{"id":19712,"date":"2022-09-12T18:44:45","date_gmt":"2022-09-12T16:44:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/g100.us\/?p=19712"},"modified":"2022-09-14T11:06:12","modified_gmt":"2022-09-14T09:06:12","slug":"all-usb-ports-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/g100.us\/all-usb-ports-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"All Types of USB Ports Explained &#038; How to Identify them"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_39 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">TABLE OF CONTENTS<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6684427f43116\" class=\"cssicon\"><span style=\"display: flex;align-items: center;width: 35px;height: 30px;justify-content: center;direction:ltr;\"><svg style=\"fill: #7f11e0;color:#7f11e0\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\" \/><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #7f11e0;color:#7f11e0\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\" \/><\/svg><\/span><\/label><label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6684427f43116\" class=\"cssiconcheckbox\">1<\/label><input type=\"checkbox\" id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6684427f43116\" checked><nav><ul class=\"ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 \"><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/all-usb-ports-explained\/#The_Basics_of_USB\" title=\"The Basics of USB\">The Basics of USB<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/all-usb-ports-explained\/#USB_Port_Form_Factors_A_History_and_Overview\" title=\"USB Port Form Factors: A History and Overview\">USB Port Form Factors: A History and Overview<\/a><ul class=\"ez-toc-list-level-3\"><li class=\"ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/all-usb-ports-explained\/#USB_Type_A\" title=\"USB Type A\">USB Type A<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/all-usb-ports-explained\/#USB_Type_B\" title=\"USB Type B\">USB Type B<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/all-usb-ports-explained\/#USB_Mini-A\" title=\"USB Mini-A\">USB Mini-A<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/all-usb-ports-explained\/#USB_Micro-A\" title=\"USB Micro-A\">USB Micro-A<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/all-usb-ports-explained\/#USB_Mini-B\" title=\"USB Mini-B\">USB Mini-B<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/all-usb-ports-explained\/#USB_Micro-B\" title=\"USB Micro-B\">USB Micro-B<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/all-usb-ports-explained\/#USB_Type_C\" title=\"USB Type C\">USB Type C<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/all-usb-ports-explained\/#USB_Port_Generations_Speed_and_Naming\" title=\"USB Port Generations: Speed and Naming\">USB Port Generations: Speed and Naming<\/a><ul class=\"ez-toc-list-level-3\"><li class=\"ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/all-usb-ports-explained\/#USB_10_and_11\" title=\"USB 1.0 and 1.1\">USB 1.0 and 1.1<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/all-usb-ports-explained\/#USB_20\" title=\"USB 2.0\">USB 2.0<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/all-usb-ports-explained\/#USB_30_31_and_32\" title=\"USB 3.0, 3.1, and 3.2\">USB 3.0, 3.1, and 3.2<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/all-usb-ports-explained\/#USB_4\" title=\"USB 4\">USB 4<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/all-usb-ports-explained\/#USB_4_20\" title=\"USB 4 2.0\">USB 4 2.0<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/all-usb-ports-explained\/#USB_Port_Colors\" title=\"USB Port Colors\">USB Port Colors<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/all-usb-ports-explained\/#FAQ\" title=\"FAQ\">FAQ<\/a><ul class=\"ez-toc-list-level-3\"><li class=\"ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/all-usb-ports-explained\/#What_is_USB_SuperSpeed\" title=\"What is USB SuperSpeed?\">What is USB SuperSpeed?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/all-usb-ports-explained\/#Is_Thunderbolt_compatible_with_USB\" title=\"Is Thunderbolt compatible with USB?\">Is Thunderbolt compatible with USB?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/all-usb-ports-explained\/#How_To_Add_More_USB_Ports_To_Your_PC\" title=\"How To Add More USB Ports To Your PC?\">How To Add More USB Ports To Your PC?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-21\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/all-usb-ports-explained\/#Over_to_You\" title=\"Over to You\">Over to You<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>Ever wanted to have all USB ports explained in one easy, convenient place? This is the article for you.<\/p>\n<p>By the end, you should have a detailed understanding of the various USB standards and what difference they actually make whenever you read over spec sheets.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ll be covering different form factors, as well as the various generations and speed increases offered by different forms of USB.<\/p>\n<p>Without further ado, let\u2019s dive right into it!<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Basics_of_USB\"><\/span>The Basics of USB<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>First, let\u2019s talk about the basics of the USB standard<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>USB<\/strong> is short for <strong>U<\/strong>niversal <strong>S<\/strong>erial <strong>B<\/strong>us and <strong>debuted in 1996 as an intended universal standard for connecting peripherals to PCs<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Before USB, dedicated serial ports and parallel ports were prominent in the market, but in the years since, these older port standards have largely become phased out in favor of USB.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-19769\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Evolution-of-USB-Ports.jpg\" alt=\"Evolution of USB Ports\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Evolution-of-USB-Ports.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Evolution-of-USB-Ports-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Evolution-of-USB-Ports-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Evolution-of-USB-Ports-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Evolution-of-USB-Ports-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-19769 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Evolution of USB Ports\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Evolution-of-USB-Ports.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Evolution-of-USB-Ports-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Evolution-of-USB-Ports-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Evolution-of-USB-Ports-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Evolution-of-USB-Ports-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Evolution-of-USB-Ports.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>For example, parallel ports were generally known as the port you plug your printer into, but these days most printers use USB or even Wi-Fi instead<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>So, USB has been around for over 20 years now and has long since become the de facto standard for...well, pretty much everything.