USB 3.1 Type C to HDMI Cables – Thunderbolt 3

Thunderbolt is the brand name of a hardware interface developed by Intel (in collaboration with Apple) that allows the connection of external peripherals to a computer. Thunderbolt 1 and 2 use the same connector as Mini DisplayPort (MDP), whereas Thunderbolt 3 re-uses the USB-C connector from USB.

There is a great deal of confusion about the difference between Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C. No doubt this at least partially is because the ports look identical apart from the “traditional” three prong USB logo on USB-C cables and the “Lightning Bolt” logo on Thunderbolt 3 cables.
The simplest explanation is that USB-C refers to the shape of the port and Thunderbolt 3 refers to the connectivity standard. Thunderbolt 3 combines Thunderbolt, USB, DisplayPort and power via a single USB-C connector.
So, a Thunderbolt 3 device is connected to a “Touch Bar” MacBook Pro using the Thunderbolt 3 standard via a USB-C shaped port. Hardware commonly referred to as “USB-C devices” also will work with a Thunderbolt 3 port, but they will not be able to take advantage of the maximum speed provided by Thunderbolt 3 devices.