CalDigit and OWC Unveil Thunderbolt 4 and USB 4 Cables

[MacRumors]

Popular Mac accessory makers CalDigit and OWC have today announced new all-in-one Thunderbolt 4 and USB 4 cables, promising maximum data and power transfer over a single cable, as well as full compatibility with older USB devices.

Thunderbolt 4 and USB 4 is the latest connectivity specification present in the newest Macs and high-end external hardware, offering performance up to 40Gb/s, making it ideal for eGPUs, SSDs, external displays, and more.

CalDigit and OWC's new Thunderbolt 4 cables feature maximum power and data transfer capability. The cables deliver power up to 100W, making them appropriate for docking stations or monitors that can supply power, and support external displays with resolutions up to 8K.

Many previous generations of longer Thunderbolt cables lacked compatibility with USB-C devices, resulting in reduced transfer speeds, but both of the new CalDigit and OWC cables are fully compatible with USB-C. This also guarantees full compatibility with both Thunderbolt and USB-C monitors, the best possible performance for USB-C devices, and the ability to connect USB-C devices to Thunderbolt ports, giving users a large amount of versatility from a single cable.

The CalDigit cable is available in a length of 2m and the OWC cable is available in 0.8m only. CalDigit also supports its new cable with a two-year warranty, while OWC's features a three-year warranty.

The OWC 0.8m Thunderbolt 4 and USB-C Cable is available now for $27.99 on MacSales.com, while the CalDigit 2m Thunderbolt 4 and USB-C Cable is available on the CalDigit website for $79.99.

Article Link: CalDigit and OWC Unveil Thunderbolt 4 and USB 4 Cables

 

[BeatCrazy]

I think Cable Matters beat both OWC and CalDigit to market with a 2m certified TB4/USB4 cable?

I bought one from Amazon and can confirm it's certified, and works at full speed with both Thunderbolt and non-TB USB 3.1 devices. Previously, only the Apple Thunderbolt 3 "Pro" 2m cable @ $129 supported full speed USB 3.1 functionality at a 2m length.

I authored the lone review on Amazon for the Cable Matters version: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084Z65YJQ/

 

[Dainin]

I think Cable Matters beat both OWC and CalDigit to market with a 2m certified TB4/USB4 cable?

I bought one from Amazon and can confirm it's certified, and works at full speed with both Thunderbolt and non-TB USB 3.1 devices. Previously, only the Apple Thunderbolt 3 "Pro" 2m cable @ $129 supported full speed USB 3.1 functionality at a 2m length.

I authored the lone review on Amazon for the Cable Matters version: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084Z65YJQ/

I wish you’d posted sooner. I literally placed an order for the Caldigit 2M cable right before your post popped up.

Edit 1: I emailed them and asked to cancel the order, you can’t cancel it through their website.
Edit 2: Order cancelled. Placed order for the Cable matters 2m.

 

[iAFC]

Since when do Americans measure things in meters?

 

[BeatCrazy]

I wish you’d posted sooner. I literally placed an order for the Caldigit 2M cable right before your post popped up.

If 7 minutes after the MR news article was posted wasn't fast enough, where were you when I posted about it 5 days ago??

Apple Thunderbolt 3 Pro Cable (2 m) - passive or active?

I guess Apple? https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MWP32AM/A/thunderbolt-3-pro-cable-2-m It's the only TB cable on the market that is >.8m (i.e. it's active), yet still supports USB 3.1 Gen 2 data transfer at 10Gb/s and DisplayPort Alt mode. Per CalDigit, this should not technically be...

forums.macrumors.com

 

[Arcus]

Not sure if it is just me but I have found that most aftermarket products with these ends are too loose in the socket and will move if there is any tension on the cable. All of apples products fit nice and tight.

 

[carestudio]

I think Cable Matters beat both OWC and CalDigit to market with a 2m certified TB4/USB4 cable?

I believe I received an email from caldigit 4 weeks ago saying they started shipping TBT4/USB4 cables, probably just sold out last month, and resume their shipping now. caldigit has great quality on both their dock and cables.

 

[FightTheFuture]

I think Cable Matters beat both OWC and CalDigit to market with a 2m certified TB4/USB4 cable?

I bought one from Amazon and can confirm it's certified, and works at full speed with both Thunderbolt and non-TB USB 3.1 devices. Previously, only the Apple Thunderbolt 3 "Pro" 2m cable @ $129 supported full speed USB 3.1 functionality at a 2m length.

