CableMatters Thunderbolt 5 cable
Hacker ApprovedUSB-C cable in Computers
Recommended as a high quality Thunderbolt 5 cable that delivers 80 Gbps with no extra equipment. Its main caveat is that active Thunderbolt cables lack true galvanic isolation.
Recommended as a high quality Thunderbolt 5 cable that delivers 80 Gbps with no extra equipment. Its main caveat is that active Thunderbolt cables lack true galvanic isolation.
16 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 14
- criticize it
- 2
- approval share
- 88%
Recommended in 6 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it carries the badge
- 14 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- 7 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 6 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
All-purpose cable for every USB standard
“this is the do everything cable”
Comment from 29 Mar 2026 in “Technology: The (nearly) perfect USB cable tester does exist” “every USB standard is compatible and then some”
Comment from 26 Apr 2026 in “USB Cheat Sheet” “you'll be buying a cable that makes no compromises”
Comment from 7 Aug 2026 in “I stopped trusting USB-C cable labels and started testing them” Fast links without extra equipment
“With nothing other than an admittedly pricey cable, you get 10, 20, or 40gbps links depending on the endpoints.”
Comment from 26 Jun 2026 in “Framework's 10G Ethernet module exposes USB-C's complexity” “It gets 80 Gbps and doesn't need any extra equipment.”
Comment from 31 Jul 2026 in “Getting 25 Gbps Thunderbolt Ethernet on My Mac Studio” Trusted brand, high quality build
“consider TB5 cables from CalDigit, StarTech, CableMatters, or Apple.”
Comment from 6 Aug 2026 in “I stopped trusting USB-C cable labels and started testing them” “a nice, high quality thunderbolt cable from a reputable manufacturer”
Comment from 29 Mar 2026 in “Technology: The (nearly) perfect USB cable tester does exist”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Lacks electrical isolation
“Active thunderbolt cable still often have copper for some low speed signals, they don't offer true galvanic isolation”
Comment from 16 Apr 2026 in “PCI Express over Fiber [video]” “You didnt need the corning one, though, that's an electrically isolated cable”
Comment from 26 Jun 2026 in “My Steam Machine Is a 50ft HDMI Cable”
What people recommend instead
The same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CableMatters Thunderbolt 5 cableThis page | 14 | 2 | 88% | 6 | — | Approved |
| Apple USB-C cable | 5 | 1 | 83% | 3 | — | — |
What people said
15 of the 18 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“we mostly use Apple TB5 for fixed work stations where cables don't get lost”
“Or with Anker we use this”
“Those are admittedly somewhat thicker, but not stiff.”
“you'll be buying a cable that makes no compromises”
“consider TB5 cables from CalDigit, StarTech, CableMatters, or Apple.”
“It gets 80 Gbps and doesn't need any extra equipment.”
“each one only carries one video signal”
“You didnt need the corning one, though, that's an electrically isolated cable”
“With nothing other than an admittedly pricey cable, you get 10, 20, or 40gbps links depending on the endpoints.”
“every USB standard is compatible and then some”
“Active thunderbolt cable still often have copper for some low speed signals, they don't offer true galvanic isolation”
“those Apple Thunderbolt cables are crazy expensive”
“this is the do everything cable”
“a nice, high quality thunderbolt cable from a reputable manufacturer”
“Apple cerifies/recieves licensencing fee for every thunderbolt cable.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.