Source: Windows Central If you're shopping around for a new laptop or some wired accessories, you've probably encountered a whole bunch of different names for what seems to be the same thing. With Thunderbolt 4 slowly replacing Thunderbolt 3 and USB4 coming into style as the next big USB specification, the terms are crowding together into a bit of a tangled mess. We break down how all these different technologies and specifications compare to each other so you get what you need. Thunderbolt 4 is taking over for Thunderbolt 3 Thunderbolt is sort of its own thing, a technology developed by Intel with help from Apple. It's more of a brand name than a specification, and Intel has been pushing it forward with Ultrabooks ever since 2011. Thunderbolt 3 uses the USB-C form factor and includes just about everything you need in a single cable, including USB 3.1, DisplayPort 1.2, and PCIe. That's why it can be used to connect monitors, accessories, external storage, and a whole lot of other devices.