Fif-12 Usb Adapter Cable
USB Type-C is slowly but surely becoming the standard connector for both charging and data on laptops, phones and tablets. While not every device has this powerful port yet, a number of prominent notebooks, including the Apple MacBook Pro, Dell XPS 13 and HP Spectre Folio, employ it. So we compiled a list of the best USB Type-C accessories and cables as well as a short guide to help you through the madness. If you're looking to buy a bunch of these at once, Amazon Prime Day is when to do it.
With Type-C on board, you can copy files at USB 3.1 speeds, deliver enough power to charge a laptop or use Alt Mode to send other types of data using DisplayPort or Thunderbolt 3 connections. Speaking of DisplayPorts, The VESA recently published its DisplayPort 2 standard, which supports 16K video. Additionally, Microsoft recently changed the default setting on USB drives to 'quick removal,' so speeds will be slower. Check out our quick guide on how to make your drives operate faster on the latest Windows 10 update.
All Thunderbolt 3 ports use the Type-C connector and are compatible with both the faster Thunderbolt 3 standard and regular Type-C devices. Because Thunderbolt 3 has four times the bandwidth (40 Gbps) of standard USB Type-C 3.1, you can connect to external GPUs which let you play games on your thin and light notebook. Some docks and hard drives also take advantage of the faster speeds.
Looking forward, you can expect USB 3.2 to come soon, which is another version of USB Type-C. It doubles regular USB Type-C speeds at 20 Gbps, but is half of Thunderbolt 3 speeds. USB 4 is coming as well, and its throughput will have a speed of 40 Gbps. The best part, though, is that when you upgrade to a laptop that supports it, it will work on all of your existing cables, so no need to wait on buying them. And if you need some help setting up your laptop out of the box, we have a couple tips that'll ease your way forward.
Vertex Standard FIF-12 pigtail adapter cable. This interface cable is compatible with the following Vertex Standard two way radios: VX-4000, VX-5500, VX-6000. Computer cables are essential for powering and utilizing your PC or laptop, connecting external devices and peripherals to enhance the experience. If your camera or camcorder doesn't have removable memory, USB and micro USB cables can get your media transferred from hardware to software devices.
MORE: USB Type-C FAQ: Everything You Need to Know
Below you’ll find a list of the best USB Type-C accessories and cables that will help you continue to use your older USB-A peripherals, charge your devices, provide extra ports and take advantage of USB Type-C’s ability to output 4K video. It’s everything you’ll need to make the most out of the new connector, especially as it ends up on a growing list of devices.
WGGE USB-C to USB-C Cable
WGGE produces this tangle-free, nylon braided, 10-foot USB-C to USB-C cable for only $10.99. You can use it to charge USB-C devices as well as connect external hard drives and docking stations. And if you don’t want the joy of a really long, inexpensive wire, you can get the 6.6-foot version for an even cheaper $8.99. WGGE also includes a two-year warranty with it.
Plugable USB-C Triple Display Dock
The Plugable USB-C Triple Display Dock (UD-ULTCD) is the best pick for early adopters who need a dock. It works with the newest standards, like USB Type-C for charging and external displays and supports 4K monitors. We didn’t like that it’s locked into vertical orientation, but you can’t argue for great performance and support for three displays at the same time.
Asus ROG Strix XG17 Portable Gaming Monitor
If you're gaming on the road, and don't exactly have the best display on your current gaming laptop, you shouldn't force yourself to deal with it. Instead, spring for the Asus ROG Strix XG17, which is the first portable gaming monitor that sports a 240Hz refresh rate. It has a 17.3-inch IPS panel with a 1080p resolution and a 3-millisecond response time. The monitor also has an internal battery, so you can game freely for at least two hours before you have to reconnect to an outlet. It also has two USB-C ports and a mini HDMI input.
There's no word on pricing and availability as of yet, but we're excited to get our hands on it.
AverMedia’s Live Gamer Bolt (GC555)
If you're a streamer or content creator focused around gaming, you should know about AverMedia’s Live Gamer Bolt (GC555), which is the first 4K, 240FPS external game capture card. You can capture 4K HDR at 60 frames per second, 1440p at 144fps and 1080p at 240fps. The capture box has ports for HDMI, USB 3.1 and Thunderbolt 3.
There's no word on availability as of yet, but its estimated launch price is $499.
Aukey USB-C to USB 3.0 Adapter
If you don’t want to buy a whole bunch of new cables, you can grab a tiny adapter. Aukey’s USB-C to USB 3.0 adapter is small and will work with any of your legacy peripherals. It also doesn’t hurt that you get a two-pack for just $10, so you can just multiple USB Type-A accessories with your new computer at once.
Samsung Portable SSD T5
The Samsung Portable SSD T5 takes the spot of its predecessor, the T3, on this list, with even faster speeds and a better design. It comes with both a USB Type-C cable and a USB-C to USB 3.0 cable, so you can use it with any laptop and many newer Android phones. It has blazing fast transfer speeds of up to 540MBps, and backed up my computer extremely quickly. I love the new blue color for the 250GB ($127.99) and 500GB models ($196) , while the 1TB ($397.99) and 2TB ($797.99) options come in black. The thing is tiny -- smaller than a credit card -- and includes a three-year warranty.
SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive
If you're transferring data between USB Type-A and USB Type-C devices, SanDisk's two-sided Ultra Dual flash drive is the perfect storage solution. Starting at 16GB, this flash drive uses a slider to switch between a USB 3.0 Type-A connector on one side and a USB Type-C connector on the other, so you will see blazing speeds on both ends of the transfer. You can also get it in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB sizes.
Computer has worked fine for the last year until 2 weeks ago and now can't connect to the internet.Running Windows Vista on broadband and connected directly to modem by ethernet. This will have Windows try to automatically repair your connectionOpen 'Network and Sharing Center' (you can search for this from the Vista start menu)Under tasks, click 'Diagnose and repair'If that fails you can try. A few things you can try. Iphone 6 activation server cannot be reached.
Apple USB-C Power Adapter
No doubt your USB Type-C device came with a charger. But extras never hurt, and the 30W Apple USB Type-C Power Adapter is a compact and sleek-looking choice. Just remember that you need to bring your own USB Type-C to USB Type-C charging cable.
Dell USB Type-C to HDMI/Ethernet/VGA/USB 3.0 Adapter
This USB Type-C adapter from Dell can do the work of several adapters by allowing you to plug into displays, attach older USB accessories and connect to wired Internet with one compact adapter that’s easy to take with you anywhere. It’s the Swiss Army Knife of USB Type-C attachments.
Anker PowerCore+ 20100 USB Type-C Power Bank
Laptops, tablets and smartphones keep getting thinner, and most don’t have replaceable batteries. Certain USB Type-C ports, like the ones on the 12-inch MacBook and Google’s Pixel C, support charging, so Anker has introduced a high-capacity external battery that will keep your battery full on the go. This battery also features two USB-A ports to feed hungry tablets, headphones and other rechargeable gadgets.
Kingston Nucleum 7-in-1 Connetion
Apple’s 12-inch MacBook has one measly USB Type-C port, but Kingston's hub can make it much more useful. It boasts two USB Type-A 3.1 ports, two Type-C ports (including one for power, an HDMI output for up to 4K resolution, an SD card slot and a microSD card slot. That's enough to transfer data, power monitors and use both new and old USB accessories.
AmazonBasics USB-C to USB-A Cable (White)
This 3-foot, $9.99 cable will come in handy wherever you go, especially in situations where you have a USB-C device and are surrounded by USB-A charging stations. And whether you need to transfer files to an older computer via a connected smartphone or hard drive, Amazon has got your back with that 10 Gbps data transfer speed. We updated this with the white cable because the black one was out of stock.
Scosche PowerVolt 3.0 USB-C / USB-A Fast Charger for Cars
With a blazing Power Deliver 3.0 system, Scosche's USB Type-C (18W) and Type-A (12W) car charger will keep up to two devices fully charged for a journey across the country, all for $24.99. It's up to 3 times faster than typical 5W chargers, and it also includes an LED power indicator as well as safety measures to prevent your device from overcharging.
Zulpunur USB C to Headphone Jack Adapter
There are plenty of laptops and tablets, like the Google Pixel Slate and the 12.9-inch Apple iPad Pro, that have forsaken the precious headphone jack. So instead of letting this bleak new future blindside you, come prepared with Zulpunur's USB C to Headphone Jack Adapter. The adapter supports music control as well as calling control, and it also comes with two in the pack, so you have a replacement wire on the spot.
CHOETECH USB-C (Female) to Micro USB (Male) Adapter
You may be running on the USB-C high life, but your controllers aren't (most of them anyway). If you need to plug-and-play or simply charge, why bother getting another cable when you can use your existing USB-C cable with a handy adapter from CHOETECH, which is only $7.99 for a pair of USB-C (female) to Micro USB (male) adapters.
Anker USB C to Lightning Cable
Anker's USB C to Lightning Cable is a necessary accessory if you're an iPhone or iPad user, as you can seamlessly connect your Apple device your MacBook or iPad Pro to charge and sync your data. The cable is 3 feet long and also has Apple's MFI certification, so you'll have no problems connecting with this cable.
USB Type-C is clearly the future, but getting to the future isn’t always painless, and USB-C has a lot of problems. Here are a few things every new USB-C user needs to know.
RELATED:USB Type-C Explained: What is USB-C and Why You’ll Want it
Most new Android phones use USB-C, Apple’s laptops use this port exclusively, and it’s increasingly common to see at least one such port on new PCs. But not every USB-C port is the same, and not every USB-C cable you can buy works the same way.
If you have a USB-C port for the first time, here are a few things to look out for.
The Wrong Cable Could Fry Your Devices
This is the most pressing thing new USB-C users need to learn about. In previous generations of USB, a cable was pretty much a cable. Sure, if you plugged a USB 1 cable into a USB 2 port, it might not work—or at least, work well—but that was the extent of it. People mostly didn’t need to think about which cables to buy.
That’s not the case with USB-C, and ignoring this could cost you dearly.