<\/strong> Past its original use for desktop PC peripherals, USB has continued to see adaption pretty much everywhere in consumer electronics.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sometimes the USB connector isn\u2019t even used to transfer data, just power, as is the case with most smartphone chargers.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"USB_Port_Form_Factors_A_History_and_Overview\"><\/span>USB Port Form Factors: A History and Overview<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_19714\" style=\"width: 1500px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-19714\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-19714\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-connectors-form-factors.png\" alt=\"USB connectors form factors\" width=\"1500\" height=\"476\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-connectors-form-factors.png 1500w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-connectors-form-factors-300x95.png 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-connectors-form-factors-1024x325.png 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-connectors-form-factors-768x244.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-19714\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-19714 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201500%20476%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"USB connectors form factors\" width=\"1500\" height=\"476\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201500%20476%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-connectors-form-factors.png 1500w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-connectors-form-factors-300x95.png 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-connectors-form-factors-1024x325.png 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-connectors-form-factors-768x244.png 768w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-connectors-form-factors.png\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-19714\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">From Left To Right: USB Micro-B, UC-36*, USB Mini-B, USB Type A (Female), USB Type A (Male), and USB Type B <br>Image Credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Usb_connectors.JPG\" target=\"_blank\">WikiMedia<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p><em>*UC-36 is a proprietary variation of Mini USB used mainly by certain cameras.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Despite USB\u2019s standardization across the industry, however, there isn\u2019t really a standard catch-all USB connector.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-19767\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Types-of-USB-Ports.jpg\" alt=\"Types of USB Ports\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Types-of-USB-Ports.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Types-of-USB-Ports-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Types-of-USB-Ports-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Types-of-USB-Ports-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Types-of-USB-Ports-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-19767 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Types of USB Ports\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Types-of-USB-Ports.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Types-of-USB-Ports-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Types-of-USB-Ports-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Types-of-USB-Ports-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Types-of-USB-Ports-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Types-of-USB-Ports.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>There have been many USB form factors over the years, and I\u2019ll cover the most prominent ones and their use cases below. After this, I\u2019ll dive into each <em>generation<\/em> of USB and discuss the speeds and features they offer.<\/p>\n<p>For now, let\u2019s get into it!<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"USB_Type_A\"><\/span>USB Type A<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_19715\" style=\"width: 450px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-19715\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-with-border wp-image-19715\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-type-a.png\" alt=\"USB Type A\" width=\"450\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-type-a.png 450w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-type-a-300x267.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-19715\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-with-border wp-image-19715 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20450%20400%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"USB Type A\" width=\"450\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20450%20400%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 450w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-type-a.png 450w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-type-a-300x267.png 300w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-type-a.png\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-19715\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:USB_Type-A_receptacle_Black.svg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WikiMedia<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>Pretty much the default USB form factor.<\/strong> The familiar rectangular shape of USB Type A has persisted across nearly every generation of USB. It will likely persist as the default mental image of \u201cUSB\u201d for years to come.<\/p>\n<p><strong>However, this A-type connector was actually deprecated from USB 3.1 and onward in favor of USB Type-C, so despite being the de facto standard for many years, Type-A is no longer the \u201cmain\u201d version of USB. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Granted, this deprecation only started about five years ago at the time of writing (2017), and chances are that USB 3.1 and older versions will continue to be supported by mainstream computing devices for at least another five years, even if only for legacy hardware.