- Connecting
- Need
- Answer
Charging cable for a laptop up to 100 W
Get this
A 5 A USB-C cable, sold as "100W" or "240W", or any Thunderbolt 3/4 or USB4 cable
Look for
- "100W" or "5A" on the cable or box
Avoid
- "60W" cables: the laptop charges at 60 W
The power arithmetic
| Volts × amps | Watts | Cable needed |
|---|---|---|
| 20 V × 3 A | 60 W | Any USB-C to USB-C cable |
| 20 V × 5 A | 100 W | 5 A e-marked cable |
Standards behind this answer
2012
USB Power Delivery (60 W, 100 W, 240 W)
The charger and device agree a voltage; the cable decides whether 3 A or 5 A is safe.
- power: 60 W / 100 W / 240 W
Thunderbolt 4
The same 40 Gbps as Thunderbolt 3, with the minimums raised so every port behaves the same.
- data: 40 Gbps (PCIe 32 Gbps)
- video: two 4K 60 Hz or one 8K
- power: up to 100 W (USB PD)