What are
/r/Thunderbolt's
favorite Products & Services?
From 3.5 billion Reddit comments
The most popular Products mentioned in /r/Thunderbolt:
![uni USB C to DisplayPort Cable for Home Office (4K@60Hz, 2K@165Hz), Sturdy Aluminum USB Type-C to DisplayPort Cable [Thunderbolt 3 Compatible] for MacBook Pro, MacBook Air/iPad Pro 2020, XPS](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/415O9odva5L._SL500_.jpg)
The most popular Services mentioned in /r/Thunderbolt:
The most popular reviews in /r/Thunderbolt:
I don't think you'll find a proper dock for that price, but search around for USB-C adapters or port expanders instead (if you want to hide the adapter you can also look at a USB-C extension cable, just get a high quality one and power delivery should still work).
Here's a single random one on Amazon (can't vouch for it, do some extra research): https://www.amazon.com/Purgo-Aluminum-Adapter-Charging-Chromebook/dp/B0741356ZC
The market is flooded with them because the new Macbooks only have Type-C ports, but expect to still pay about $60-100 for a good quality device.
Also keep in mind that USB-C port expanders can only support 4k displays at 30fps. If you need to power anything other than a plain 1080p monitor or two, you will need to pay full price for a proper Thunderbolt 3 dock (USB-C doesn't have enough wires to power both USB3 A ports and 4K Displayport. TB3 can drive 4k displays with USB3 but plain USB-C adapters cannot).
no that's exactly how you do it. You got it.
Here on Amazon. Just plug into dock, may need to disable your onboard bluetooth.
Asus Z690 Creator
Gigabyte Aero D
>MacOS has Universal Control now which actually works quite well
I want to have several Macs connected to a single monitor. This seems to do the mouse and keyboard part, but I didn't see anything about it dealing with sharing a monitor.
​
>Back to the TB switch; i guess if it was possible then someone like OWC would have had a (costly) solution but the fact that even they don’t shows that it’s not going to happen.
I think you're right. It still boggles my mind, though, that this can't be done with a simple physical switch that just switches wires. But I do know that wire splices can be funky, due to impedance mismatches causing signal reflections, which is bad.
If this was such a problem, though, I wouldn't think that Thunderbolt couplers might not work well. But Amazon sells them.
Well, if you can't make something that breaks out the wires and have it work, it seems like you could make a box that just mechanically unplugs a cable from one Thunderbolt socket inside the box, moves it over to another Thunderbolt socket inside the box, and plugs it in. What could go wrong? Just a few fancy gears....
Well, there's probably not enough of a market for anyone to develop such a thing, when you can probably just make your own quick switch thing with a few cables bundled together with a twist tie, and then the manual switching of cables would be even easier than otherwise.
Correct, I went back and forth on getting the Aero D with it integrated (and kind of wish I had now but DDR5 was very expensive at the time). I'm using Gigabyte's Maple Ridge controller (link).
You can get one for USD $116, which is much cheaper than any eGPU. It is much messier but could be much cheaper than an actual eGPU, particularly if you already own a PSU. https://www.amazon.com/ORICO-Enclosure-Compatible-Thunderbolt-M234-Golden/dp/B0B13TSJZQ/ref=sr\_1\_2\_sspa?crid=3MVYH19DRS7UA&keywords=thunderbolt+3+nvme+m.2&qid=1666589322&sprefix=thunderbolt+3+nvme+m.2+%2Caps%2C550&sr=8-2-spons&a...
Correct. I do not have the TS4 yet, but I am getting it shortly. I will using a 1.4 DP to connect the controller (which I haven't yet decided which one yet) and the GPU. Then the controller to the TS4, and all accessories or monitors out from the TS4. Specifically the active DP 1.4 to HDMI 2.1 cord to my 4k monitor. Below is the cable I am considering.
​
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09YD4TMKW/ref=ox\_sc\_act\_title\_3?smid=ABUVCTLREO6FF&psc=1
Looks like it was related to bad DP cables. My motherboard has a DP in for direct connection to discrete GPU. I was using this but I guess they're actually terrible
you could do it with a thunderbolt capture card like this. Basically an hdmi to thunderbolt converter
but there are also much cheaper usb-based capture cards
>thank you!
>
>will the Apple adapter work on a windows laptop?
>
>I have this adapter bellow, Will it work on thunderbolt 4 or should I buy the apple one?