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"USB_Type_B\"><\/span>USB Type B<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_19716\" style=\"width: 398px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-19716\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-with-border wp-image-19716\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-type-b.png\" alt=\"USB Type B\" width=\"398\" height=\"479\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-type-b.png 398w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-type-b-249x300.png 249w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 398px) 100vw, 398px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-19716\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-with-border wp-image-19716 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20398%20479%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"USB Type B\" width=\"398\" height=\"479\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20398%20479%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 398w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 398px) 100vw, 398px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-type-b.png 398w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-type-b-249x300.png 249w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-type-b.png\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-19716\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:USB_Type-B_receptacle.svg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WikiMedia<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>A slightly different version of this connector with USB 3.0\/3.1 support (SuperSpeed Type B) exists, but all versions of USB Type-B have been deprecated since 2017, alongside<br>\nUSB-A. <\/strong>In my experience, USB Type-B is usually used with devices like scanners and fax machines.<\/p>\n<p>With my current PC setup, the only piece of hardware that actually uses a Type B connector is my UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply), but even that is USB-A on the other end.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"USB_Mini-A\"><\/span>USB Mini-A<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_19717\" style=\"width: 450px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-19717\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-with-border wp-image-19717\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-mini-a.png\" alt=\"USB Mini-A\" width=\"450\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-mini-a.png 450w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-mini-a-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-19717\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-with-border wp-image-19717 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20450%20300%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"USB Mini-A\" width=\"450\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20450%20300%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 450w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-mini-a.png 450w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-mini-a-300x200.png 300w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-mini-a.png\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-19717\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:USB_Mini-A_receptacle.svg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WikiMedia<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p>Used for smaller devices like smartphones and PDAs. Deprecated and replaced by the Micro USB-A standard in 2008.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"USB_Micro-A\"><\/span>USB Micro-A<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_19718\" style=\"width: 450px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-19718\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-with-border wp-image-19718\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-micro-a.png\" alt=\"USB Micro-A\" width=\"450\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-micro-a.png 450w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-micro-a-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-19718\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-with-border wp-image-19718 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20450%20300%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"USB Micro-A\" width=\"450\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20450%20300%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 450w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-micro-a.png 450w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-micro-a-300x200.png 300w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-micro-a.png\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-19718\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:USB_Micro-A.svg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WikiMedia<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p>A replacement for the USB Mini-A standard, also targeted at smaller devices. Mainly used for phone chargers, at least in my experience.<\/p>\n<p>Despite being part of the same generation on its release, was largely overshadowed by USB Micro-B in similar use cases.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"USB_Mini-B\"><\/span>USB Mini-B<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_19719\" style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-19719\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-with-border wp-image-19719\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-mini-b.png\" alt=\"USB Mini-B\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-mini-b.png 400w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-mini-b-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-19719\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-with-border wp-image-19719 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20400%20300%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"USB Mini-B\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20400%20300%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-mini-b.png 400w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-mini-b-300x225.png 300w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-mini-b.png\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-19719\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:USB_Mini-B_receptacle.svg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WikiMedia<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p>The more common \u201cMini\u201d USB standard, was used for a variety of MP3 players, cameras, and other small devices while it was prominent.<\/p>\n<p>Also commonly used for phone chargers, but quickly replaced by USB Micro-B.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"USB_Micro-B\"><\/span>USB Micro-B<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_19720\" style=\"width: 460px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-19720\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-with-border wp-image-19720\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-micro-b.png\" alt=\"USB Micro-B\" width=\"460\" height=\"260\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-micro-b.png 460w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-micro-b-300x170.png 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-micro-b-420x236.png 420w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 460px) 100vw, 460px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-19720\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-with-border wp-image-19720 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20460%20260%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"USB Micro-B\" width=\"460\" height=\"260\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20460%20260%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 460w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 460px) 100vw, 460px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-micro-b.png 460w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-micro-b-300x170.png 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-micro-b-420x236.png 420w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-micro-b.png\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-19720\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:USB_Mini-B_receptacle.svg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WikiMedia<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p>The most-used \u201cMicro\u201d USB standard. Common for smartphones, chargers, game controllers, and many other smaller devices until the release of USB Type-C.