The Best USB 4/Thunderbolt 4 Cable Money Can Buy

The Best USB 4/Thunderbolt 4 Cable Money Can Buy

The best USB C/Thunderbolt Cable: https://amzn.to/3rX5pPp
OTAO USB charger with LCD: https://amzn.to/3M5J8pr
300W USB Charger: https://amzn.to/45zbhfz
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The best USB cables currently on the market are Thunderbolt 4 cables. Many cables on Amazon say “Thunderbolt Compatible” but aren’t actually certified. Look for the little lightning bolt with the arrow. You also want 240 watts of power delivery. This is not standard for Thunderbolt cables but it is becoming more common.

50 Comments

  1. @baakster on October 11, 2025 at 1:29 am

    Well I guess it’s time to start over again.

  2. @terryduerks4008 on October 11, 2025 at 1:29 am

    how about longer thunderbolt 4 cables i need a15 ft cable

  3. @unknownKnownunknowns on October 11, 2025 at 1:29 am

    If you folks care, the mythbusters guy did a nice x-ray scan view of the chips and circuits inside the apple thunderbolt cable. Shows why it is premium priced over cheaper versions.

  4. @charleshines2142 on October 11, 2025 at 1:31 am

    Mostly what I am looking for is a longer one surely there must be one longer than an arm length that still works and is not a fraudulently marked plain old USB cable. I think the laughably short cables typically seen are the main reason you don’t always see Thunderbolt. That and in the past a manufacturer had to pay royalties to use it. It didn’t help it much either that it was seen on Macs more and thought by some to be some weird proprietary thing a PC would never have. It would not surprise me at all if that and the royalties nearly made it another forgotten technology to suffer the same fate as Firewire (you don’t see That so much these days).

  5. @AWEG-qu8bz on October 11, 2025 at 1:31 am

    But how can i connect USB4/Thunderbolt to Displayport 144Hz Display?

  6. @jonnybondphoto on October 11, 2025 at 1:32 am

    Thoughts on Thunderbolt 5 cables?

  7. @J2js7argcj4ttx on October 11, 2025 at 1:32 am

    Will it charge my vibrator ?

  8. @UtaGengGaming on October 11, 2025 at 1:37 am

    Whats the 3rd party app?

  9. @VoicesofMusic on October 11, 2025 at 1:37 am

    Cable Matters is almost always good, I have a few Soopii USB4/240 that have the wattage on the LED on the cable. When you have a bag full of gear, you want the specs printed on the cable, as you point out in the vid.

  10. @ubbucle on October 11, 2025 at 1:39 am

    does 100w charging damage my portable nvme drive?

  11. @christofferaasted on October 11, 2025 at 1:39 am

    Your videos always seems like brand marketing tbh

  12. @MP3-g8x on October 11, 2025 at 1:40 am

    what is the fastest "usb c to usb a cable"? I need one for my external crucial 4tb ssd to use with my 2014 Mac mini. Thank You.

  13. @The_Cali_Dude_88 on October 11, 2025 at 1:41 am

    Yes I’m a Apple dude so I use all Apple everything… including their Thunderbolt…😁

  14. @TheRealJimmyLundy on October 11, 2025 at 1:42 am

    The promise was USB-C would unify. It just made another mess.

  15. @tasotsele on October 11, 2025 at 1:46 am

    What’s that r/w speed app in the top bar you’re using called?

  16. @amdenis on October 11, 2025 at 1:47 am

    How about which USB C for Thunderbolt 5?

  17. @marc-antoinelacourse5910 on October 11, 2025 at 1:49 am

    What’s the Third party app are you using to show Write and Read Data Speed in the Menu Bar of the Macbook ?

  18. @TA-op3vn on October 11, 2025 at 1:49 am

    Can someone confirm, 240W cable can fry phone battery ?

