Are USB Type-C and USB 3.1 the same?

Category : Specification / Capacity / Performance
In a way, USB Type-C and USB 3.1 are different. Although USB Type-C is a standard part of the USB 3.1, the norm of USB Type-C is used for defining the connector interface,
while USB 3.1 is a transmission standard. As far as consumers are concerned, USB Type-C is the “shape” of the connector, which allows for different transmission standards, like USB 3.1 and Thunderbolt3, to be embedded in it.

When a USB Type-C connector that uses a Thunderbolt 3 standard is connected to an external disk that supports Thunderbolt 3, the transmission speed can reach up to 40GB/s.
Thunderbolt 3 is backward-compatible to USB 3.1 so that a USB 3.1 external disk can connect to a USB Type-C connector interface. But the speed will decrease to 10GB/s (the theoretical speed of USB 3.1).
On the contrary, an external disk that uses Thunderbolt 3 cannot work when connected to a USB Type-C connector with a USB 3.1 transmission standard, because the specification is not supported. 
Is the answer helpful?

Technical Support

If the answer can't help you, you can contact the Tech Support Department

Get Started

You have already accepted cookies, but you may still revoke your consent at any time. Please see more details at Cookie Statement. Change Settings

You have already rejected cookies, but you may still give your consent at any time. Please see more details at Cookie Statement. Change Settings