>
>https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-Thunderbolt-Adapter-DisplayPort-TBT3TBTADAP/dp/B019FPJDQ2?th=1
>
>
>
>right now its connected to my pc (TB3) but the audio interface has connection problem (i need to power the interface before powering the pc)
Yes it exists. Search for "Thunderbolt 2 adapter"
You won't find a Thunderbolt 2 to 4 adapter because v4 is the same as v3 with some extra handshaking. It is backwards compatible so a Thunderbolt 2 to 3 adapter on a v4 port should work.
You are going to have far better luck using the proper Thunderbolt 4 card matched to your motherboard then converting down from Thunderbolt 4 to Thunderbolt 2 using an adapter. Remember, Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adapters are bidirectional AND reversable. A Thunderbolt 3 host can support a Thunderbolt 1/2 device. But also a Thunderbolt 1/2 Host can support a Thunderbolt 3 device. Either way works. The older card in the newer computer may work, if you already have it just throw it in and give it a shot. Personally I'd just get the TB4 card designed for your motherboard and convert down.
(There are some situations where the male / female configuration doesn't work very well, there are other adapters that have a different setup that might work better.)
Hey there. I ended up taking a risk and it paid off. I got a Yottamaster thunderbolt 3 dock pro. Here
The fan is a little noisy but I can confirm it supports 4K 120hz over thunderbolt 3 using a sufficiently rated DisplayPort cable with DSC. I am also running an external ssd hdd on the additional thunderbolt 3 pass through port, a 4K camera and a mic. All works swimmingly.
You want a hub, not a dock. You will lose bandwidth with docks in general and cost is higher. unless you need the dock, but for high bandwidth use a different port. 1 downstream 3 upstream is the Max. You CAN daisy chain hubs and docks.
Recommend CalDigit Thunderbolt 4 Element Hub
Can you describe your Thunderbolt devices? Do any daisy chain? How much bandwidth do you need at one time? Are you using USB Hubs to maximum effect?
One thing that I believe will work is something similar to that works for mac
CableDeconn USB-C Type-C 8K Updated Switch USB 3.1 C Gen 2 Cable for Video Bi-Direction 8K@30Hz 4K@120Hz Power Delivery 100w 10Gbps Data Transfer Splitter Converter ¡ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B092VHC166/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_8159PB9QQKMS4Q81CRFP
In combination with caldigit TS3
I just purchased one on the 14th of this month for my new MBP 14. I use this as a single cable setup that connects to a USB hub. This hub contains an SSD and outputs to 4k60 to my 32" monitor. Running everything I'm not having any issues with data speed, charging speed, or anything negative whatsoever.
The first thing that I realized when I opened up the package was how heavy this cable was, much more heaver built than my other cables.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09NDPBT8Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
This is what I thought, too, until I noticed that there are a number of docks supporting triple monitor setups (albeit with limited refresh rates): ALOGIC Triple 4K
Though the description is not entirely clear as some of the images lead me to believe it supports 3x 4k displays at 60hz. Just not entirely understanding what imposes the limitations considering the bandwidth (at least from my calculations) should be ample.
Does the motherboard accept it as TB3? Meaning: can you use the drive at speeds above USB 3? I want to buy an external drive (link) but not if read/write stays below 1GB/s. Most positive reviews mention they’re using a Mac to get it to work fast.
I didn’t know about the Share Disk, pretty cool feature.
To the OP I don’t think you can connect two via a hub only one computer can use a hub at one time, there are no new Thunderbolt 4 KVM switches either.
RE hubs, from my research you’ll want a Hub and a dock, I went for a OWC Thunderbolt Hub which has been fine except (and I haven’t tested if it’s just my monitor or my hub) is that it loses resolution after the MBP wakes from sleep on my 34” ultra-wide, and I have to unplug the Thunderbolt cable to readjust the correct resolution.
https://www.owcdigital.com/products/thunderbolt-hub
The other dock I bought, was a Belkin Thunderbolt 3, which has an Intel Ethernet chip (people have been having problems with Thunderbolt 4 and non Intel Ethernet) and if you want to run anything from the other other Thunderbolt 3 out (it has two) say a NVME Thunderbolt enclosure, it will run at its full (almost) bandwidth. Thunderbolt 4 is crippled to 800mb/s due to how it handles PCIe lanes)
Belkin Thunderbolt 3 Express Dock... https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B077G265BY?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Hey thanks for the reply
Am using this dock with the provided cable - it don’t actually say if it’s a 40gbps cable but I guess this is something I can try? https://www.razer.com/gaming-pc-accessories/razer-thunderbolt-4-dock
The cable I am using is uni USB C to DisplayPort Cable 1.8m(4K@60Hz, 2K@165Hz) Thunderbolt 3/4 to Display Port Cable, Aluminum 144Hz DP Cable Compatible with MacBook Pro/Air, M1, iPad Pro/mini 6, XPS, Surface Book 2 and more https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B075V27G2R/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_HR0VNZ7NBA29F78GRW37?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 - one connected to each display.