I authored the lone review on Amazon for the Cable Matters version: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084Z65YJQ/

Is there a way via software to test if a cable is certified and full speed?

 

[BeatCrazy]

I believe I received an email from caldigit 4 weeks ago saying they started shipping TBT4/USB4 cables, probably just sold out last month, and resume their shipping now. caldigit has great quality on both their dock and cables.

I wish CalDigit would hurry up and send me my TB4 Elements Hub that is supposed to ship mid-February! Yes, I have good luck with their cables and products in the past.

 

[BeatCrazy]

Is there a way via software to test if a cable is certified and full speed?

If it's certified, you'll see the Thunderbolt "bolt" logo on the cable itself (I assume some no-name cable could fake that too).

For full speed, I just run some SSD speed tests with "known" fast peripherals . I'm sure there are hardware test equipment, but surely it's >$10K USD.

 

[macduke]

Is there any reason TB3 can't be upgraded for USB 4? They're the same connector, same speed, etc. What is the primary hardware difference?

 

[RyanXM]

Is there any reason TB3 can't be upgraded for USB 4? They're the same connector, same speed, etc. What is the primary hardware difference?

My understanding is the cables are the same as long as they are 40Gbps cables and that only the controllers are being upgraded to support the USB 4/TB 4 specifications....I could be wrong though.

 

[BeatCrazy]

Is there any reason TB3 can't be upgraded for USB 4? They're the same connector, same speed, etc. What is the primary hardware difference?

There must be some circuitry in each end of the cable to allow for USB4 (as well as 3.1 gen1/2) to travel at lengths >0.8m.

The TB3 standard only allowed for full speed USB at <0.8m, so obviously the new cables have different hardware.

 

[yurc]

Is there any reason TB3 can't be upgraded for USB 4? They're the same connector, same speed, etc. What is the primary hardware difference?

USB4 is literally USB 3.1 + TB3 in one package.

Previously, TB3 only connected using specific TB3 only cable, but it won't connect to USB 3.1 devices, vice versa.
USB 4 Speed is also still same like TB3.

At least this should helps avoid cable mess confusion prior USB 4 introduced, it was confusing consumer because USB 3,1 and TB3 cable physically same.

 

[BeatCrazy]

USB4 is literally USB 3.1 + TB3 in one package.

Previously, TB3 only connected using specific TB3 only cable, but it won't connect to USB 3.1 devices, vice versa.
USB 4 Speed is also still same like TB3.

At least this should helps avoid cable mess confusion prior USB 4 introduced, it was confusing consumer because USB 3,1 and TB3 cable physically same.

Not all of these things are true

USB 3.1 and TB3 cables are not physically the same, only the connector interface is. Please see the chart I posted above and note the length limitations.

 

[jlocker]

All it just seems like yesterday when I was connecting a SCSI connector to a Mac system with a 1.25 megabytes per second transfer rate with a DB-25 connector. That was screaming

 

[joecomo]

costly - but at least you can plug them anywhere and get full speed

 

[repoman27]

Is there any reason TB3 can't be upgraded for USB 4? They're the same connector, same speed, etc. What is the primary hardware difference?

USB4 is a tunneling protocol based on Thunderbolt, but the two are not the same. USB4 can tunnel the USB protocol in addition to PCI Express and DisplayPort. USB4 also uses slightly different signaling rates and encoding schemes (10 or 20 GT/s vs 10.3125 and 20.625 GT/s). The bottom line is that USB4 devices will only work with Thunderbolt 3 devices if they optionally include support for the USB Type-C Thunderbolt 3 Alternate Mode. Thunderbolt 4 is USB4 with full support for Thunderbolt 3 interoperability.

Any passive full-featured USB Type-C cable up to 0.8 m should support all current protocols. Longer cables require active circuitry to handle the faster signaling rates. The retimer/redriver chips that they use have traditionally only supported specific protocols (e.g. the signaling rates used by Thunderbolt). Thunderbolt 4 cables can handle both USB4 (10 or 20 GT/s) and USB3 (5 or 10 GT/s) as well as the Thunderbolt 3 (10.3125 or 20.625 GT/s) and DisplayPort (1.62, 2.7, 5.4 or 8.1 GT/s) alternate modes.

