Cables and Connectors

You can connect LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt USB-C to your computer using Thunderbolt or USB. Review the connection types below.

Thunderbolt

LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt USB-C features an integrated Thunderbolt cable that connects directly to your computer. Thunderbolt technology supports two 10Gb/s bi-directional channels from a single port. At 10Gb/s, a full-length HD movie can be transferred in less than 30 seconds.

Thunderbolt cable

For ease of access, the Thunderbolt cable is integrated on LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt USB-C. Remove the interface cover and gently unwind the Thunderolt cable before attaching it to your computer.

Holding, dangling, or transporting Rugged Thunderbolt USB-C by its integrated cable is strongly discouraged. Doing so can invalidate the product warranty.

Connector face	Cable end

Thunderbolt and Windows

Windows users must connect the product via USB and install drivers before using the Thunderbolt cable. See Getting Connected for details.

USB-C

USB-C protocols

USB is a serial input/output technology for connecting peripheral devices to a computer. USB-C is the latest implementation of this standard and it provides higher bandwidth and new power management features.

USB-C supports many protocols:

Thunderbolt 3: transfer rates up to 40Gb/s
USB 3.1 Gen 2: transfer rates up to 10Gb/s
USB 3.1 Gen 1: transfer rates up to 5Gb/s
SuperSpeed USB 3.0: transfer rates up to 5Gb/s
Hi-Speed USB 2.0: transfer rates up to 480Mb/s

The USB-C port on LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt USB-C is USB 3.1 Gen 2 for models shipped with SSDs. Models with hard drives are USB 3.1 Gen 1.

USB-C cables

Your LaCie hard drive is shipped with two cables for universal compatibility with all modern computers:

USB 3.1 Gen 2 (USB-C)
USB 3.1 Gen 2 (USB-C)–to–USB 3.0/2.0 (Type A)

For optimal transfer rates via USB, connect LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt USB-C to a USB 3.1 Gen 2 port on your computer. LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt USB-C also supports connections to computers with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports.

USB 3.1 (USB-C) cable

Use the USB-C cable to ensure maximum data transfer rates with compatible ports. Connecting your product is easy since the USB-C cable is identical on both ends. Further, the USB-C ports on your LaCie hard drive and computer are conveniently rounded to accept the cable end no matter how it is connected.

Connector face	Cable end

USB 3.1 (USB-C)–to–USB 3.0/2.0 (Type A) cable

Use the USB 3.1 (USB-C)–to–USB 3.0/2.0 (Type A) cable for compatibility with computers that do not have a USB-C port. The USB-C end is connected to the LaCie hard drive and the Type A end is connected to the computer’s USB 3.0 or USB 2.0 Type A port.

Hard drive performance is limited to USB 3.0 transfer rates when connected to a USB 3.0 port and USB 2.0 transfer rates when connected to a USB 2.0 port

Connector face (USB Type A to computer)	Cable end (USB Type A to computer)	Cable end (USB-C to product)	Connector face (USB-C to product)