Cables work fine at 4k 60hz if just one is plugged in it’s only when it’s them both in one drops down to 30hz.
I will try grab a TB to HDMI cable to see if that helps atall.
Thanks Marc
If your manual says you have Thunderbolt, you have Thunderbolt. It looks like you have it from the BIOS.
Linux kernel has come a long way but still is in no state to handle eGPU properly. If you unplug it will still likely cause problems, even though there have been patches applied to improve surprise removal of DRM devices. You will have all sorts of lag issues when using an iGPU for laptop display and an eGPU for an external display because of issues with the userland software. The only way to get it to work properly is hardcode Xorg to use the eGPU only and blacklist the i915 driver and never unplug the eGPU. You will have to use an AMD card because the nouveau driver for Nvidia is practically useless.
https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/admin-guide/thunderbolt.html
Follow the guide there to force power to the Thunderbolt controller and check that there is something under /sys/bus/thunderbolt/devices like 0-0
There is no Linux flash tool, you use the kernel driver /sys/bus/thunderbolt/devices/.... as detailed here:
https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/admin-guide/thunderbolt.html
Will have to get the firmware when I have a minute.
Wait, are we talking GC-TITAN RIDGE Rev.1 or Rev.2? I have Rev.1.
I would actually recommend an optical HDMI cable instead. They are not exactly inexpensive (~100 EUR) but are still cheaper than TB3 optical cables from corning (~500 EUR). That also avoids the DP <-> HDMI converter issues.
Or just use Repeaters like this one: https://www.amazon.de/Cable-Matters-Kabelverlängerung-Signalverstärker-Videoauflösung/dp/B0876HF1XB?th=1
For USB since you probably will have only input devices a long USB 2.0 extension will suffice.
Have you looked at/tried this? Im considering purchasing but would like to know if others have had luck.
I have been looking at this switch, though the reviews seem pretty hit or miss.
Here is my setup for the new MBP M1 pro/ MBP M1 Max to share two gaming monitors (165hz) with a window gaming PC that installed an RTX 3060 Ti on it.
MBP M1 => via a single Thunderbolt 4 cable connected to OWC HUB/doc (OWCTB4HUB5P) => provide dual DisplayPort video outputs and USB output to => Dual DP 1.4 KVM switch.
Gaming PC with RTX3060 TI=> directly DP-to-DP cable x2 and USB A-B cable => to the DP 1.4 KVM switch.
shared keyboard/mouse: Logitech MX Keys, Logitech MX Master 3 mouse with single Unifying Receiver connected to the shared USB DDM port on the KVM switch.
KVM switch: UDP2-12AP for 2 systems. UDP2-14AP for 4 systems
This setup had been tested and used for 3 weeks. And no issues had been found yet.
** Special Note: since there is no DP connections on the OWC hub/dock, for each DP video output to DisplayPort KVM switch you need a CAC-1557 (type-C-to-DP, active converting cable).
We had tested more than 20 different type-C-to-DP cables in the market and found CAC-1557 is the best to work with KVM switch applications.
VisionTek VT4900 KVM USB-C Docking Station - Dual Host 100W Charging, Triple 4K Display, 4X USB, 1x USB-C, Ethernet and Audio, for Windows, Mac and Chrome OS (901406) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TLPZMXC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_240B64ZDXRAVFEC58V6W
Then you don’t need Thunderbolt, stick to any old KVM.
Cable Matters USB 3.0 KVM Switch DisplayPort 1.4 for 2 Computers with 8K@60Hz / 4K@120Hz Display Port Video & 3X 5Gbps USB Ports https://www.amazon.com/dp/B098TVP9ZL/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_RNJ4ZKCF5JADZ4CDFCJ1
yeah cable switching would work, both machines are close.
I found this, does it have any chance to work?
Its a Razer Blade Stealth 3. Now that I am looking at the listing, it is only thunderbolt 3 enabled. So you can disregard the thunderbolt 4 suggestion. Thanks for your help!
