203. [Gadgets] The Nature of USB and Thunderbolt

Now, up until now, I have organized the standards for USB and Thunderbolt as a reference for finding external SSDs and the like. However, since it has become increasingly confusing, I have compared the characteristics (nature) of these standards (by asking an AI).

USB vs Thunderbolt: Fundamental Differences in Standards

USB is a general-purpose standard(anyone can implement it), Thunderbolt is a premium standard that guarantees high performance(certification is mandatory).

• USB: Formulated by USB-IF. Performance is a "maximum value," and actual speed varies significantly depending on the device.

• Thunderbolt: Led by Intel. Minimum performance is guaranteed, so you always get stable, high-speed communication.

Comparison Table of USB and Thunderbolt

Digging deeper into more essential differences

1. USB is a maximum value, Thunderbolt is a minimum guarantee!!

   • The 40Gbps of USB4 is a theoretical value, and in reality, it can be much slower.

   • Thunderbolt is overwhelmingly more stable.

2. Video output capability is on a different level

   • USB4 depends on DP Alt Mode, and depending on the device, it may only output to one 4K monitor.

   • Thunderbolt is the only choice for multi-monitor environments.

3. USB treats PCIe as an option, whereas Thunderbolt secures a wide PCIe bandwidth, assuming the use of external GPUs and high-speed SSDs.

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