Thunderbolt vs. USB
When it comes to transferring data and power, choice of bus is king. The battle between aging champion Universal Serial Bus and plucky new contender Thunderbolt has been an exciting one to watch, and now we’re here to put it to bed—for a little while, at least. USB might have had more time to integrate itself into as much technology as possible, but Thunderbolt from Apple and Intel is hot on its heels, and both have their advantages and failings. Which is truly superior, though? Let’s take a look….
ROUND 1 Value
Our first showdown is easy: It’s USB, without a doubt. Even the more recent 3.1 and 3.2 iterations aren’t much more expensive than USB 3.0, affordable both for manufacturers to implement and for consumers to purchase—USB drives and cables are almost ubiquitous now, an open platform usable by just about anyone. Thunderbolt, on the other hand, was created as a joint venture between Intel and Apple, and still requires certification from Intel for manufacturers to use. The initial connection with Apple may have harpooned Thunderbolt from the start, if the tech giant’s pricey history with its proprietary Lightning connectors is anything to go on, anyway.
Both buses require purchase of control chips for hardware developers, but USB is cheaper, and doesn’t require accreditation from Intel to implement. While Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C use the same connector model—meaning that Thunderbolt 3 cables and devices can connect to a computer with a USB Type-C port—to ensure compatibility, manufacturers must shell out to add Thunderbolt tech to their hardware to reach the higher speeds it offers. USB might not be as powerful or flashy as Thunderbolt, but when it comes to examining consumer demand, it offers greater satisfaction against cost.
Winner: USB
ROUND 2 Performance
It’s hard to argue that USB can outperform Thunderbolt. Looking at the most recent iterations of each (USB 3.2 and Thunderbolt 3), Thunderbolt blows USB out of the water by offering a super-fast 40Gb/s via two aggregated bi-directional channels, in comparison to USB 3.2’s 20Gb/s. USB’s 3.2 version (confusingly referred to as 3.2 Gen 2x2) still hasn’t reached proper market penetration, though, so USB 3.1 and 3.0 are the current popular standards, which only offer 10Gb/s and 5Gb/s respectively. Some motherboards still ship with USB 2.0 ports, which are only capable of 480Mb/s. Thunderbolt 3 is ideal for daisy-chaining devices, too, but every device must be Thunderbolt-compatible; adding a DisplayPort or USB device ends the chain there.
Both current versions can feed DC power both ways at the same maximum rate: 100W for mains system power; 15W for device or peripheral charging from a “master” system. These are theoretical maximums—actual power supply alters based on many factors, such as available power or cable, and connector quality and type. Power supply doesn’t impact on data delivery speeds in either format. While USB 4 might be on the horizon, promising Thunderbolt 3-level speeds, right now it’s a clear win for Thunderbolt.
Winner: Thunderbolt
ROUND 3 Versatility
USB is everywhere. It’s a staple of modern tech, a well-established standard. Thunderbolt 3 is a superset of USB, but is far from seeing the same widespread use. Part of this is due to USB’s history. Seven companies— including Intel and Microsoft—banded together to create a new standardized interface. As such, USB has always been versatile and effective, connecting everything from interactive peripherals to speakers, monitors, and drives. Thunderbolt is more purposebuilt; ideal for daisy-chaining monitors or downloading data to external drives.
Flash drives with native Thunderbolt interfaces are rare; drives that connect via a Thunderbolt 3 cable are more common, but expensive. Type A USBconnector thumb drives are common, with USB-C versions becoming more popular. USB-C is compatible at full speed with Thunderbolt 3 ports, while the reverse is not the case.
Copper versus optical cabling was an interesting debate in the early years of Thunderbolt. All versions of USB have used copper, limiting maximum range to five meters. Thunderbolt 1 and 2 utilized optical cables to reach maximum lengths of 60 meters, but this functionality was discontinued for Thunderbolt 3—although using adapters, it can still be managed.
Winner: USB
ROUND 4 Future
USB has existed for over 20 years. It’s not going anywhere, but it’s also not moving forward at any speed. USB 4 was recently announced, promising Thunderbolt 3 speeds, and the USB Implementers Forum (USB IF) is committed to keeping the interface updated; hence the numerous editions of the third series—that’s right, USB 3.2 Gen 1x2 and USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 are subtly different. Extremely subtly. USB lives up to the “universal” in its name, having had far more time than Thunderbolt to beat out competitors and become the industry standard for data and power connections.
Thunderbolt has existed for eight years, but spent the better part of this time serving as a display and power interface for Apple products, primarily MacBook and iMacs, where Thunderbolt 1 could be used for daisy-chaining monitors. The tech went mainstream with Thunderbolt 3, thanks to the adoption of the USB-C model, but the requirements for manufacturers to support Thunderbolt formats may not bode well, particularly with USB 4 being able to match its speeds without demanding additional control hardware. Thunderbolt 3 is an Intel property, too, which means no AMD chipsets or computers support it, with no plans in sight for compatibility.
Winner: USB
ROUND 5 Simplicity
From a manufacturer’s standpoint, USB formats are easier to implement and familiar to consumers, particularly with the introduction of the USB-C connector, which can be inserted either way up—finally catching up to Apple’s Lightning connectors. The traditional USB connector, running up to 3.2, is a recognizable staple of technology for consumers everywhere. USB ports have the potential for color-coding for easier identification, given the numerous variations on the format.
However, USB’s open design let hardware producers create many versions of USB port—DAC-focused ports for speakers and headphones, for example, provide superior sound quality to a conventional USB port. Thunderbolt’s closed design benefits it here; there is no variation, so every port delivers maximum performance.
The variety of connectors is more refined with Thunderbolt; 1 and 2 used a Mini DisplayPort connector, while 3 adopted USB-C. USB might be moving toward USB-C as a standard, but still has too many different connectors. The Type A connector is common, but there are still many devices that use outdated Mini and Micro variations— the Micro-B SuperSpeed connector was supported all the way up to USB 3.0, and is horrible as connectors go.
Winner: Thunderbolt