Razer Blade Stealth 13 Ultrabook Gaming Laptop: Intel Quad Core i7-1065G7, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q, 13.3" 4K Touch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, CNC Aluminum, Chroma RGB, Thunderbolt 3, Creator Ready https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086MHR7D9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_JDE9MAXTTDTNQHJ89Q6E
For reference, would this accomplish my needs?
USB C Docking Station Dual Monitor, 12 in 1 USB-C Triple Display Docking Station to Dual 4K HDMI+DP Port+2 USB3.0+2 USB 2.0+SD/TF+PD+Ethernet+3.5mm Audio for Dell/Surface/HP/Lenovo Laptop https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08SJTGYJK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_0Y3F27D5MRQPDE6XXM3J?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Hi
First of all, if you're looking to connect a USB switch, make sure that the switch has external power (it is not bus-powered) otherwise you running the risk some/all of your peripherals may not be powered up (usually the switches have their own power supply).
What you're looking for is a powered type of TB3 dock. The only one I know from a reliable brand that has two video ports is the Caldigit TS3+, which has a DP and an HDMI port. Many of the docks have an extra USB-C port that can be used as well for video transfer additionally to the DP port that comes as standard, better to check their specs. Reliable brands include but are not limited to OWC, Elgato, Anker, Startech and Plugable.
Now if you're not desperate for the passthrough charging you may use a cheaper alternative that is a bus-powered TB3 hub like the Caldigit Mini TB3 dock, or the OWC TB3 mini dock, where you get two display ports and 1 USB-A 3.0 port for about £100. no passthrough and no detachable cable (they need a short cable because of the TB3 limitation in cable length), but are dirt cheap for aTB3 devices.
Also, I found this that you may find interested, but the brand is unknown to me:
Would this work? You should have a hub or dock though to plug in the usb-c male plug. I am looking into this myself right now since I need something similar.
https://www.amazon.nl/NFHK-Type-C-Bi-Direction-Switch-Support/dp/B096K19RKW/ref=asc\_df\_B096K19RKW/?tag=nlshogostdde-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=494704167742&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16194384153254607848&hvpone=&hvptwo=&h...
Using 90 degree USB C adapter will cap the dock speed to USB 3.0. Unless the adaptor is specifies that it is designed for Thunderbolt 3, it won't serve your purpose.
You'll need something like this
https://www.amazon.com/Poyiccot-2-Pack-Degree-Adapter-Extension/dp/B071XHQJG8#customerReviews
another question:Can I consider the Razer Core X Chroma to be a hybrid between TB3 docking station and eGPU-enclosure?I think if I buy that, and connect my 2 4xusb-hubs to the USB 3.1 ports and use the other 2, this should mean, I get away with having to only buy one extra thing, instead of two.
https://www.amazon.com/Razer-Chroma-Aluminum-External-Enclosure/dp/B07Q78VMPW?th=1
It can't daisychain it with other docks and it's not TB4.But it can charge my laptop.Seems to tick all the boxes, doesn't it?
Hey u/karatekid430, thanks for the response!
​
- This is the weirdly labeled storage device
- I have tested and confirmed the the storage device is indeed working as an Thunderbolt device on both an MacBook Pro as well as an Intel thunderbolt certified Lenovo machine.
- I have also tested the storage device to so see if it would work on a normal USB3.1 USB-C connection, it would not (expected), so it's safe to say it's thunderbolt only.
- The SSD installed is an Corsair Force Series MP510 960GB (PCIe Gen3 x4, M.2 NVMe, CSSD-F960GBMP510B)
The reason I assumed some resistance around getting Thunderbolt rolling on these AMD motherboards is due to the almost comical level of missing information for the subject. There are literally zero reference to thunderbolt support / drivers / software for this motherboards other then the actual headers being listed on the website. But I totally agree, it should work!
Il dump you some lspci output later on today! Again, thanks for the reply :)
I think I found the problem. I assume you have the ASUS Thunderbolt 3 EX, and NOT the Thunderbolt EX 3-TR.
Asus only put ONE MiniDisplayport Input and they only show one display. I don't think it's capable of simply applying MST to effect the second display.
Here is where it gets more complicated. You cannot use the Titan Ridge chip with the Apple Thunderbolt Display. It's literally the ONLY device that Intel has stated will 100% not work. The reason has to do with security and DMA attacks.
So what you need is a Thunderbolt card with 2 things:
A. 2 x Displayport Inputs
B. Alpine Ridge Chip
This would be the original Gigabyte Thunderbolt 3 Alpine Ridge
I also assume you are using an Apple Thunderbolt 2 to Thunderbolt 3 converter.
