CableBin
  1. Connecting
  2. Need
  3. Answer

Cable for a hard drive or USB stick

Get this

The drive's own cable, or any USB 3 (5Gbps) cable

Look for

  • Blue USB-A port or any USB-C port

Avoid

  • USB 2.0 cables: copies drop to about 40 MB/s

← Back · Start again

Speed in practice

LinkSignallingTypical real copy speed
USB 2.00.48 Gbps35–40 MB/s
USB 5Gbps5 Gbps400–450 MB/s
USB 10Gbps10 Gbps900–1,050 MB/s
USB 20Gbps20 Gbps1,800–2,000 MB/s
USB4 / Thunderbolt 40Gbps40 Gbps2,800–3,800 MB/s

Typical figures for good drives, as commonly measured; slower drives won't reach them.

Standards behind this answer

2008

USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)

The original USB 3.0, renamed twice. Ten times USB 2.0, enough for hard drives and most flash drives.

  • data: 5 Gbps
  • video: No (only via USB-C Alt Mode)
  • power: 4.5 W (port)