 

[mabhatter]

It’s the One Cable that the Prophets have foretold!!

we should check with Elves, Dwarves, and Men just to be sure Sauron isn’t back again.

 

[hipnetic]

Hopefully we'll start to see more lower-cost hubs with removable (or at least long built-in) cables. My low-cost USB-C hubs don't have long enough cables to hide them so my desk is a cluttered, wire-tangled mess. I'm thinking about splurging on that CalDigit TB4 Element hub, but even at the pre-order $140 price it still feels pricey, and current pre-orders don't fill until mid-April.

 

[BeatCrazy]

Hopefully we'll start to see more lower-cost hubs with removable (or at least long built-in) cables. My low-cost USB-C hubs don't have long enough cables to hide them so my desk is a cluttered, wire-tangled mess. I'm thinking about splurging on that CalDigit TB4 Element hub, but even at the pre-order $140 price it still feels pricey, and current pre-orders don't fill until mid-April.

If you're just using a low cost USB-C hub, you can can easily get 6ft USB-C 3.1 gen 1 cables for 5Gbps speeds from Amazon Basics for about $20.

 

[hipnetic]

If you're just using a low cost USB-C hub, you can can easily get 6ft USB-C 3.1 gen 1 cables for 5Gbps speeds from Amazon Basics for about $20.

Well, right now I've actually got 3 USB-C hubs, all of which have short, built-in cables. But to make matters worse, I'm pretty sure that I've confirmed recently that none of them support 4K @ 60Hz over HDMI, and none of them support USB-C charging of my MacBook Pro 16. So I currently have my MacBook charging cable, the USB-C hub (for Gigabit ethernet and USB 2.0/3.0), and then either another USB-C-to-HDMI dongle to get the 4K @ 60Hz I need (for the HDMI-only 4K 40" TV that I'm playing with) or a USB-C-to-mini-DP cable (for the 2560x1440 25" monitor I had been using).

But, let's say I'd be willing to live with using up just two of my USB-C ports: One for the charging cable, and a 2nd one for a new lower-cost USB-C HUB that can do gigabit ethernet and 4K @ 60Hz, but all of those low-cost USB-C hubs (as little as $36) still have a short built-in cable. Can I then add a 10GB USB-C extension cable (as low as $13 from what I'm seeing), or will that not be enough bandwidth to support 4K @ 60Hz, gigabit ethernet, and USB 2.0 usage simultaneously?

 

[hipnetic]

Oh, one more thing...I'd love to see one of these long TB4 cables come (optionally) with an L-shaped connector for plugging into the MacBook.

 

[BeatCrazy]

Well, right now I've actually got 3 USB-C hubs, all of which have short, built-in cables. But to make matters worse, I'm pretty sure that I've confirmed recently that none of them support 4K @ 60Hz over HDMI, and none of them support USB-C charging of my MacBook Pro 16. So I currently have my MacBook charging cable, the USB-C hub (for Gigabit ethernet and USB 2.0/3.0), and then either another USB-C-to-HDMI dongle to get the 4K @ 60Hz I need (for the HDMI-only 4K 40" TV that I'm playing with) or a USB-C-to-mini-DP cable (for the 2560x1440 25" monitor I had been using).

But, let's say I'd be willing to live with using up just two of my USB-C ports: One for the charging cable, and a 2nd one for a new lower-cost USB-C HUB that can do gigabit ethernet and 4K @ 60Hz, but all of those low-cost USB-C hubs (as little as $36) still have a short built-in cable. Can I then add a 10GB USB-C extension cable (as low as $13 from what I'm seeing), or will that not be enough bandwidth to support 4K @ 60Hz, gigabit ethernet, and USB 2.0 usage simultaneously?

Yes, you can do 4K @ 60Hz, gigabit ethernet, and USB 2.0 usage simultaneously, but only with certain devices/firmwares. My "original" CalDigit USB-C dock does exactly that, although you have to update it with special firmware. I doubt any cheap dock will support that.

CalDigit firmware, for reference (no longer on their product pages): http://archive.caldigit.com/support/USB-C_Dock/CalDigit-USB-C-Dock-Video-Firmware.zip

Another option for your use case would be the CalDigit USB-C Pro dock, but it's $199.

 

[BeatCrazy]

Oh, one more thing...I'd love to see one of these long TB4 cables come (optionally) with an L-shaped connector for plugging into the MacBook.

Unlikely, as I don't think the TB standard allows for an angled connector.