HERE it is on Amazon $60 (no you don't need a gigabyte motherboard, I have an Asus motherboard and I have both Alpine and Titan Ridge cards, only the Alpine works with my Apple Thunderbolt Displays)
Finally, I haven't tested if both Apple TB displays will work daisy chained, but I'll try later today.
Thanks for your reply!
I own an elgato mini dock, just like this one https://www.amazon.com/Elgato-Thunderbolt-Mini-Dock-built/dp/B07GS9XM54
It specifically states dual 4k Support on the Amazon page, and on the elgato website, and There is also a YouTube video showing that it's possible (with a macbook though, not windows, if that matters), but I couldn't get mine to work no matter what I did.
I think the Apple TB2-to-TB3 adapter only carries one Display Port channel over it.
If their Mac has two TB2 ports, you might able to connect one 1 monitor to 1 TB2 port and the 2nd to one of the Display Ports on the Wavlink connected via the adapter.
Otherwise, you might try a old OWC Thunderbolt 2 Dock, which might allow you to connect one monitor out the downstream TB3/mini-Display Port, and the other out the HDMI. I think the HDMI is limited to 4K30Hz, and I'm not totally sure if you can do dual monitors with just a Display Port monitor or if you need a Thunderbolt monitor. The Amazon page says only with a Thunderbolt monitor, but I think back in the day I had it working with a Dell Display Port monitor and HDMI out to a TV. It's been a while.
It'd probably be easier to just get them a updated TB3 Mac for an early Christmas present.
>If you have a Thunderbolt 3 to DP1.4 powered dock then you no longer need the USB-C to DP1.4 adapter.
Thanks a lot for your advice! Since I posted this I found the schematic for my laptop and the bad news is that only a DP 1.4 signal is routed through the Thunderbolt connector. That means the CX8 OLED TV I was looking at might not be the best fit. However, when I used a cheap USB C to HDMI adapter on a QHD monitor with HDMI it displayed a signal so perhaps I can do HDMI over Thunderbolt. Regardless the laptop says it is limited to HDMI 2.0b on the HDMI connector, but the mobile rtx2070 specs indicate it can do HDMI 2.1. I have no way to verify I can do HDMI2.1 through the Thunderbolt 3 connector without a lot of expensive purchases. The cables you linked might just do the trick. However, I found out the TV has a glossy screen and that is a deal killer for me.
I am now back figuring out which DP 1.4 monitor would work best for me. I am really stuck deciding whether a 144hz screen is really necessary for me. Do you happen to know if a passive cable like https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08B3XNZGS is capable of 3840x1600@144hz or would I need an active cable like your first link? It seems all the 43" monitors don't have HDMI 2.1 so that would somewhat limit my options.
Does a table exist somewhere that shows you what resolutions and frequencies you can get from DP1.4 over Thunderbolt? Does it match DP1.4 exactly? This stuff is amazingly hard to search which is why I am asking experts in the thunderbolt forum.
I did find this thunderbolt dock. Has a good amount going on for not too much, but I suppose I'll just get a simple USB hub to expand when I need it. I really thought thered be a straight single thunder2 to usb, oh well lol
Hi, seems Gigabyte GC-Titan Ridge 2.0 Carte PCIe Titan Ridge Thunderbolt 3 has this 3 pins rtd3 (?)
https://www.amazon.fr/Gigabyte-GC-Titan-Ridge-2-0-Thunderbolt/dp/B08BC11XW8
The fisrt comment is talking about that.
I would not buy a device that expensive that has a cable permanently attached for a lot of reasons.
LinkUP makes one with just the port on it, and this would be so much easier to connect it to TB2 by using a 3to2 adapter on the device and then a TB2 cable (this is how I connect older MacBooks to TB3 docks).
I'm sure there are other 10G solutions, but the LinkUP is the same dimensions as the Sonnet and OWC (probably because they're all the same Chinese manufacturer inside).
I've done way more research than I would have liked only to find out that there is a single solution and it costs $450. https://www.amazon.com/Thunderbolt-Sharing-US7220-AT-G-connection-peripherals/dp/B06XXDWGX6/ref=sr_1_8?dchild=1&keywords=aten+thunderbolt&qid=1594962554&sr=8-8
THIS is a Thunderbolt 3 Enclosure, it will NOT work on USBC ports, it WILL work on Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 2 ports (With your converter).
There are many Thunderbolt 3 enabled motherboards. Not only that, but you may have a motherboard in your shop that is "Thunderbolt Ready" Look for a "THB_C" Connector, at the bottom of the motherboard or above or below the first PCI-e x16 slot (Sometimes on the right side, but rare). Then you could buy a TB2 or TB3 AIC (Add in Card).
