1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,600 Continuing its march to take over the tech world, USB-C is getting an upgrade to handle up to 240 watts, 2 00:00:07,600 --> 00:00:10,880 which is enough to power most of the gadgets you use every day. 3 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:15,040 It's an awesome feature, but it's also a little confusing. 4 00:00:15,040 --> 00:00:19,440 So let's break down how exactly this works, what devices will use it, 5 00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:24,560 and how to know if your electronics are compatible. The main reason that the USB implementers forum 6 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:28,960 wanted to bump the max power delivery from 100 watts to 240 watts 7 00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:34,000 is to get closer to a world of near universal charging for consumer electronics. 8 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:37,600 100 watts is more than nearly any phone would need, 9 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:41,360 but as USB-C charging grew as more popular on laptops, 10 00:00:41,360 --> 00:00:46,560 that 100 watt limit rules it out for higher powered machines such as gaming laptops 11 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:52,960 and mobile workstations that designers and engineers use. USB-C can even be used to power laptop docks and monitors, 12 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:57,520 but that 100 watts again simply isn't enough for larger displays either. 13 00:00:57,520 --> 00:01:02,400 That means the upgrade to 240 watts will be good news for a huge number of everyday people, 14 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:06,000 not just folks who have ever had a laptop charger break or go missing, 15 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:09,440 but also those who have had a hard time getting a new one in a pinch 16 00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:12,960 because of the huge number of incompatible charging tips out there. 17 00:01:12,960 --> 00:01:17,840 I mean, there are so-called universal chargers with over a dozen interchangeable tips included, 18 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:21,120 and even those won't fit in every laptop. 19 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:27,840 Ask me how I know that. But what do you need to take advantage of this new standard? 20 00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:31,840 Well, this is where it gets a little tricky. 21 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:36,080 You can't just send 240 watts of power down any old USB-C cable. 22 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:39,280 Part of the reason for this is that the new USB power delivery specification 23 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:45,040 that allows for such high wattages works by bumping up the maximum voltage to 48 volts, 24 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:51,840 while keeping the 5 amps of current the same. And if you remember from high school physics that volts times amps equals watts, 25 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:57,040 48 times 5 is 240. So back to talking about power. 26 00:01:57,040 --> 00:02:02,800 When you use higher and higher voltages, you increase the risk of electrical arcing that can damage equipment. 27 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:06,720 Now, this isn't a big deal when connecting a cable or a wireless plugged in, 28 00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:11,840 but when you go to unplug it, that's when arcing can cause a serious hazard. 29 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:17,600 This means that 240 watt USB-C cables have to be engineered differently. 30 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:21,440 So that cord you got three years ago isn't going to work. 31 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:26,080 The good news is that older USB-C cables are being deprecated or phased out, 32 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:31,440 but this is obviously going to take some time, so what should you look for? 33 00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:34,480 Well, the USB implementers forum was nice enough to come out with 34 00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:38,080 official logos for cables that can support 240 watts of power, 35 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:45,280 which should make your search a little easier. But be wary that you'll need to pay attention to determine the data transfer speeds. 36 00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:49,440 Of course, the chargers themselves also need to support the new standard, 37 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:56,480 and there's an official logo for that too. Keep in mind these logos are probably going to be on the packaging and not on the cables themselves, 38 00:02:56,480 --> 00:03:01,840 so don't go rooting around the pile of bare cables or loose chargers in a bargain bin 39 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:07,680 and expect whatever you pull out to work. But if you don't see those logos anywhere, remember that the USB implementers forum 40 00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:12,800 is officially referring to these cables and chargers as extended power range, or EPR. 41 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:17,440 So if you see these letters on a cable or a charger that you're looking at, 42 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:22,400 you're probably good to go. And of course, the ports on the device you're actually trying to power 43 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:31,520 need to support the new spec too. So look out for USB power delivery 3.1, which is part of the USB Type-C 2.1 spec, 44 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:39,520 just to make it all nice and confusing. The spec is very new, so don't expect to see tons of compatible cables, chargers, 45 00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:46,640 and laptops on the market just yet. And there will be some devices that even this new USB revision won't be powerful enough to charge, 46 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:52,320 such as those really beefy tank-like gaming laptops that have multiple chargers. 47 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:57,680 They're not going to work with a single cable. But as the USB-C standard becomes more and more capable, 48 00:03:57,680 --> 00:04:01,440 the hope is that in the near future, basically any contemporary corridor 49 00:04:01,440 --> 00:04:03,920 charger will power whatever portable gadget you have. 50 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:08,720 And full-power USB-C wall sockets might even become a common thing as a result. 51 00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:12,400 Until then, though, make your own labels. 52 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:16,240 Thanks for watching. Like, dislike, check out some of our other videos, 53 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:18,880 maybe something on USB Type-C or charging, or maybe... 54 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:27,840 Oh, what's the gallium nitride? That's cool. And don't forget to comment below with video suggestions and subscribe and follow.