Thunderbolt 4, Thunderbolt 3, and USB 4.0 explained

Here at CORSAIR have docking and hub solutions in our portfolio that support Thunderbolt 3, Thunderbolt 4, and USB 4 alike. This article is aimed at helping you to better understand the differences between these solutions.

Thunderbolt offers the most versatile connectivity options at the fastest transfer rates. It utilizes USB Type-C ports for best compatibility and Thunderbolt 4 is downwards compatible to Thunderbolt 3 and even USB 4 and lower. It is not compatible to Thunderbolt 2 and original Thunderbolt. Another feature is that you can connect any USB devices to it.

Yes, typically Thunderbolt 3 and 4 docks will charge your devices, but it is not that simple unfortunately. Depending on the device, it will need a certain amount of power to charge and perform at its full potential at the same time. While CORSAIR’s TBT100, TBT100 DP and TBT200 do offer 85W for the first two models and 96W for the latter, there are high performance laptops out there with an even higher demand. Thunderbolt 3 and 4 limits won’t be able to cover this. In the future, with Thunderbolt 5, we will see charging capabilities of up to 240W. This means, that depending on your device, you might need to plug in the power brick of your device additionally when using a Thunderbolt 3 or Thunderbolt 4 dock.

USB 4 derived from Thunderbolt 3. In theory Thunderbolt 3 devices should work when connecting to USB 4 devices and it should not matter if you are using a USB 4 or Thunderbolt 3 compliant cable. There is always the possibility that devices may not work.

Yes! There are multiple cable variants available. For connecting docks with your computer, it is important to use the cable that is supplied with the dock. If you should need a longer cable, you must pay close attention to the one you purchase. If you can, use a cable that is either Thunderbolt 4 certified or a high quality USB 4 cable that supports 100W of charging at the same time. You can always use a Thunderbolt 4 certified cable for USB 4 and lower equipped devices.

Choosing the right dock for your specific use case is essential. First and foremost, you should check what you want to connect and which type of port your computer or laptop has. If you have a Thunderbolt 4 compatible computer or laptop. Your best choice is the TBT200. Too hook up a monitor straight to your dock, you will need to convert one of the Thunderbolt 4 ports to the input that your monitor offers. Should your computer or laptop have a Thunderbolt 3 port only, you can choose the TBT100 or TBT100 DisplayPort model. Either of these have HDMI or DisplayPort connectivity included and you can connect to monitors directly from the Dock without the need for any Type-C to HDMI or Type-C to DisplayPort adapters. The Docks are compatible to devices that have Thunderbolt connectivity, and it does not matter if it is an Apple Mac or a Windows laptop or PC.

TBT200 Thunderbolt 4 Dock is CORSAIR’s solution for Thunderbolt 4 connectivity needs. It has one Thunderbolt 4 Type-C upstream and three downstream ports. This means you can connect three additional Thunderbolt 4 devices directly to the dock for fastest transfer speeds. Additionally, there is a 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet port, one USB Type-C 10Gbps port that also can charge devices with up to 15W and three USB Type-A 10Gbps ports that also support charging devices at up to 7.5W. A SD Card reader that supports SD UHS-II cards as well as a 3.5mm Audio combo (headset + mic) jack is available too.

To connect monitors to TBT200, you will need to use one or two of the available Thunderbolt 4 ports. The dock includes a Type-C to HDMI as well as a Type-C to DisplayPort cable, which you can both also purchase individually should you need a specific connector for your monitor setup.

Connect all devices to the dock and only one Thunderbolt 4 cable to a compatible laptop to easily charge the laptop at up to 96W and connect all other devices like peripherals and more.

TBT100 Thunderbolt 3 Dock DisplayPort is CORSAIR’s solution for Thunderbolt 3 connectivity needs. It has one Thunderbolt 3 Type-C upstream port. A Gigabit Ethernet port, two USB Type-C 10Gbps ports that also can charge devices with up to 15W, and three USB Type-A 5Gbps ports that also support charging devices at up to 7.5W are available for additional devices. A SD Card reader that supports SD UHS-II cards as well as a 3.5mm Audio combo (headset + mic) jack is available too.

To connect monitors to TBT100 DP there are two DisplayPort 1.4 ports available to connect Dual 4K monitors conveniently straight to the dock.

Connect all devices to the dock and only one Thunderbolt 3 cable to a compatible laptop to easily charge the laptop at up to 85W and connect all other devices like peripherals and more.

TBT100 Thunderbolt 3 Dock is CORSAIR’s solution for Thunderbolt 3 connectivity needs. It has one Thunderbolt 3 Type-C upstream port. A Gigabit Ethernet port, two USB Type-C 10Gbps ports that also can charge devices with up to 15W, and three USB Type-A 5Gbps ports that also support charging devices at up to 7.5W are available for additional devices. A SD Card reader that supports SD UHS-II cards as well as a 3.5mm Audio combo (headset + mic) jack is available too.

To connect monitors to TBT100 there are two HDMI 2.0 ports available to connect Dual 4K monitors conveniently straight to the dock.

Connect all devices to the dock and only one Thunderbolt 3 cable to a compatible laptop to easily charge the laptop at up to 85W and connect all other devices like peripherals and more.

USB100 7-Port USB-C/USB-A Expansion Hub is CORSAIR’s solution for USB-C expansion and connectivity needs. It has one USB-C Type-C upstream port. Three USB Type-C 5Gbps ports which one on the front that can charge devices at up to 15W, and three USB Type-A 5Gbps ports with the one on the front also supports charging devices at up to 7.5W are available for additional devices.

The hub is powered by a 65W power brick so that all ports receive sufficient power as well as when used with a laptop won’t rely on getting power from the device. This means longer battery runtimes for the laptop itself.

Connect all devices to the hub and only one USB-C cable to a compatible laptop to easily add more ports for all the expansion needs you have when using your device. Also works great with desktop PCs to add more connectivity options at an arm’s reach.