<\/p>\n<p>Officially deprecated in 2017 alongside USB-A, but stopped seeing widespread use long before that.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"USB_Type_C\"><\/span>USB Type C<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_19729\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-19729\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-with-border wp-image-19729 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Type-C-Port-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"Type C Port\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Type-C-Port-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Type-C-Port-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Type-C-Port-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Type-C-Port-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Type-C-Port-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Type-C-Port-825x464.jpg 825w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Type-C-Port-594x335.jpg 594w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Type-C-Port-420x236.jpg 420w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Type-C-Port.jpg 1667w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-19729\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-with-border wp-image-19729 size-medium lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20300%20169%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Type C Port\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20300%20169%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Type-C-Port-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Type-C-Port-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Type-C-Port-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Type-C-Port-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Type-C-Port-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Type-C-Port-825x464.jpg 825w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Type-C-Port-594x335.jpg 594w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Type-C-Port-420x236.jpg 420w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Type-C-Port.jpg 1667w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Type-C-Port-300x169.jpg\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-19729\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:USB_Type-C.svg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WikiMedia<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p>The latest, greatest, de facto USB standard.<\/p>\n<p><strong>As of USB 4, this is now the <em>only<\/em> USB connector actually supported by current-generation devices, though that doesn\u2019t stop most modern PCs and laptops from being manufactured with Type-A ports<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Unique to USB Type-C compared to other USB form factors is that it can actually be plugged in either direction<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Other USB connectors require a strict orientation to be plugged in, but Type-C is seamless and mirrored on the top and bottom.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"USB_Port_Generations_Speed_and_Naming\"><\/span>USB Port Generations: Speed and Naming<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-19768\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Common-USB-Standards-Bandwidth-and-Power-1.jpg\" alt=\"Common USB Standards, Bandwidth, and Power\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Common-USB-Standards-Bandwidth-and-Power-1.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Common-USB-Standards-Bandwidth-and-Power-1-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Common-USB-Standards-Bandwidth-and-Power-1-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Common-USB-Standards-Bandwidth-and-Power-1-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Common-USB-Standards-Bandwidth-and-Power-1-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-19768 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Common USB Standards, Bandwidth, and Power\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Common-USB-Standards-Bandwidth-and-Power-1.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Common-USB-Standards-Bandwidth-and-Power-1-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Common-USB-Standards-Bandwidth-and-Power-1-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Common-USB-Standards-Bandwidth-and-Power-1-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Common-USB-Standards-Bandwidth-and-Power-1-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Common-USB-Standards-Bandwidth-and-Power-1.jpg\"><\/h3>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"USB_10_and_11\"><\/span>USB 1.0 and 1.1<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>While there were some pre-release versions of USB,<strong> mainstream USB 1.0 launched in January of 1996, supporting speeds of 12 Megabits per second. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>USB 1.1 launched a few years later but included a Low-Speed mode that was limited to 1.5 Megabits per second.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>This basic version of USB is distinguished by a white-colored USB port, in most scenarios.<\/strong> It fell out of the mainstream over 10 years ago, though, largely replaced by USB 2.0 as a low-cost USB option.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"USB_20\"><\/span>USB 2.0<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>USB 2.0, released in April 2000, launched with a new \u201cHigh Speed\u201d USB mode<\/strong>. In addition to offering backwards compatibility with USB 1 ports and devices, <strong>the High-Speed mode offered speeds of up to 480 Megabits per second for supported devices. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>This made USB 2.0 the first USB standard viable for external storage in the form of devices like USB flash drives and USB external hard drives<\/strong>. USB Type-C also debuted during the USB 2.0 era but didn\u2019t see widespread use until USB 3.0 and later.<\/p>\n<p><strong>USB 2.0 ports usually have black as their dominant color, instead of white.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"USB_30_31_and_32\"><\/span>USB 3.0, 3.1, and 3.2<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Ah, USB 3.0<\/strong>. Or should I say USB 3.2 Gen 1? It\u2019s a bit of a mess.<\/p>\n<p>In any case, the original version of USB 3.0 launched in November 2008, boasting support for \u201cSuperSpeed USB\u201d in addition to backwards compatibility.<\/p>\n<p><strong>SuperSpeed USB operates at five gigabits per second, which is about a 10x improvement over the last standard<\/strong>. Not bad!