Apple Thunderbolt 5 Pro 1 metre cables

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Level 1

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Apple Thunderbolt 5 Pro 1 metre cables

Is there a difference between Apple Thunderbolt 5 Pro 1 metre cables with with packaging labelled as MC9C4FE/A, Assembled in Thailand, Model A3189 and those with packaging labelled as MDW94FE/A, Assembled in Thailand, Model A3189.

Both cables look identical and have the number "5" etched onto the end connectors.

The packaging sizes are slightly different although the packaging is of the usual Apple high standard.

After finding the two different numbers on the packaging for what is supposedly the same cable, I decided to do an online search and ended up even more confused.

The first search asking for the tech specs of both cables identified the MC9C4FE/A cable as a Thunderbolt 5 cable but identified the MDW94FE/A cables as Thunderbolt 4 cable.

Further searches using the packaging numbers seperately identified both cables as being Thunderbolt 5 cables.

Since these cables are expensive, can anyone confirm that both of these cables are Thunderbolt 5 cables as if the cables with the packaging labelled MDW94FE/A really are Thunderbolt 4 cables, I will be returning them for a refund.

MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 15.6

Posted on Aug 29, 2025 7:27 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Tesserax

Level 10

159,370 points

Aug 31, 2025 10:32 AM in response to Sesta9

AFAIK (no one here can confirm this 100%) both of those cables (MC9C4FE/A and MDW94FE/A) are Thunderbolt 5 Pro 1m cables, despite the inconsistent labeling you’ve come across online.

The “MC9C4FE/A” and “MDW94FE/A” codes are simply different retail part numbers/region SKUs for the same product. They both map back to Model A3189, which is Apple’s internal hardware model identifier. That’s the key thing to check — if the cable itself is stamped with “A3189” and has the etched Thunderbolt “5” logo on the connector, it should be a genuine Thunderbolt 5 Pro cable ... especially if you purchase it either directly from Apple or an Apple Authorized Reseller.

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Answer 2

Sesta9 Author

Level 1

4 points

Sep 2, 2025 5:38 AM in response to Tesserax

Thanks for your input Tesserax.

All four cables have the number “5” etched onto one side of the metal shroud of each cables end connectors with “Apple A3189 Thailand” etched in very, very small letters on the other side.

I think that the different codes relate to a change in the packaging.

The first two cables came in a slightly smaller but deeper box, (90x90x30mm), then the second two cables, (97x97x20mm).

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Apple Thunderbolt 5 Pro 1 metre cables

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