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Everything You Need to Know About USB Ports and Speeds (2025)
Gaming Gear

Everything You Need to Know About USB Ports and Speeds (2025)

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Things get extremely complicated when it comes to the many iterations of USB 3.0. Because all the branding has become inconsistent and unhelpful, we recommend ignoring these labels altogether and just searching for the actual speed ratings. The good news is that many USB hub and docking station manufacturers have started to give up on names, labels, and symbols too. These days, you’ll often see the maximum speed next to ports directly to sidestep the names, which is the quickest way to ensure you know what you’re getting.

When it comes to evaluating a USB-A port, just remember that 20 Gbps is the top speed you’ll ever get. Whether it’s called USB 3.2 Gen 2 or USB 3.2 Gen 2×2, it’s all the same speed: 20 Gbps. Meanwhile, 10-Gbps speeds will be labeled USB 3.1 Gen 2 or SuperSpeed Plus, and 5-Gbps speeds will be USB 3.0, USB 3.1 Gen 1, or SuperSpeed.

So, if you’re using older storage devices or accessories, you may want to look up the specific generation of USB if speed matters to you. A device marketed as “USB 3.0” several years ago and a device marketed as “USB 3.2” today could potentially have identical transfer speeds if the manufacturer is less than forthcoming with generation names or transfer speed ratings. You may even run into the 25-year-old USB 2.0 standard on older accessories, which had a maximum data transfer speed of 480 Mbps (megabits per second).

What Is USB Power Delivery (or USB-PD)?

Power Delivery, often written as USB-PD, is a fast-charging technology used to power or charge peripherals over USB, which is something we all use every day to charge our phones and other devices. But these days, USB-PD has greatly expanded its capabilities. Instead of carrying a charger for every single device you own, you might opt for a charging adapter that can juice up multiple devices via several USB-C Power Delivery (USB-C PD) ports. With USB-PD 3.1, as seen in Thunderbolt 5, it can even support up to 240 watts of power. You’ll find these kinds of ports on USB hubs as well, sometimes referred to as “pass-through charging,” though that’s not an official term.

Make sure the wattage of a USB-C port on a charging adapter or hub can handle what your device needs. A MacBook Pro typically needs 96 watts during intense workloads (though you can still charge it at lower wattage), so you’d probably need a 100-watt USB-C port on the charging adapter or USB hub for the best charging experience, which is supported in USB4.

How USB DisplayPort Alternate Mode Works

Similar to power delivery, USB-C has also brought in another important feature: DisplayPort Alternate Mode, often labeled as DP Alt Mode or with a “D” DisplayPort logo. Most commonly, this is used to connect a laptop to a monitor over a single USB-C cable rather than HDMI or DisplayPort. Importantly, DP Alt Mode delivers both audio and video over that single connection.

DP Alt Mode has been around since the introduction of USB-C, but the amount of data that can be sent over this one cable depends on the generation of DisplayPort being employed. USB 3.2, for example, uses DisplayPort 1.4 for its DP Alt Mode, whereas USB4 makes DP Alt Mode a requirement and uses DisplayPort 2.0 for higher resolutions and refresh rates. For example, DisplayPort 2.0 supports three 4K HDR displays at 144 Hz, while DisplayPort 1.4a could only support two 4K HDR displays at 60 Hz.

Thunderbolt vs. USB

Not only are USB standards notoriously confusing, but guaranteeing those speeds and features in actual products is even messier. USB standards are always in ranges; just because you see a USB4 port on something doesn’t guarantee it’ll hit those max speeds. Not by a long shot.

That’s where Thunderbolt comes in. It’s an Intel-owned standard made in collaboration with Apple that uses the same USB-C connector as typical USB devices. It usually appears in higher-end devices featuring Intel chips or MacBooks. Due to some recent licensing changes, even some premium AMD laptops now feature Thunderbolt 4 ports.



