USB Gen 1, Gen 2, and Gen 2×2 are generations of USB 3.x that have speeds of 5 Gbps, 10 Gbps, and 20 Gbps, respectively. These generations have been renamed over the years, but they now simply bear the speed: USB 5 Gbps, USB 10 Gbps, and USB 20 Gbps.
In the past, USB came in two main flavors, 2.0 and 3.0. All you needed to know was that 3.0 was faster than 2.0. However, with the introduction of USB 3.1, the naming scheme became more complex. USB 3.0 was retroactively renamed “USB 3.1 Gen 1” and the new standard was called “USB 3.1 Gen 2”.
USB 3.1 Gen 1, originally known as USB 3.0, is capable of 5 Gbps transfer speeds, while USB 3.1 Gen 2 is capable of 10 Gbps transfer speeds. The difference between the two was slightly confusing, but as long as you remembered Gen 2 was better than Gen 1, you were good to go.
The introduction of USB 3.2 added another layer of complexity to the naming scheme. Despite the confusing decimals and generation numbers, it’s easy to determine what speeds you can expect from your USB ports, cables, and devices. You just need to know the lingo.
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