There's sometimes a negative connotation that anything cheap must be of bad quality, but that couldn't be further from the truth. More affordable mechanical keyboards can oftentimes be just as good as more expensive typing machines. The same goes for a bottle of red sauce or even a monitor, so long as you know where to look. USB-C cables, on the other hand, can be downright terrible if a bad-quality cable is purchased.

Just like cheap lightning cables of previous-gen iPhones, I'd often find myself reconnecting my phone to the car countless times until a connection is finally established. That was until I spent a little more and bought a high-rated USB-C replacement. But for charging phones, a powerful small dock, or even moving some data with external storage, USB-C cables can be useful, regardless of their price. The issues will most certainly start with USB4.

The latest USB standard can be problematic because it supports high-speed data, compared to previous generations. There's also DisplayPort, PCIe, and more to include in the mix, so it can get a little hot in the kitchen with up to 120Gbps asymmetric bandwidth available with specific configurations, all while still using the same backward-compatible USB-C connector. If the cable of choice isn't geared up to handle the load, you'll have a bad time.

Not all USB-C cables are equal

Some are better than others

Your home likely contains countless devices that support USB-C. Your phone, power outlets, gaming handhelds, desktop PCs, power banks, docks, monitors, chargers, and more. All these devices connect using the same USB-C port and cable. The issue is that most USB-C cables look identical. Sure, the color and materials used may differ, but those two connectors on either end are the same, regardless of USB generation. That $5 USB-C cable from Amazon will work with the same number of devices as the cable that came with your phone.

This was fine with slower speeds, lower requirements, and more basic usage for the connection. But USB4 is here, and we're seeing some notable bandwidth and speed support, which can cause some weird symptoms when using cheaper cables not rated for full throughput. For instance, connecting an external NVMe SSD to a PC may negotiate at 10Gbps instead of full speed. A monitor or some other accessory may not reconnect through the dock if the system wakes from sleep. Daisy-chaining screens isn't flawless.

These are all potential issues relating to the cable(s) used. And that's the crux of USB-C as a connector. It standardized the way we connect hardware, not how it's used. USB4 isn't simply USB-C but faster. It's a completely different way of transferring power and data across the same port and standard. USB4 can carry multiple protocols over the same link, including data, DisplayPort, and PCIe. Think of it like a micro-network with hosts, routers, hubs, and tunneling rather than point-to-point as it was with previous-gen USB.

This is problematic since all this more advanced technology requires signal integrity to be maintained at much higher frequencies than a basic charging link. The USB2 charging cable that came with your phone may work well passing through charge from the power adapter, but it may well be utterly useless when paired with a USB4-rated SSD, dock, or display. And that's where things get a little muddled with USB4. You need to double and triple-check the cables you're buying and using to ensure they are all rated for use with USB4 hardware.

Advancing through generations

Using a cheap or low-spec USB-C cable with more advanced USB4 hardware may cause speeds to fall back to 40 Gbps or less, or the cable may cause everything to outright fail to work for external devices and chargers with higher expectations. USB-IF does try to encourage logos and markings to be used to differentiate between cable tiers. You'd typically find logos for 5 Gbps, 10 Gbps, 20 Gbps, 40 Gbps, and 80 Gbps. The issue with USB-C is the connector and not the standard.

It supports USB 2.0, USB 3.2, USB4, as well as Intel's Thunderbolt 3 through 5. Then there's DisplayPort Alt Mode and USB Power Delivery. Everything may be present or only a select few. Let's say you buy a cheap USB-C cable off an online storefront. It's USB-C but only supports USB 3.2 for data. It may be 20 Gbps capable, but it isn't rated for full-speed USB4, or could be rated for high-speed but not for 240W charging delivery. Finally, there are active and passive with different lengths and compatibility trade-offs.

Have I mentioned that buying the right USB-C cable can be a pain?

Comparing USB standards

What does each generation offer?

When shopping around, it's vital that you remain vigilant with marketing buzzwords. USB-C is the product name, which only tells you what connectors are used. USB4 certification doesn't equate to maximum power delivery and vice versa. Make no assumptions and try to confirm as much as possible through spec sheets and reviews. Let's take a look at some of the USB standards and what they actually imply, to help you out on your shopping spree.

The USB-IF certification isn't just a sticker that can be attached to any old cable. If this is present on a USB cable, it has passed the compliance program. But many cables don't carry this certification and are vaguely described, allowing for those who aren't up to speed on all the above standards to get lost in a sea of jargon. Some cheap cables may work just fine with all your USB4 hardware, whereas a more expensive-looking cable may have trouble. Check the certification and what logo and branding are used to market the cable.

USB-C isn't enough to adequately determine just how capable or reliable the cable will be with your devices. "Fast charging," "Thunderbolt compatible," and "8K" don't really explain much in the grand scheme of things. See what type of cable you require and go from there. Pick the right cable for the job, be it fast-charging with up to 240W of power delivery or maximum throughput with 80 Gbps of bandwidth. An easy test to determine how good the USB-C cable is will be speed tests using an SSD and a benchmark suite.

But there's another way. A USB-C cable tester exists and can be used to determine whether the cable has an e-marker, which can read a tiny embedded chip. This chip can relay the cable's maximum capabilities, including charging wattage, data transfer speeds, and whether it features passive or active signal boosting. Though not exactly cheap, these handy devices can help avoid a situation where you waste money buying the wrong USB-C cable. Cheap USB-C cables are fine ... until they're not, and USB4 unfortunately demands more.

You can still bag a bargain

Some affordable cables are brilliant and do precisely what is marketed by the brand. These are often recommended within the USB community and should be considered for the home lab or for connecting a keyboard. USB4 doesn't mean you have to spend big on cabling, but it's important to remain vigilant to avoid sacrificing performance and risking devices not working altogether.