How Apple's Thunderbolt ports are different from USB-C

Your Mac might have a combination of Thunderbolt and standard USB-C ports, each with different capabilities. How Apple’s Thunderbolt ports are different from USB-C. Big Tech Apple How Apple’s Thunderbolt ports are different from USB-C Not every USB-C port is Thunderbolt, and features can vary wildly.

Thunderbolt is a standard that uses the USB-C connector for its modern iterations. So on a modern Mac, every Thunderbolt port is USB-C, but not every USB-C port supports Thunderbolt. (Older Thunderbolt versions used the now-obsolete Mini DisplayPort.) Picture USB-C as a door.

On a modern Mac, every door looks the same, but what’s behind each can be quite different. On a MacBook Neo, for example, there are two doors. One is a narrow path with enough space for just one person at a time: that’s its USB 2 port, which tops out at 480 Mbps.

Behind the other door is a road with enough space for cars to pass.