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A promotional image showing multiple Corsair Vengeance CUDIMM memory sticks on a desk
Gaming Gear

If you bought Corsair PC memory after 2018 you might be entitled to a share of $5.5 million from a class action over advertised DDR4 and DDR5 speeds

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Corsair has settled a class action lawsuit claiming that the memory specialist overstated the speeds of various DDR4 and DDR5 RAM kits on offer since 2018. Corsair is set to pay out $5.5 million to customers (via Tom’s Hardware).

To boil the dispute right down, Corsair is accused of advertising RAM products according to the speeds attained under XMP or Extended Memory Profiles as opposed to JEDEC defaults.

According to the settlement, you could be entitled to compensation if you bought, “any Corsair DDR-4 (non-SODIMM/laptop) memory product with a rated speed over 2133 megahertz (MHz) or any Corsair DDR-5 (non-SODIMM/laptop) memory product with a rated speed over 4800 megahertz, and made that purchase while living in the United States, and the purchase(s) occurred between January 14, 2018 and July 2, 2025.”


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The initial terms say that proof of purchase isn’t necessary, but without it claimants are limited to compensation for five products. Compensation will be on a pro-rata basis. In other words, there isn’t a fixed compensation amount per claim, instead the $5.5 million sum will be divided among the successful claimants.

It’s worth noting that the settlement does not include an admission of guilt by Corsair, merely it means the company has decided to put an end to litigation with the settlement.

The difference between what the memory kits run at by default and the speeds they can attain under XMP settings are at the heart of the dispute. (Image credit: Future)

“The plaintiffs in the lawsuit allege they were led to believe that the advertised speeds were ‘out of the box’ speeds requiring no adjustments to their PCs,” the settlement website says, “the Court has not decided which side is right.

“Corsair Gaming denies all claims of wrongdoing and denies that it violated any law. The settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing or liability. The parties have agreed to the settlement to avoid the uncertainties, burdens and expenses associated with continuing the case.”

The settlement has been agreed by the protagonists, but has yet to acquire court approval. If the court does approve the deal, Corsair will also be required to adjust the way it advertises RAM.

“The settlement will also require Corsair to take commercially reasonable efforts to implement changes on the packaging, website product pages, and specifications provided to resellers for the covered products. Rated speeds for the products will be listed as ‘up to’ speeds, with the following corresponding text: ‘Requires overclocking/PC BIOS adjustments. Maximum speed and performance depend on system components, including motherboard and CPU.’

Anywho, if you did buy Corsair memory between January 14 2018 and July 2 2025, you have until October 28 to head over to the class action website and register your claim.

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Princeton Researchers
Gaming Gear

Princeton scientists bend wireless signals around walls, hinting at wild terabit data speeds in homes, cars, and crowded cities

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  • High-frequency signals collapse when walls or people block their path
  • Neural networks learned beam bending by simulating countless basketball practice shots
  • Metasurfaces integrated into transmitters shaped signals with extreme precision

For years, researchers have struggled with some vulnerabilities in ultrahigh-frequency communications.

Ultrahigh frequencies are so fragile that signals that promise immense bandwidth can collapse when confronted with even modest obstacles, as walls, bookcases, or simply moving people can bring cutting-edge transmissions to a halt.

However, a new approach from Princeton engineers suggests those barriers may not be permanent roadblocks, although the leap from experiment to real-world deployment still remains uncertain.


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From physics experiments to adaptive transmissions

The idea of bending signals to avoid obstacles is not new. Engineers have long worked with “Airy beams,” which can curve in controlled ways, but applying them to wireless data has been hampered by practical limits.

Haoze Chen, one of the researchers, says most prior work focused on showing the beams could exist, not on making them usable in unpredictable environments.

The problem is, every curve depends on countless variables, leaving no straightforward way to scan or compute the ideal path.

To make the beams useful, researchers borrowed an analogy from sports. Instead of calculating each shot, basketball players learn through repeated practice what works in different contexts.

