USB-C to USB-C (Thunderbolt 3)

Certified Thunderbolt 3 in passive form, this USB-C cable reaches 40 Gbps only up to 0.5 meters, the distance at which unpowered copper can sustain the full rate. Within that length it drives dual 4K displays, external GPUs, and PCIe-tunneled devices, and delivers up to 100 watts of power. Longer Thunderbolt 3 cables exist but rely on active silicon and often cap USB data at slower speeds. It remains compatible with USB4 and plain USB-C hosts, which negotiate down to their own maximums. eGPU enclosures, Thunderbolt docks, and dual-4K desk setups are its usual pairings. Passive TB3 cables cost $20 to $40.