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Some other big features, like USB fast charging, made their debut with USB 3.0, as well. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>While Type-C didn\u2019t technically debut with USB 3.0, it was the first standard to prominently feature the form factor<\/strong>. Since Type-C\u2019s entry into the mainstream with 3.0, it\u2019s become the \u201cmain\u201d version of USB, deprecating all \u201cMini\u201d and \u201cMicro\u201d ports from 3.0 and onward.<\/p>\n<p><strong>As of USB 3.2 and USB 4, Type-C has supplanted Type-A entirely as the dominant connector, with A and other connectors no longer supported.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>So, what\u2019s going on with USB 3.1 and 3.2? For now, understand them as further improvements to the \u201cSuperSpeed\u201d goal of 3.0<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>3.1 supports SuperSpeed+ USB, which runs at a whopping<strong> 10 Gigabits per second<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3.2 doubles that by making SuperSpeed+ dual-lane <\/strong>(dubbed USB 3.2 x 2), resulting in a nice <strong>20 Gigabits per second<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>This puts the higher-end of USB 3 well above the speeds necessary for external hard drives, as well as external SATA-tier SSDs<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>However, USB 3 and its variations are still considerably slower than their Thunderbolt rivals released at the same time. More on the relationship between Thunderbolt and USB in the FAQ.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Controversially, USB 3.2 and USB 3.1 also retroactively rename the older versions of the USB standard.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>As of 2022, USB 3.2 is the real name of the standard, with 3.0 being renamed to \u201c3.2 Gen 1\u201d, and 3.1 being renamed to \u201c3.2 Gen 2\u201d. If this sounds confusing and pointless, that\u2019s because it is<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Also, USB 3.0, 3.1, and 3.2 can all be distinguished by ports with blue or red as their dominant colors<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"USB_4\"><\/span>USB 4<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>The latest USB standard, was launched in August 2019 and only supports USB-C<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Despite being a good few years old at the time of writing, hasn\u2019t <em>quite<\/em> seen widespread adoption yet<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Even so, it boasts a nice <strong>40 Gigabits per second<\/strong> of speed when operating in its dual-lane mode, and <strong>offers improved support for DisplayPort and PCI Express signals<\/strong>. It also further improves on the power delivery features of USB 3.X.<\/p>\n<p>If that \u201c40 Gigabits per second\u201d number sounds familiar to you, it might be because you know it as the speed at which Thunderbolt 3 operates. That\u2019s because USB 4 is...basically just Thunderbolt 3? More on Thunderbolt and USB\u2019s relationship in the FAQ!<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"USB_4_20\"><\/span>USB 4 2.0<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The second generation of USB 4 again doubles the bandwidth to 80 Gigabits per second. In addition to higher bandwidths, the power delivery has also been improved, allowing for higher levels of data performance.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"USB_Port_Colors\"><\/span>USB Port Colors<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>You've probably noticed how USB Type A Ports on your Motherboard's I\/O Shield or your PC's Case have different colors. This isn't just to make them look pretty but actually indicates which USB Version and Speed said port supports.<\/p>\n<p>Here's an overview of all USB Port Type A Colors:<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-19770\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/USB-Port-Colors.jpg\" alt=\"USB Port Colors\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/USB-Port-Colors.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/USB-Port-Colors-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/USB-Port-Colors-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/USB-Port-Colors-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/USB-Port-Colors-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-19770 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"USB Port Colors\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/USB-Port-Colors.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/USB-Port-Colors-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/USB-Port-Colors-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/USB-Port-Colors-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/USB-Port-Colors-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/USB-Port-Colors.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>USB Type C Ports don't have this color indication, and they're mostly just black. You'll have to consult your Motherboard's or PC Case's Manual to find out how fast they are.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_USB_SuperSpeed\"><\/span>What is USB SuperSpeed?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>So, if you\u2019ve been paying attention, you\u2019ll notice that the SuperSpeed moniker debuted with USB 3.0 and its higher speeds.<\/p>\n<p>However, did you know that there are SuperSpeed connectors beside USB-A and Type-C? At least until USB 3.1, anyway.<\/p>\n<p>Basically, Micro-A, Micro-B, and Micro-AB all have USB 3.0\/3.1 versions.<\/p>\n<p>However, these also have different connectors, which look like the originals but with...an extra bit attached.<\/p>\n<p>Compare Micro-B, covered earlier, with Micro-B SuperSpeed, embedded below.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_19722\" style=\"width: 700px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-19722\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-with-border wp-image-19722\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-micro-b-superspeed.png\" alt=\"USB Micro-B Superspeed\" width=\"700\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-micro-b-superspeed.png 700w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-micro-b-superspeed-300x129.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-19722\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-with-border wp-image-19722 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20700%20300%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"USB Micro-B Superspeed\" width=\"700\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20700%20300%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 700w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-micro-b-superspeed.png 700w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-micro-b-superspeed-300x129.png 300w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/usb-micro-b-superspeed.png\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-19722\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">An example of a SuperSpeed port. Rarely used and pretty quickly made irrelevant by Type-C, though.