  19. @riccardocarbo2479 on October 11, 2025 at 1:50 am

    My concern here is how many times you talk about data transfer, but explain it as wattage. Why it is a measure of the total power passing through a certain point along the table per second. Behind of the wattage the more lanes on the freeway to move traffic, in a sense. Start off saying that there is a clear difference, but it was so confusing as to which you were really needing to talk about when you mentioned a number

  20. @MaxPowers1245 on October 11, 2025 at 1:52 am

    Will it carry video as well wanna control a Mac from another room as well as accessories.. yes I know Remote Desktop exists

  21. @sdd9056 on October 11, 2025 at 1:53 am

    MacOS’s default System Information can show the how much juice it is pulling.
    Nonetheless it should already be mandatory for the spec to be printed on the cable given this USB chaos we are facing (plus the USB standard chaos)

  22. @dawnrazor on October 11, 2025 at 1:55 am

    To be honest, I think the thunderbolt cable industry is a scam. For goodness sake, it’s just a cable. I don’t care whatever ‘tech’ there is contained within. The cost of production is probably minuscule. This is an issue of liscencing/certification that we are all being gaslighted into thinking we must pay an exorbitant premium for. There is no way on earth that $159 is a fair price to pay for Apple’s thunderbolt 5 cable. It feels like the scummy snake-oil tactics used within the premium hi-fi for them to justify eye-watering amounts for their wares. At in hi-fi, we can simply avoid them. However, it is impossible to dodge the thunderbolt tax if you need tb connections.

  23. @unonice on October 11, 2025 at 1:57 am

    Great Breakdown .. very helpful video .. keep up the great work 👍🏾😁🙌🏾💯

  24. @T33843R on October 11, 2025 at 1:58 am

    Bro just show how the cable is constructed and explain how it affects performance. Enough of this bullshit lol. its all copper anyway.

  25. @tribalart88 on October 11, 2025 at 1:58 am

    Does the cable work with the M3 Macbook Air?

  26. @neo6911 on October 11, 2025 at 1:59 am

    What is the name of the app I that redas and write the speed? Thanks.

  27. @WrestlingWith on October 11, 2025 at 1:59 am

    Nice video!

  28. @fletcherbrown728 on October 11, 2025 at 1:59 am

    I’m confused. What is the value of a cable that can handle 240 Watts? Don’t you also need something on BOTH ends that can deliver and receive 240Watts? Is there any USB-C device that you know of the can use 240Watts? I think that my iPhone is about 15-20 watts and my iPad Pro M4 is limited to about 35Watts. What am I missing?

  29. @staples970221 on October 11, 2025 at 1:59 am

    What’s the Mac iOS menu bar app that you are using to show the usb-c read/write speeds? (Time stamp… 2:00)

  30. @darty4684 on October 11, 2025 at 2:03 am

    I like your stuff, but this was a TERRIBLE video. Recommending things you have not tested is a BAD idea. The facts are that Thunderbolt is a licensed technology from Intel. Official Thunderbolt cables are typically expensive due to their compliance process and the additional chips inside the connector. Not all cables branded as Thunderbolt can actually provide true Thunderbolt speeds; some may be counterfeit. To ensure a cable is *actually* made for Thunderbolt, you MUST buy it from a trusted seller like Apple or test its data transfer rate against verified Thunderbolt cables, especially if it’s from an unreliable third party. Choosing the cheapest cable on Amazon might waste your time and money.

  31. @ronyaddis on October 11, 2025 at 2:04 am

    hi what is the app for mac to show read and write speed pls can u let me know

  32. @k2000kidd1 on October 11, 2025 at 2:04 am

    Assumed all my USB C would be great for 4K video between my devices. Bought a purpose built Thunderbolt 4 cable and moved files to an SSD at 1050MB/Sec

  33. @pvdgucht on October 11, 2025 at 2:04 am

    Saw the thumbnail. And just want to say immediately that a cable that is officially thunderbolt 4 certified cannot have 240watts PD3.1 support. That’s a USB 4 Cable not a certified thunderbolt cable. The endgame cable you should buy and throw away all your other cables is a certified thunderbolt 5 cable. They can do everything. 120Gbps transfer speed and 240watts PD3.1 charging speed.

