Thunderbolt™ vs. USB-C™

Explore

What’s Thunderbolt? What’s USB?

Thunderbolt and USB protocol technology transfer data, display video, play back audio, and charge devices. What’s different between them is how much of each they support, and what kind of accessories they let you connect while doing it.

What’s USB-C?

USB-C is the shape of the connector at the end of a cable, as well as the kind of port you’ll connect that cable to. However, it’s not a specific protocol itself. Thunderbolt 4, Thunderbolt 3, USB4, and USB 3.2 protocols all use USB Type C cables and ports. Only some cables and ports are certified for Thunderbolt.

Advantages of Thunderbolt

Thunderbolt is generally the fastest, most versatile technology on the market capable of reaching top speeds, connecting multiple high-res monitors at once, daisy-chaining storage devices, and more — all through a single port.

  • Best for intensive, creative workflows
  • Best for daisy-chaining
  • Best for peripherals
  • Best for faster charging

Advantages of USB

USB — or Universal Serial Bus — is the most common protocol for transferring data to and from storage devices, connecting accessories such as your mouse and keyboard, and keeping your day-to-day tech charged.

  • Best for everyday tasks
  • Best for quick, easy setup
  • Best for universal compatibility
  • Best for affordability

Compare Thunderbolt & USB Generations

Take command of connected workflows by learning more about USB vs. Thunderbolt.

  Thunderbolt 4 Thunderbolt 3 USB 4 USB 3.2
Data Transfer 40 Gbps 40 Gbps 20Gbps/40 Gbps 40 Gbps
Video Two 4K Monitors
One 8K Monitor		 Two 4K Monitors
One 5K Monitor		 Two 4K Monitors One 8K Monitor Two 4K Monitors
Power/Charging Cable up to 100W
Port minimum 15W		 Cable up to 100W
Port minimum 15W		 Cable up to 100W
Port minimum 7.5W		 Cable up to 100W
Port minimum 4.5W
Daisy-Chaining Yes (up to 6 devices) Yes (up to 6 devices) No No
Passive Cable Length 2M 0.8M 0.8M 1M
Mandatory Certification Yes Yes No No
Backwards Compatibility Full ≥1m = 480Mbps (USB) Full Full
Connector USB-C USB-C USB-C USB-C, USB-A

Using Thunderbolt 4 vs. Thunderbolt 3 for SSD Storage

Is there a difference between Thunderbolt 4 and Thunderbolt for SSD data storage?

No, both Thunderbolt 4 and Thunderbolt 3 are great options for your SSD data storage workflow. Each generation supports speeds of up to 40 Gbps, so they’re equally fast.

Will I get the same data storage performance with Thunderbolt 3 vs. Thunderbolt 4?

Yes, using Thunderbolt 3 for data transfer to and from your SSD storage devices will not put you at any disadvantage compared to Thunderbolt 4.

Why would I use Thunderbolt 4 in my SSD storage workflow?

Thunderbolt 4 optimizes the docking experience for peripherals and allows you to support additional, higher-res video displays. If that’s a priority for you, Thunderbolt 4 is a great option — and Thunderbolt 3 devices will be fully compatible with your Thunderbolt 4 system, so long as they’re downstream.

For Casual Users

USB

SANDISK Portable SSD (V3)

Up to 5X faster transfer speeds than old-school portable hard drives,1 drop protection up to 2-meters,2 and pocket-sized.

Starting at {{productReferenceObject.minPricedSkuObj.prices.sale.amountFormatted}} / {{productReferenceObject.minPricedSkuObj.prices.sale.billingPlanName}}

Explore

USB

SANDISK Extreme® Portable SSD (V3)

When seconds matter––move up to 1,000 high‑res photos in under 60 seconds3 (1TB-4TB)4

Explore

For Creative Professionals

USB

SANDISK Extreme PRO Portable SSD

With transfer speeds up to 4000MB/s5 you can offload up to 10 minutes of 12K footage in under a minute6

Explore

Thunderbolt/USB

SanDisk Professional PRO-G40 SSD (APFS)

Built for compatibility with both Thunderbolt™ 3 and USB 3.2 Gen 2, this versatile drive enables you to efficiently collaborate across devices.

Explore

Frequently Asked Questions

You can use USB devices with Thunderbolt cables — they’ll just default to USB’s standards rather than Thunderbolt’s. However, to get the most out of Thunderbolt devices, you’ll need both a Thunderbolt-certified system and cables. Otherwise, you may not get full — or any — functionality or performance.

Disclosures

  1. Based on read speed and internal testing against select commercially available 1TB portable HDDs. Performance may vary depending upon host device, usage conditions, drive capacity, and other factors.
  2. Based on internal testing.
  3. Based on internal testing with an average PNG file size of 30.4 MB; performance may be lower depending on host device, interface, usage conditions and other factors. 1MB=1,000,000 bytes. 
  4. 1GB=1,000,000,000 bytes. 1TB=1,000,000,000,000. Actual user storage capacity less.
  5. Up to 4000MB/s read speed; up to 3800MB/s write speed. Based on internal testing; performance may be lower depending on host device, interface, usage conditions and other factors. 1MB=1,000,000 bytes.
  6. Based on internal testing on 12K (12288 x 6480) video at 23.98 fps with an average BRAW file size of 84.30GB; performance may be lower depending on host device, interface, usage conditions and other factors. 1MB=1,000,000 bytes.
Compare