Pen drives: What's the difference between blue, black, and red port pen drives? You'll be surprised to learn the secret..
Have you ever noticed the color of your pen drive's port? If not, you should definitely take a look. This is because the color of the port can reveal many important details about the pen drive. The color of a pen drive's USB port indicates the speed at which it can transfer data and the power it provides. Let's understand in detail what each color of a pen drive's USB port means.
What do the different USB port colors mean?
You can primarily see seven different colors on your pen drive or laptop's USB port. These colors can help you determine the speed you're receiving.
White USB port: If your pen drive or laptop/PC's USB port is white, it's the oldest USB 1.x port. You can get a maximum speed of up to 12 Mbps.
Black USB port: Drives with this color are USB 2.0 ports. These offer speeds of up to 480mbps. These types of drives are very common these days.
Yellow USB ports: You'll find USB ports of this color on laptops or PCs. These ports are always on. This means that even if your computer is off, if a device is connected to this port, it will start charging.
Orange ports: These ports are also always on and support USB 3.0.
Blue USB ports: If you have a pen drive with a blue USB port, or if your PC or laptop has a USB port of this color, it's a sign of a super-speed port. These ports support USB 3.0 and can provide speeds of up to 5Gbps.
Teal ports: Ports of this color support USB 3.1 and can transfer data at up to 10Gbps.
Red Ports: USB ports of this color are the most advanced and fastest ports. They support the USB 3.2 or 3.1 Gen 2 standard. These ports can provide speeds up to 20Gbps and are also equipped with an Always On feature.
Type C and Thunderbolt Ports Are Different
Modern laptops, especially advanced laptops, often feature Type-C ports instead of USB ports. While they look similar, their capabilities vary. The most common port is USB-C (2.0). This provides data transfer speeds of up to 480 Mbps. Type C ports with USB-C 3.x can provide high-speed data transfers of 10 to 20 Gbps. Next come Thunderbolt ports, which have a lightning bolt icon. These ports can provide speeds of up to 40 Gbps and are the most advanced. These Thunderbolt ports are used in MacBooks. Their specialty is that they can easily work even with older devices.
Using the right port is essential.
Whenever you purchase a pen drive or a device like a laptop, be sure to pay attention to the USB ports and their colors. This will not only help you estimate their speed but also help you know which USB port will provide better performance during use. For example, if you use a high-speed pen drive or port to transfer a large file, your task will be completed quickly and without any hassle.
Disclaimer: This content has been sourced and edited from NDTV India. While we have made modifications for clarity and presentation, the original content belongs to its respective authors and website. We do not claim ownership of the content.

