What it looks like

USB 3.0 is the standard thin rectangular USB port called a Type-A connection.

Be careful, not all Type-A connections are 3.0. Look for a USB icon (trident tipped with a circle, triangle, and square) with the letters SS (SuperSpeed). If you don’t see an icon, look in the port, you should see blue.

What to expect

A USB 3.0 connection has a maximum bandwidth of 5 Gbps. That should be more than enough to drive multiple displays, and peripherals. It is worth noting that a USB 3.0 port will not supply charging power to your laptop, so you’ll still need your own power cord.

What if I'm not sure

Still have questions on connections? No worries, this stuff can get confusing. Just email us at support@plugable.com.

What it looks like

The newest connection type, USB Type-C (USB-C) is a thin oval-shaped port.

This one can get tricky. Just looking at the shape of the port might not be enough, as not all USB-C ports are the same. Just because a laptop has a USB-C port, doesn’t mean that the port supports video and charging.

What to expect

USB-C ports are designed to deliver a lot of performance. Depending on your computer, a USB-C port is capable of charging--so you don’t need an extra power cord--and data-transfer speeds between 10 Gbps and 40 Gbps. That’s more than enough power to drive extra screens and peripherals.

It’s worth noting that not all USB-C ports support video (Alt Mode) or charging (Power Delivery). Some USB-C ports support data transfer only, so you'll want to double-check with your computer manufacturer.

What if I'm not sure

Still have questions on connections? No worries, this stuff can get confusing. Just email us at support@plugable.com.

What it looks like

The newest connection type, Thunderbolt 3 and 4 share the same thin oval-shaped port.

This one can get tricky. Just looking at the shape of the port might not be enough, as Thunderbolt 3/4 ports share the same Type-C connection as USB-C. Look for the Thunderbolt icon (lightning-bolt tipped with an arrow). If you see a trident topped with a circle, triangle, and square it’s a USB-C port. If no icons are present, you may need to check with the manufacturer.

What to expect

With Thunderbolt 3, you always know you’re getting incredibly fast 40 Gbps data-transfer speeds. That’s going to give you enough power to drive even the most high-end monitors and external drives, not to mention any other peripheral you need to connect.

With Thunderbolt 4, you can rest assured that the port suppports two 4K displays by specification. Thunderbolt 4 shares many of the other benefits of Thunderbolt 3.

What if I'm not sure

Still have questions on connections? No worries, this stuff can get confusing. Just email us at support@plugable.com.