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USB-C is about to go from 100W to 240W, enough to power beefier laptops

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Re: USB-C is about to go from 100W to 240W, enough to power beefier laptops

#371

Post by Hypx_ »

cletus wrote: post #11

I look forward to USB 4.1a Type C.2 Phase iii.b Gen 3E and the 482646282 different cable capability combinations that all plug in and have no distinction of those capabilities whatsoever. I also look forward to all the necessary and helpful posts telling me how the identical ports on my laptop are in fact diffferent despite their identical appearance. But at least everything uses the same plug, so that’s nice.

We're frankly headed towards a USB type-D standard, where we intentionally create different ports for different uses. A dedicated power connector should never a data connector, and there should be a way to differentiate A/V ports from periphery ports. The mess we are in now doesn't really work as intended.

Re: USB-C is about to go from 100W to 240W, enough to power beefier laptops

#372

Post by notatoad »

ev1 wrote: post #156
yurishimo wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you explain the differences between them? I don't have many USB-C devices (Switch and MacBook) but wouldn't you be able to use the most "fully featured" cable for every scenario?

The most "fully featured" cable with a USB-C tip is often like <0.5m long.

which perfectly ecapsulates the "problem" with usb-c: everybody wants a cable with all the features, but only wants to pay for the cheapest cable. and then gets frustrated when their $3 cable doesn't support thunderbolt and high-power modes.

you can get 3-metre thunderbolt cables if you want, you just have to pay a lot for them. all the problems with USB-C can be solved by spending more money. if you want to go the cheap route and buy cables that don't support all the various modes, then you're going to end up with a bunch of cables that don't support some modes and have to keep track of which ones those are.

if you regularly use devices that need higher-spec cables, it's probably worth keeping one good high-spec USB-C cable in your bag, instead of three terrible ones.

Re: USB-C is about to go from 100W to 240W, enough to power beefier laptops

#373

Post by tom_mellior »

modeless wrote: post #277
alerighi wrote: post #216

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not using the proper cable could lead also to fires, for example. We are talking about a significant amount of current. If you don't use a cable rated for that current, the cable or the connector will overheat, and possibly start a fire. And it's not a remote possibility. It happened to me with a fast charging phone power supply and the phone, and the cable was the one provided by the manufacturer! The type-C connect…

> Not using the proper cable could lead also to fires, for example Only if the cable or device is defective or damaged. Which is true of every type of charging cable or connector.

> defective or damaged. Which is true of every type of charging cable or connector.

Yes, that's my experience with USB-C as well.

(Seriously, my Dell laptop and Dell dock connected by a Dell cable can't keep up a reliable connection. People are saying that the spec is fine, but a spec that's this hard to implement well is maybe not fine.)

Re: USB-C is about to go from 100W to 240W, enough to power beefier laptops

#374

Post by tenacious_tuna »

darrenf wrote: post #242

I genuinely don’t understand how I’ve managed to be so lucky. That is, I absolutely do not disbelieve the many tales of woe I hear on HN (like the many in this thread) - but I’ve literally never put any thought into what cable I plug in to what device, and had no trouble that I can recall. It really had lived up to its hype for me so far. My USB-C devices are: a wireless charger, two MacBooks (one intel, one m1), a P…

I don't think the issues normally present when just charging--I'd say charging is the simplest task. But when I tried to plug a USB C monitor into my mabook the other day I went through every C cable in the house to no avail, despite the fact they all do USB C PD just fine.

Re: USB-C is about to go from 100W to 240W, enough to power beefier laptops

#375

Post by evilduck »

koube wrote: post #284
zlsa wrote: post #279

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It should be impossible for any set of non-damaged, non-defective, spec-compliant set of USB-C cables and peripherals to cause fires. The specifications are very carefully designed to prevent any combination of cables and devices from causing damage.

The Nintendo Switch can be bricked if you use the wrong cable, although my understanding is that it's not built to the USB-C spec: https://www.reddit.com/r/NintendoSwitch/comments/87vmud/the_... Either way, this is an incredibly common device that can be damaged by incompatible hardware where it's difficult to determine compatibility without bricking the device.

