USB data · 2013
USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps)
Double the speed and much better coding. The sweet spot for portable SSDs.
- data: 10 Gbps
- video: No (only via USB-C Alt Mode)
- power: 4.5 W (port)
Spec card
- Signalling rate
- 10 Gbit/s, full duplex
- Line coding
- 128b/132b (97% efficient)
- Real-world file copy
- about 900–1,050 MB/s
- Max passive length
- 1 m for USB-C to USB-C
- Connectors
- USB-A, USB-C (rarely Micro-B)
Also sold as USB 3.1 Gen 2USB 3.1USB 3.2 Gen 2x1SuperSpeed USB 10GbpsSuperSpeed+USB 10Gbps
The cable you need
A USB-C cable marked 10Gbps (or 20Gbps, 40Gbps, Thunderbolt). For USB-A to USB-C, one sold as USB 3.2 Gen 2 or 10Gbps.
Watch out for
- Plain "USB 3.1" on a box can mean 5 Gbps or 10 Gbps.
- A 2 m passive USB-C cable will usually negotiate down to 5 Gbps.
Gen 2 doubles the signalling rate and swaps 8b/10b for 128b/132b coding, so far less of the link goes to overhead. That is why it more than doubles real throughput: about 1,000 MB/s, which matches what a typical portable NVMe SSD quotes.
It first shipped as "USB 3.1" in 2013, which was confusing because USB 3.1 also renamed the old 5 Gbps speed to "Gen 1". If a product says only "USB 3.1", check whether it means Gen 1 (5) or Gen 2 (10).
The faster signal does not travel as far. USB-C passive cables for this speed are specified to 1 m. Longer 10 Gbps cables need active electronics.