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Honestly, one look at the Micro and Mini SuperSpeed ports can tell you all you need to know about why they didn\u2019t become more commonplace. Beyond adding clunkiness to form factors that were meant for small devices, it also just looks...ugly.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_Thunderbolt_compatible_with_USB\"><\/span>Is Thunderbolt compatible with USB?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>So, USB and Thunderbolt actually have a pretty interesting relationship.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_19731\" style=\"width: 2048px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-19731\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-19731\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Type-C-Thunderbolt-Port.jpg\" alt=\"Type-C Thunderbolt Port\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Type-C-Thunderbolt-Port.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Type-C-Thunderbolt-Port-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Type-C-Thunderbolt-Port-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Type-C-Thunderbolt-Port-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Type-C-Thunderbolt-Port-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-19731\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-19731 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Type-C Thunderbolt Port\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Type-C-Thunderbolt-Port.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Type-C-Thunderbolt-Port-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Type-C-Thunderbolt-Port-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Type-C-Thunderbolt-Port-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Type-C-Thunderbolt-Port-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/09\/Type-C-Thunderbolt-Port.jpg\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-19731\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dell.com\/en-us\/shop\/dell-laptops\/alienware-x15-r2-gaming-laptop\/spd\/alienware-x15-r2-laptop\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dell<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>Thunderbolt is a competing proprietary standard from Intel, and historically it\u2019s always been considerably faster than USB<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Starting with USB 3, though, <strong>Thunderbolt devices started using USB Type-C ports<\/strong>. Further down the line, and <strong>now USB 4 is basically a rebranded Thunderbolt 3<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Thunderbolt 4 offers the same throughput as Thunderbolt 3, but also forces compatibility with USB 4 out-of-the-box and has better support for features like DisplayPort and PCI Express<\/strong>. It also uses the Type-C connector.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_To_Add_More_USB_Ports_To_Your_PC\"><\/span>How To Add More USB Ports To Your PC?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14341\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/11\/Connecting-USP-Expansion-card-to-a-PC.jpg\" alt=\"Connecting USP Expansion card to a PC\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/11\/Connecting-USP-Expansion-card-to-a-PC.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/11\/Connecting-USP-Expansion-card-to-a-PC-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/11\/Connecting-USP-Expansion-card-to-a-PC-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/11\/Connecting-USP-Expansion-card-to-a-PC-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/11\/Connecting-USP-Expansion-card-to-a-PC-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14341 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Connecting USP Expansion card to a PC\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/11\/Connecting-USP-Expansion-card-to-a-PC.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/11\/Connecting-USP-Expansion-card-to-a-PC-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/11\/Connecting-USP-Expansion-card-to-a-PC-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/11\/Connecting-USP-Expansion-card-to-a-PC-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/11\/Connecting-USP-Expansion-card-to-a-PC-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/11\/Connecting-USP-Expansion-card-to-a-PC.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>Dealing with a shortage of USB ports and wondering how to handle it?<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve written a guide to both external USB hubs and internal USB expansion cards, which you can <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/add-usb-ports-pc-laptop\/\">head here to give a read<\/a> if that piques your interest.<\/p>\n<p><strong>As a fast takeaway before I wrap up <em>this<\/em> article, though, be sure to consider a powered USB hub if you\u2019ll be using external storage or lots of devices with your extra USB ports!<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Over_to_You\"><\/span>Over to You<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>And that\u2019s it!<\/p>\n<p>With this article, I\u2019ve explained pretty much everything you need to know about USB in the modern day. I hope it was all digestible and covered any questions you might\u2019ve had! Feel free to ask more in the comments or the Forums if you\u2019re still curious, though.<\/p>\n<p>For now, I\u2019m going to wrap this up, because USB is starting to sound less and less like a real thing the more I say it.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Until I see you in the <a href=\"#comments\">comments<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/forum\/\">Forums<\/a> or until next time, have a good one! And don\u2019t forget: USB 3.2 has a horrible, horrible naming scheme, and all we can do is hope it never happens again.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ever wanted to have all USB ports explained in one easy, convenient place? This is the article for you. By the end, you should have a detailed understanding of the various USB standards and what difference they actually make whenever you read over spec sheets. We\u2019ll be covering different form factors, as well as the...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2339,"featured_media":19713,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[74,209],"tags":[280],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19712"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2339"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19712"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19712\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19771,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19712\/revisions\/19771"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19713"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19712"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19712"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19712"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}