Is this actually a current problem? I haven't heard of this issue occurring at all in recent years beyond "better safe than sorry" warnings against it when people still ask, and even the original claims didn't seem especially widespread.

While it's anecdotal, I've been charging Switches in my household with all sorts of USB-C sources for a couple years now as well (20W Apple chargers, 18W Anker bricks, a MacBook Air, external battery packs, 12v car adapters, etc) and they're all still working.

Re: USB-C is about to go from 100W to 240W, enough to power beefier laptops

#376

Post by monocularvision »

pix64 wrote: post #331
djrogers wrote: post #179

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Then it's either not genuine Apple or it's not Thunderbolt. This is what an Apple Thunderbolt cable looks like: https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MD862LL/A/apple-thunderbo...

That's not a USB-C cable. The discussion is about USB-C cables capable of thunderbolt. Not the older, dedicated thunderbolt cables. Correct link: https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MQ4H2AM/A/thunderbolt-3-u...

So…. with a lightning bolt then.

Re: USB-C is about to go from 100W to 240W, enough to power beefier laptops

#377

Post by watersb »

SiVal wrote: post #204
ohazi wrote: post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Indicator recommendations are routinely ignored. There are already color codes for type-A ports, and there's the "lightning bolt" indicator for Thunderbolt USB-C ports, but PC manufacturers ignore them when they want their laptops to have a certain look and feel (e.g. gaming laptops want red or green everything, Apple wants aluminum everything, etc.). Cable manufacturers are going to do whatever is cheapest.

Since the design philosophy behind USB-C is "it must always seem as though it should work", I think we'll need something like the old "tube testers" a few of us still remember. Decades ago, when your TV was behaving badly, you would take the back off (unplug first!), pull the vacuum tubes out, and take them in a bag to the nearest convenience store. They had a "tube tester" the size of a washing machine. You'd plug e…

Excellent idea.

I remember going through the tube testing ritual with my Mom. Good times. It was really interesting to me, how my Mom could take things apart and figure things out.

(She taught me that the inside of a TV was dangerous, and kept the screwdrivers up where I couldn't reach them.)

Re: USB-C is about to go from 100W to 240W, enough to power beefier laptops

#378

Post by sagarm »

amelius wrote: post #39
Traubenfuchs wrote: post #24

... and no one will have the slightest clue what their chargers, cables and devices support.

Simple. The really bulky chargers will be suitable for charging laptops. Everything else is for phones.

65W GaN chargers are getting pretty small, comparable with the crappy 5V USB power supply Apple used to pack in with their phones.

Re: USB-C is about to go from 100W to 240W, enough to power beefier laptops

#379

Post by mirthflat83 »

asdff wrote: post #164
the_pwner224 wrote: post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thunderbolt cables generally have a lightning bolt mark, and are expensive and short and thick+inflexible. And because of that, you likely don't have any except for the one coming out of a thunderbolt dock or external GPU enclosure etc.

My apple cable I believe is thunderbolt but I'm not sure. It's white with no marking.

You either have a fake cable or a USB 2.0 charging cable

Re: USB-C is about to go from 100W to 240W, enough to power beefier laptops

#380

Post by watersb »

salawat wrote: post #358
omega3 wrote: post #194

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is terrible for colorblind people.

For accessibility, assign specific texture patterns on the outside of the insulation for different capabilities. Then you can tell the capabilities by running the cable through your hands.

I actually have started down this path for my own cables -- the nylon braided ones are lower power etc.

My first attempt was different colors for each device, but was too tedious.

Three categories - low power, high power slow USB2, and 100W Thunderbolt.

- Low power: generic cables from wherever

- High power slow: cables that came with reputable charger (the vendor's cable, like Apple or Samsung; my favorite 3rd party charger is https://www.ravpower.com/products/rp-pc112-gan-tech-61w-wall...)

- Thuderbolt: I buy from https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/Thunderbolt

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