New laptops feature full-functioned Type-C ports for charging and more.
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If your laptop has a full-functioned Type-C port, that means you can use that single port to transfer data, audio, video, and power.
Most full-functioned Type-C ports will have a unique lightning bolt symbol next to them.
You’ll also need a USB-C Thunderbolt 3 cable or better to use all the features of a full-functioned Type C port.
No matter what brand of laptop you have, chances are that it has a USB-C port. USB-C cables can do nearly anything you’d ever need a cable for, and most new products find some way to use them.
But not all USB-C cables or ports are created equal. If you want to get the most out of your devices, you’ll need a full-functioned Type-C port.
Full-functioned Type-C ports can transfer power, audio, video, and data at the same time
In the past, if you wanted to charge your laptop, connect it to another monitor, and use a USB flash drive, you’d need three different cables, and at least three different ports to plug them into.
USB-C cables solve the first issue. A single newer USB-C cable can transfer power to charge your laptop, audio and video to connect it with another display, and data for a USB flash drive.
But when it comes to the ports, things get trickier. Not all USB-C ports can handle all that. Some can only charge, or only transfer data, and so on.
That’s why you need a full-functioned (sometimes called full-featured) Type-C port. These ports can handle power, audio, video, and data — and they can transmit them all at the same time.
If your laptop only has USB-C ports, chances are that they’re full-functioned.
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These days, most mid-range and high-end laptops should have at least one full-functioned port. There’s a good chance that every Type-C port they have is full-functioned.
Still, before you buy a new laptop, you should double-check what each port can do.
The benefits of a full-functioned Type-C port
The biggest benefit to full-functioned Type-C ports is that they let you do more with less ports on a single computer. Less ports means thinner and lighter devices, both valuable qualities for a laptop.
It also means less confusion. You don’t have to worry about having the right cable for the right situation, and you don’t have to spend time looking for the exact right port to plug it into.
And of course, being able to transmit everything at once saves time too.
How to tell if your laptop has full-functioned Type-C ports
Your laptop’s manual will probably say what you can use its USB-C ports for. But if it doesn’t, there are a few easy ways to tell whether you have a full-functioned port.
Firstly, if you’re using a Windows laptop, check to see if your USB-C port has a lightning bolt symbol next to it. If it does, it supports at least Thunderbolt 3 cables, meaning that it is full-functioned. If all you see is a “D” symbol or a battery symbol, it’s probably not full-functioned.
The Thunderbolt logo signifies that it’s full-functioned.
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If you’re using a Windows laptop and it doesn’t have any sort of symbol next to the USB-C ports, chances are that they’re not full-functioned either. The only way to tell is to try and connect the laptop to a USB-C monitor, or check the manual.
There aren’t nearly as many different types of Mac laptops, so it’s easier to tell whether a MacBook has a full-functioned Type-C port.
Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner of your Mac’s screen, then click About This Mac. A small window will pop up telling you what kind of Mac you have, and it might even tell you what kind of ports it has.
Thunderbolt 3 ports are full-functioned.
Apple; William Antonelli/Insider
Otherwise, check this chart to tell whether your MacBook has a full-functioned Type-C port:
MacBook Model
Does it have a full-functioned Type-C port?
MacBook Pro (2022 – 2016)
Yes
MacBook Pro (2015 and earlier)
No
MacBook Air (2022 – 2018)
Yes
MacBook Air (2017 and earlier)
No
All other MacBooks
No
You’ll still need the right USB-C cable
USB-C cables have been around for almost a decade now, and they’ve improved a lot in that time. But if you’re still using the same USB-C cable you’ve had since 2014, you’ll probably want to upgrade.
Older or cheaper USB-C cables can’t transfer enough power to charge a laptop, even if it’s on power-saving mode. If you try to plug a weak USB-C cable into your laptop to charge it, you’ll probably get an error message telling you that the wattage isn’t right.
Dell laptops have a specific error message for weak charging cables.
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And if you’re trying to connect your laptop directly to a projector or another monitor, for instance, you need a USB-C Thunderbolt 3 cable or better. Otherwise, you’ll have to use a separate cable to convert between USB-C and HDMI or VGA.
The two best kinds of USB-C cables on sale today are Thunderbolt 4 and USB4. If you’re buying new USB-C cables to fit your laptop, try to get a cable that matches those specifications.