD processor compatible with this standard. However, Apple showed with its Mac Apple Silicon that the Thunderbolt did not necessarily require an Intel Intel processor to operate.

At its beginnings, the Thunderbolt had to be used exclusively for rapid data transfers and high resolution resolution display but has expanded remarkable load capacities in its third iteration, allowing it to load a device at 100 Watts Watts in some case. It is this iteration that will start using USB-C as a connection in place of the mini displayport.

How to differentiate USB-C from Thunderbolt 3 at a glance ?

To quickly find out if the USB-C ports of a computer are compatible Thunderbolt, just check the presence of a small arrow in the shape of a flash flash above or next to the port. On macbook released since the end of 2016, these arrows are not found because all the USB-C ports of these devices are equipped with technology. If in doubt, just check the technical sheet of your computer on the manufacturer’s website. It should also be noted the need to use a Thunderbolt 3 compatible cable to take advantage of the standard.

What are the peripherals that take advantage of the Thunderbolt 3 ?

More and more devices are starting to integrate a Thunderbolt port to replace or alternative to other connectors. The screens like the Apple Pro Display XDR are good examples since the Thunderbolt allows a MacBook Pro to display a 6K resolution video output while loading. Quick data transfer also allows the use of external graphics cards (EGPU). Let us also quote the compatible external SSDs which allow the ultra-fast copy of large files from and to the computer.

About the Thunderbolt port of your Mac

You can use the Thunderbolt port of your Mac to connect a screen, a TV or a device, such as an external storage device. And with the appropriate adapter, you can connect your Mac to a screen using a DisplayPort port, Mini DisplayPort, DVI, HDMI or VGA.

About Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C), Thunderbolt/USB-4 and Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C)

The Thunderbolt 3 port (USB-C) is available on some new Mac computers models equipped with an Intel processor. Mac computers with Apple chip have a Thunderbolt/USB 4 port or a Thunderbolt 4 port (USB-C) , depending on model. These ports allow data transfer, video output and recharge by the same cable. To find out more about adapters that operate with these ports, see the Apple Assistance Share Adapters Compatible with the Thunderbolt 4, Thunderbolt 3 or USB-C port of your Mac.

About cables

• Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C), Thunderbolt/USB 4 and Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C): Use only USB cables with USB devices. If you do not use the right cable, the device will not work, even if the cable connectors are fitted into the peripheral and mac ports. You can use Thunderbolt or USB cables with Thunderbolt devices. Consult the USB-C cables section with the Mac.
• Thunderbolt and Thunderbolt 2: Use only Thunderbolt cables with Thunderbolt devices, and only mini displayport extension cables with mini displayport devices. If you do not use the right cable, the device will not work, even if the cable connectors are fitted into the peripheral and mac ports.

About food cords

Since the Thunderbolt port of a Mac can feed several connected Thunderbolt devices, it is generally not necessary to use the power cords of each device. Consult the documentation accompanying your device to see if it needs more power than that provided by the Thunderbolt port.

If you have a Mac laptop

If you use a Thunderbolt device without its own power cord, this may speed up the battery exhaustion of your Mac laptop. If you plan to use this type of device for an extended period, it is best to connect your Mac laptop or your Thunderbolt device to a power source.

When you connect a Thunderbolt device to a power source, be sure to start by disconnecting the device of your Mac. Then connect the device to a power source, then reconnect the device to your Mac. Otherwise, the device continues to be powered by your Mac. Consult the Apple Assistance item Identify your Mac current adapter.

Connection of several Thunderbolt devices

Depending on the MAC you have, you can connect several Thunderbolt devices to each other, then connect this peripheral chain to your Mac Thunderbolt. Consult the Connect one or more external screens to your Mac.