Moshi, as usual, have one of the best cables - they have a 1m USB-C to USB-C monitor cable - supporting 4k/60hz - and supporting power delivery up to 100W - available at MacGear - ~$79. If you want this cable to charge your laptop, it should support the wattage your monitor delivers over this connection.(video over USB-C is also known as 'USB-C Alternate Mode') Ideally, it should explicitly mention video support up to the resolution and speed you need.
Things you should look for in your USB-C to USB-C cable purchase: However not every monitor comes with every cable. If your monitor comes with a USB-C cable, then this is the obvious choice of cable to use, and should 'just work'. To get this working, though, you need to be very careful with cable selection. for the calibration side of things, or to enable downstream USB/ SD card ports on the monitor, audio (if your monitor has speakers, or an audio output) - AND even power. This power delivery is typically not as much as your laptop's actual charger, but it will still charge your machine usually - just more slowly than the original charger.Īs a hook-up, USB-C to USB-C can be ideal - you can have just one cable carrying the video signal, data (e.g.
CONNECT MACBOOK TO MONITOR USB C FULL
If that is the case for you, you will most likely 'want' to pay a small fortune for Apple's official Thunderbolt 3 cable for monitors as this is the best tested option offering the full potential of Thunderbolt 3 (i.e. Important - 'Thunderbolt Monitors' are NOT the same thing.ĭo note though, a few monitors are actually 'Thunderbolt USB-C' monitors. They are fine for other purposes but if at all possible attach your monitor directly to your computer and not a dock. One thing worth noting is that 'docks' are notoriously problematic for higher end video connections and routinely interfere with calibration.
Some support 3A/60W, others support up to the maximum spec. On the other hand, you might want a cable that DOES support charging in addition to video. These look identical, but are really much simpler cables, are usually the cheaper options, and are not suitable for video connections. You definitely don't want a 'charging cable' that only supports USB-2 speeds (480 Mbps), and power charging.
The other aspect to consider is the charging side of the cable. What you are specifically looking for, then, is a video capable USB-C cable that supports up to the video throughput you need (usually these mention 10 Gbps speeds and video, AKA 'alt-mode' support). When using USB-C to attach most monitors, you are in fact using DisplayPort-protocol-over-USB-C - that is, the connection is functionally and electrically equivalent to a more traditional DisplayPort connection, but the physical connector is USB-C.