OWC’s new USB4 cables deliver 40Gb/s speeds 240-watt power delivery up to 4.5-meters via fiber optics
It’s not uncommon to see 0.5-meter Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) and 3-meter Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) cables supporting up to 40Gb/s of bandwidth for your computer and various peripherals. In fact, you may even commonly come across various cable lengths in between the aforementioned lengths.
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But where things start to get both unique and interesting is when Other World Computing (OWC) announces equivalent performing cables with insanely long lengths of up to 4.5 meters. The brand calls their new cables “the fastest, most powerful, and reliable cost-effective solution for long distance Thunderbolt and USB4 connectivity.” That’s a mighty big claim, and it may be fully warranted.
According to OWC, their new cables are Active Optical Cables and they operate at the same 40Gb/s that any other shorter Thunderbolt 4 or USB4 cable would, but with the additional flexibility of longer lengths not yet seen with this type of performance. Likewise, these ultra-long cables support up to 240 watts of power delivery, making them perfect for powering laptops like Apple’s MacBook Pro.
It seems that the secret behind OWC’s breakthrough is the use of optical fibers rather than traditional topper-based cables. While there’s undoubtedly still some metal in the cable for supporting the 240-watt charging capabilities, the data moves with the speed of light over fiber optic connections, eliminating several speed barriers imposed by copper line.
Much like Apple’s own premium Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) cables, OWC’s new Active Optical Cables feature a braided nylon material that weathers well against wear and tear compared to traditional rubber. What’s more is these cables are immune to electromagnetic and radio frequency interference due to being based on fiber optics. Another benefit to fiber optics is added flexibility, which makes routing your cables easier than ever.
While OWC’s new Active Optical Cables aren’t true Thunderbolt 4 cables, they feature enough bandwidth at 40Gb/s to function perfectly with most docks, external GPUs, storage drives, 8K displays, and much more via the Thunderbolt/USB-C port on Apple’s Mac computers or competing brands’ computers with the same 40Gb/s-capable port.
But as you might come to expect, this incredible technology comes at a cost, one that won’t be tolerable for most everyday consumers. A 3.0-meter (9.8-foot) cable retails for $94.99, while a 4.5-meter (14.76-foot) cable retails for $128.99 from OWC’s MacSales website. By comparison, you can get copper-based 3.0 (9.8-foot) active USB4 cables for under $50 from Amazon – your mileage with these smaller brands may vary.
In any case, technology is moving in the right direction. We wouldn’t be surprised to see even longer, or perhaps faster fiber optic cables in the future, especially considering the flexibility of fiber optics compared to the limitations imposed by copper line.
Is OWC’s new Active Optic Cable something that you would consider for your professional workspace? Let us know why or why not in the comments section down below.
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