I’m done buying low-end USB-C cables. If I don’t see 10Gbps data rates on the box, I am not buying it.
It is so troublesome trying to distinguish between the low-data-rate USB-C cables designed mainly for low-power charging, and the ones I can use with my SSD drives and for 100W charging. I open my drawer and I see all these USB-C cables and they are not designed the same.
Those cheapo charging ones are usually USB 2.0 (480 Mbps) for data. Then there are those that can do 5Gbps, like Apple's 2-metre USB-C charging cable for their MacBooks. You won't use that one for data but it is still faster than USB 2.0 USB-C cables.
If you want the speed, the cable has to be 1m and below, and must say "SuperSpeed+" (10 Gbit/s maximum) or "USB 3.1 Gen 2" or "USB 3.2 Gen 2". Sometimes you see a Superspeed logo "SS" on it, and a "10".
I got this Flujo Elite X X34 USB C Cable recently. It does data transfer at 10Gbps, supports HDMI 2.0b 4K at 60Hz, and charging up to 100W (which is what your 16-inch MacBook Pro draws).
And no, this is not a sponsored post. I just happened to see that cable that met my requirements and bought it. I like Flujo products, by the way. Solid local brand. I am playing with their Signature Pro hub at the moment too. I have also used their CH55 USB-C 7 in 1 Multi-Function Adapter.
As you can see in the photo above and below, I have my share of SSD drives. I have a 1TB SSD NVME drive inside an OWC Envoy Pro EX USB-C enclosure. That is the silver one in the photo above. Wicked fast at 980MB/s transfer.
Then I have the 2TB G-DRIVE mobile SSD R-Series drive (photo above and below) that does 540MB/s over USB-C. Not bad.
And my latest one is the SanDisk Extreme PRO portable SSD (photo below, right) that also gives me 2TB over USB-C at a solid 1050MB/s. Fast enough to edit video directly from. They both come with their own short USB-C cables which support 10Gbps. But when you need something longer, you have to buy your own. So that is why I started buying better USB-C cables.
At least know which of your cables are for charging only and which ones are for high-speed data transfer, is what I am saying. This Verge piece explains the confusion better than I can.
How I wish Thunderbolt 3 SSD drives were cheaper. Then I get to play with 2,800MB/s speeds. Which is almost as fast as my 16-inch MBP's internal SSD. Woosh!
