Thunderbolt 1 vs Thunderbolt 2 cables - is there a way to tell?

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Thunderbolt 1 vs Thunderbolt 2 cables - is there a way to tell?

OK guys, I'm pulling my hair out. I bought some used Thunderbolt cables. The seller says they're Thunderbolt 2, but I'm skeptical. Is there a way, visually, or by testing, or some other method, to determine whether a cable is TB1 or TB2? I've read all kinds of conflicting and useless info. I've read TB1 and TB2 cables are the same; I've read that the TB2 cables use a lot less power. I've even read that TB2 cables have a 2 printed on their connectors, which from what I can tell is totally not true. My 2013 Mac Pro has TB2 ports as do my audio interfaces (which of course don't come with cables.) I want to be sure I'm using TB2 cables if there really IS a difference.

Can someone enlighten me, if there's a way to tell between the two cables?

Thanks and have a great weekend everyone.

Mac Pro, macOS 12.7

Posted on Oct 25, 2024 4:51 PM

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Answer 1

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Tesserax

Level 10

160,490 points

Oct 25, 2024 5:24 PM in response to Xenolab

Since both TB1 & TB2 cables look very similar, they are near impossible to tell apart visually.

The only sure method would be to test them for bandwidth. TB1 tops out at 10 Gbps; whereas, TB2 would get you to 20 Gbps.

A simple bandwidth test would go as follows:

Connect a Thunderbolt 2-compatible device, like a fast external SSD or a video capture device, to your 2013 Mac Pro.
Transfer large files or run a speed test. If you see speeds above 10Gbps, you’re likely have a TB2 cable.

Other possible indicators are:

Cable length - Shorter cables (around 0.5 meters or less) were typically marketed for TB 1 and could often carry the bandwidth for TB2 as well ... so, not a surefire method for verification. Longer cables may be active, which is more commonly found with TB2 cables.
Cable markings - Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that a cable is properly marked or mis-marked, to be of any value in determining the cable type.

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