Chen explained the Princeton team aimed for a similar process, replacing trial-and-error athletes with a neural network designed to adapt its responses.

Rather than physically transmitting beams for every possible obstacle, doctoral student Atsutse Kludze built a simulator that allowed the system to practice virtually.

This approach greatly reduced training time while still grounding the models in the physics of Airy beams.

Once trained, the system was able to adapt extremely quickly, using a specially designed metasurface to shape the transmissions.

Unlike reflectors, which depend on external structures, the metasurface can be integrated directly into the transmitter, which allowed beams to curve around sudden obstructions, maintaining connectivity without requiring clear line-of-sight.

The team demonstrated that the neural network could select the most effective beam path in cluttered and shifting scenarios, something conventional methods cannot achieve.

It also claims this is a step toward harnessing the sub-terahertz band, a part of the spectrum that could support up to ten times more data than today’s systems.

Lead investigator Yasaman Ghasempour argued that addressing obstacles is essential before such bandwidth can be used for demanding applications like immersive virtual reality or fully autonomous transport.

“This work tackles a long-standing problem that has prevented the adoption of such high frequencies in dynamic wireless communications to date,” Ghasempour said.

Still, challenges remain. Translating laboratory demonstrations into commercial devices requires scaling the hardware, refining the training methods, and proving that adaptive beams can handle real-world complexity at speed.

The promise of wireless links approaching terabit-class throughput may be visible, but the path around the obstacles, both physical and technological, is still winding.

Via Techxplore

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EU speeds digital euro plans with Ethereum and Solana
NFT Gaming

EU speeds digital euro plans with Ethereum and Solana

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The European Union is stepping up its plans for a digital euro, now exploring the use of public blockchains such as Ethereum and Solana to expand its reach.

Summary

  • The EU is fast-tracking plans for a digital euro, with officials now considering public blockchains for its launch.
  • U.S. stablecoin regulations and the rising global adoption of digital currencies have raised concerns about the euro’s competitiveness.
  • European banks have reportedly expressed resistance, warning that the digital euro could reduce demand for traditional financial services.

The EU is accelerating efforts to launch a digital euro amid growing concerns over losing ground as global competition rises. According to an Aug. 22 Financial Times report, the push is in response to increased adoption of stablecoins and new regulatory clarity in the United States after the passage of the GENIUS Act.

Officials fear that the U.S. regulation could further strengthen the dollar’s dominance in the $288 billion stablecoin market, which is already largely composed of USD-pegged tokens. This, in turn, could weaken the euro’s global influence and has prompted the EU to speed up its digital currency plans.

The European Central Bank has been exploring the launch of a digital euro for several years, which will be an electronic form of cash usable for financial transactions across the Eurozone. The push is driven by rising global demand for digital payment systems and the declining use of cash.

Central Bank executive board member Piero Cipollone said earlier in May that while cash will remain available, it “cannot do the job” alone in the digital age. He added that a central-bank-backed digital currency would ensure public money remains accessible, complement cash, and ensure that the euro remains relevant in a digital world.

EU eyes Ethereum and Solana for digital euro rollout

As part of efforts to speed up the launch, officials are now weighing the option of using public blockchains. Previous plans had focused on launching the digital euro on a private blockchain, where payments and wallets would remain under the direct supervision of the European Central Bank.

Officials are now considering Ethereum and Solana as potential options, driven by expectations that their use could enable wider circulation and support global adoption.

However, not everyone is on board with the initiative, and European banks have reportedly pushed back against the rollout of a digital euro. Earlier reports indicated that banks view the digital currency as a potential threat to their existing business models, expressing concerns that it could reduce interest in traditional financial services.

For now, the expected rollout timeline of the digital euro remains uncertain. The Central Bank had previously suggested October 2025 as a possible launch date, but recent developments indicate the project may be fast-tracked. The launch is also subject to legislative approval and the implementation of all necessary regulations.



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