The problem is specific to cables with the older USB-A connector on one end and the new USB-C connector on another. (USB-A, if you didn’t know, is the traditional USB plug we’ve all been using for years.) But, USB-C devices (and cables) support faster charging than USB-A. So, for example, if you plug a USB-A device (like a cell phone) into a USB-C port using one of these cables, the phone may draw too much power, frying your phone, USB-C port, or even computer.
Now, to be fair, properly-made cables can have resistors inline to prevent this from happening. The trouble is, it can be really hard figuring out which cables are good and which are not, unless you’re buying from a reliable vendor that provides good technical specifications.
My colleague Chris outlined how to buy a USB-C cable that won’t damage your devices, so I won’t re-hash that too much here. But it’s important to keep in mind that not all USB-C cables are created equally, and it’s up to you as a consumer to make sure what you’re buying is compatible with your device. Assuming a cable is fine because it fits is not good enough anymore—check out resources like USBcCompliant.com to ensure your cable won’t cause any problems.
RELATED:Watch Out: How to Buy a USB Type-C Cable That Won’t Damage Your Devices
Not All USB-C Ports Are The Same
With USB-A, things were relatively simple: basically anything you could plug in would work. That’s not quite how USB-C is: adapters and cables may or may not work, depending on what features your device offers. And most of the cables on the market support USB 2.0 rather than USB 3.0 or 3.1.
Editor’s Note: we can’t overstate that last bit enough—most of the USB-C cables on the market are USB 2.0 rather than 3.1 because they are only designed for charging. If you need to use them for anything else, like connecting devices or transferring data, they will either not work, or will be extremely slow. Make sure you’re buying the right cable. We recommend Amazon Basics cables.
The complexity here is introduced by alternative modes, which use the USB-C form factor to offer additional features. Thunderbolt 3, for example, is a collaboration between Intel and Apple that offers transfer speeds of 40 gbps—four times faster than the USB 3.1 standard—and support for two 4K displays connected to a single port. But only devices built to be compatible with Thunderbolt 3 can get those speeds, and even then only if you have a Thunderbolt 3 compatible cable.
Are you confused yet?
There are a few other alternative modes: HDMI and MHL, for example, both allow certain kinds of displays to be connected. There’s also DisplayPort, which is bundled with ThunderBolt 3 but also offered independently on some devices. Your laptop has DisplayPort if there’s a D-Shaped icon next to your USB-C port, but it also might have it and not have that icon.
If you plan on connecting external displays to your laptop, you need to know which alternate mode your device supports and buy a display, or an adapter, that supports that mode.
There’s a lot of stuff a USB-C port might offer in addition to USB itself, and figuring out which devices and adapters work is entirely up to you. You could argue that this is a good thing, because it makes the USB-C port flexible. For most users, however, this is just confusing: cables and devices that fit into the plug may or may not work. And figuring out what things will work means spending some time plugging terms like “MHL” and “Thunderbolt 3” into Google.
That’s my idea of a good time, but possibly not yours.
Dongle Hell Is Real
Switching to a device with only USB-C ports is a bit of a hassle. I know, because I’m a MacBook Pro user.
Here’s the problem. Most people have collected USB cables over the years for things like phones, hard drives, e-readers, printers, and so on. Switching to USB-C means those cables no longer plug directly into your laptop.
You’ve got two options. The first is to replace all of your cables with USB-C ones. This is tidy, but means potentially replacing a large number of cables. The second option is to purchase a couple of simple adapters, like these, and just use your old cables. This means keeping track of a couple of dongles, but it gets the job done quickly.
Vertex Standard Fif 12 Drivers
But that’s just USB. There are more potential dongles for things like Ethernet and displays. And outlined above, not every USB-C port supports the same display protocols, so you’ve got to purchase one that works with your device. It means that purchasing a compatible dongle can be a pain, and buying into all of these things can get expensive quickly. And if you carry your laptop around and connect it to different types of displays or projectors? More dongles.
But there is a bright spot in the USB-C world: USB-C docking stations. These things are great if you sometimes connect your laptop to multiple devices to use like a desktop—displays, mouse, keyboard, and so on. That one USB-C port can offer all sorts of connectivity, meaning that you can dock your laptop by plugging in one cable. My colleague Micheal outlined a few of the best ones over at ReviewGeek, and I recommend you check that out if you want to use one port on your laptop for basically everything at your desk.
Your Best Bet is AmazonBasics Cables
We’ve scared you enough at this point that you are probably going to be concerned about plugging in random USB-C cables into your devices, and that’s a good thing. But we shouldn’t leave you without a solution, and we won’t.
Your best bet for almost any cable, including USB-C cables, is to buy AmazonBasics cables—they aren’t just really affordable, but they are consistent, and most important, the listings on Amazon are clearly labeled with the speed. You can see in the screenshot above that the cable itself is labeled “SS” for SuperSpeed, and the listing clearly says what connectors are on each end, and says “3.1” for USB 3.1 speeds.
The listings for cables for most random manufacturers will usually bury the information and use meaningless buzzwords, and you never know what quality you’re going to get. So based on our experience, we recommend Amazon Basics.
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