Bring lightning-fast data transfer speeds and high-speed connection to your workspace.
Even though I despise cable clutter, I have resigned myself to understanding that cables are a necessity when it comes to a proper work station set-up. With that in mind, you may as well get the best cables possible. Unfortunately, there are lots of options out there and it can be difficult to figure out which cable is going to be the best for your set-up. Accell, a technology company that focuses on providing the most reliable and easy-to-use products for connectivity to its customers, recently launched a Thunderbolt 3 Cable that shows a lot of promise.
DETAILS
The Accell Thunderbolt 3 Cable is an Intel Certified cable that is capable of 40Gbps data transfer bandwidth. It provides 100W bi-directional charging power to connected devices and is compatible with USB 3.1 Gen 1 and 2. The cable can provide a signal connection to one single 5K or dual 4K UHD video at 60Hz. This cable is 2.6 feet in length (0.8 meters) and comes in black.
| Up to 40Gbps data transfer speed, 4 times fater than USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10Gbps) |
| Supports single 5K or dual 4K UHD @ 60Hz video |
| Supports up to 5A/100W charging (5V-20V, 100W max) |
| Compatible with USB-C and previous USB generations such as USB 2.0, USB 3.0, and USB 3.1 Gen 1/2 |
| E-marker ensures compatibility |
| Length: 2.6 ft / 0.8 m |
USER EXPERIENCE
The Accell Thunderbolt 3 Cable arrived in a simple zipper-style baggie with an information label stuck to the front. The label has the basic information about the cable printed on it in four languages including English, Spanish, French, and German. One of the things I found most helpful about the label was the inclusion of an illustration of what the connectors look like. I could see some people finding that useful so that they are 100% aware of what type of cable they are getting.
The cable is nice and thick, but it’s also flexible I was able to wrap it around the base of a monitor with no problem. The connectors fit my MacBook Pro Thunderbolt ports as well as the ports on my Kensington Thunderbolt Dock (SD5300T). The first test I ran with it was simply a connection test. I wanted to see if it was going to properly transfer data between my laptop and the aforementioned dock, which has two monitors, a keyboard, and a mouse attached to it. Everything worked as it should and connection speed was very fast. My laptop was also able to get charged since the Thunderbolt 3 cable was transferring power, too.
The next test I did was a Blackmagic Disk Speed Test so that I could test the data transfer speed of the cable. I pulled out an external hard drive that connects via Thunderbolt 3 (the G-Drive Mobile Pro SSD) and connected it to my MacBook Pro using the Accell cable. I felt that I would be able to successfully test the data transfer speed in this manner because I had already tested the hard drive speed in a previous review. In addition to that comparison, I could also compare the test results against the specs of the cable. In the previous test I completed, the hard drive only registered a speed of 1102.4 MB/s Write and 2324.0 MB/s Read. With the Accell cable, the hard drive was able to surpass those speeds and ended up with a test result of 2075.2 MB/s Write and 2421.5 MB/s Read.
CONCLUSION
The Accell Thunderbolt 3 Cable seems to be a solid accessory for any Thunderbolt-compatible devices. The only complaint I have is its price. At the time of publishing the review, the cable is on sale for $39.99 (regular price on accellww.com is $41.99). There are other Thunderbolt 3 cables that have similar specs but are far less expensive than the Accell version. Aside from the price, the cable performs very well.
For more information, visit accellww.com and Facebook.