Thunderbolt 2 to Thunderbolt 3 Adapters are bidirection AND reversable. You can plug TB3 Devices into TB2 Computers as well as Connecting TB2 Devices into TB3 computers.
I recommend against an AIC though, reports are they are unstable.
If you want the absolute CHEAPEST possible Thunderbolt 3 Motherboard. It's an odd duck. You won't be able to put in a GPU AND 40Gbe, but you will be able to get a single 32Gbps input (TB3 says it's 40Gb, but that is including 8Gb of Displayport throughput that is inaccessible to the PCIe bus, only PCIe 3.0 x4 at 32Gb is accessible)
ASRock FATAL1TY Z270 GAMING-ITX/AC
That mobo supports Skylake and Kabylake. Anyways, GL.
Oh and Tonymacx86.com if u want to hackintosh with the TB3, if it helps.
This sub is pretty dead, and this thread is a month old, but I wanted to share a quick Cable Matters experience. About 3 months ago I bought their "multiport adapter" (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M0K0DL2/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1). It worked great for a few months and then died a couple weeks ago (maybe not died, but it lost a lot of functionality including HDMI, Ethernet, etc). I sent one email through their website and they quickly stood by the warranty and sent a new one that works well so far.
I am using all ports on this adapter to my laptop and it works great. I did have to add an Anker 60W power port plus to get usb-c PD, but for less than $100 total I got just about all the functionality of the TB3. Only difference is two total USB 3 ports (haven't needed or tried to put a usb hub to extend that) and 25W less power. But, its all available via Prime and is half the price.
Alright, thank you.
I found this dock and like the look of it, it also should provide everything I need:
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01N5XVT35/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I2RCW0HWI43BGV&colid=2A9JK4BFHTZBV
USBC Device ----> TB3 Host - OK
TB3 Device ----> USBC Host - Not OK
Think of TB3 as an addon (it is in fact whats called a "superset" of USBC) You can tell a TB3 Port by the Thunderbolt symbol next to the port.
Now, you may still be able to add Thunderbolt 3 to that computer of your buddies. Via a Thunderbolt 3 Add in Card. IF you have a THB_C Connector on the motherboard, usually below the last PCIe slot, or above/below the first PCIe slot.
Tell us your buddies motherboard model and we can tell you right away if you can add a TB2 or TB3 card into the computer. Remember you MUST have a THB_C Connector.
I don't understand why you wouldn't just do a Thunderbolt 2 to USB A Female, then plug a USB A to USB C Cable into the port. Done. Whats wrong with that setup.
You might be thinking you could use this but you can not. Because Thunderbolt 2 does NOT carry USB.
Thunderbolt 3 is a SUPERSET of USBC with USB 3.1. Meaning that it's a USB port, that can SWITCH to Thunderbolt 3. If you convert Thunderbolt 2, to Thunderbolt 3 (which happens to be a USBC port) that USBC port will NOT carry USB. It will simply be a USBC version of Thunderbolt 2.
But here you go, they DO WORK BOTH WAYS. But it won't work for USB devices. ONLY Thunderbolt devices.
Finally, if you have a MacBook Pro with an Expresscard 34 slot, you could get a FLUSH USB 3.0 card and add a port that way.
Even after all this, you may still find that you won't get 15W out of the port. Many USB ports on laptops limit them selves to 500mA. Or they won't go higher without being plugged in, things like that.
Thunderbolt to USB 3.0 $75, then USB Type A Male to USBC Cable
Very Expensive though. Why not just buy a USB Hub? https://www.amazon.com/Thunderbolt-Super-Adapter-Dongle-Macbook/dp/B015F6ODUQ/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1470418262&sr=8-16&keywords=thunderbolt+to+usb
Akitio Neutrino Thunder 2 Quad Mini, see http://www.amazon.com/Akitio-Thunder2-Quad-Mini/dp/B00VJ4IWVU/ref=pd_sim_147_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=41ttFNN37JL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=0W18S9BHC38EPQXZT5Q6
Current system: Asus G750JM-DS71 with a Thunderbolt 2 controller (Falcon Ridge).
Storage: 4 Intel 750 Series 2.5" 1.2TB PCI-Express 3.0 x4 MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) SSDPE2MW012T4X1 in enclosure.
Parity type used: Mirror on one storage space (~2 TB), parity on the other storage space (~2.2TB).