  34. @oneisnone7350 on October 11, 2025 at 2:05 am

    Amazon Basics has a 40Gb 240w cable for $10.

  35. @JustAGuy85 on October 11, 2025 at 2:10 am

    AmazonBasics USB cables are amazing. They have to pass all the certifications. They’ll tell you how many watts they handle and the data rates they can achieve… and they are built GREAT. These are the only cables I’ve ever bought that have never worn out at the plug. I know one might think "AmazonBasics" is cheapo products, and a lot of it is. Like their rechargeable batteries… they have much less mah capacity than a Duracell or Energizer rechargeable battery. But their USB cables? Chef’s kiss, baby.

  36. @dawnrazor on October 11, 2025 at 2:11 am

    You appear to have missed another important factor and this is the quality of the physical connection. Most of the cheaper cables tend not to fit as securely to devices. If you don’t believe me, compare the Apple thunderbolt 5 cables to most other usb-c cables and you will be shocked by the difference.

  37. @sunsetsam33 on October 11, 2025 at 2:11 am

    Markings are cheap, performance isn’t. I needed a 10ft cable which Cable Matters doesn’t appear to offer. Got the Apple cable, no speed or power markings on the connecter, works perfectly at 10ft. It’s more expensive, but high quality, and so far very reliable.

  38. @haxxorsheep on October 11, 2025 at 2:12 am

    if your like me and looking at this. Do not trust what is printed on the cable. Read reviews before you buy.

  39. @dejongdon on October 11, 2025 at 2:12 am

    0:30 skips to end of video

  40. @Chris-zu4es on October 11, 2025 at 2:14 am

    what does thunderbolt mean?
    I have a Xiaomi Redmi that I struggle with using with other cables and chargers. can I buy this cable?

  41. @xFreyelis on October 11, 2025 at 2:15 am

    If only they sell it with braided wire. So I bought another brand instead that have braided wire w/ the same specs.

  42. @joez800 on October 11, 2025 at 2:17 am

    I am relatively new to mac os. could someone please tell me what app is showing read and write speeds @2:00? Thanks.

  43. @christopherberry8519 on October 11, 2025 at 2:17 am

    Now how do you buy a Dock with thunderbolt and display over usb-c outputs? – That’s under $100

  44. @TimeTraveller969 on October 11, 2025 at 2:20 am

    Now there is TB5.

  45. @trumanhw on October 11, 2025 at 2:21 am

    That this guy suggests CABLEMATTERS cables means he KNOWS what’s up! A+++++
    FYI … I spent LOTS on cables, drives, etc — as I owned a Mac Repair + Sales retail store for 10 years.
    And I’m TELLING YOU … of ALL the TB cables — CM lasted the longest, worked the best and are def priced fair.

  46. @markshirley01 on October 11, 2025 at 2:21 am

    Hi I have a new Mac mini – I want a lead for data transfer from my Sony A7r5, I know it has thunderbolt 4 on the back and usb 3 on the front, any advice from anyone would very helpful on what would be the best cable to buy,

  47. @The1onlyQ on October 11, 2025 at 2:22 am

    Useful info but such small file transfer doesn’t account for variables like caching – then you ad an untested charger that even you cant believe? I’m out bro

  48. @wardiya3arbiya on October 11, 2025 at 2:23 am

    thank you

  49. @bobbastian760 on October 11, 2025 at 2:24 am

    Not all Thunderbolt 4 cables do 100W that’s incorrect.

  50. @FStoppers on October 11, 2025 at 2:24 am

    The best USB C/Thunderbolt Cable: https://amzn.to/3rX5pPp
    OTAO USB charger with LCD: https://amzn.to/3M5J8pr
    300W USB Charger: https://amzn.to/45zbhfz
    Fstoppers Photo Contest: https://www.fstoppers.com/contests
    5daydeal: https://bit.ly/46s5qtI

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