Many people complain that PD quick charger isn’t fast at all, even slower than the previous charger, they think there must be something wrong with the charger. In fact, it is most likely that he did not use the right cable, lead to the charger does not have fast charging output, but only the regular 5V 1A.

We usually say 100W, 60W and other charging cables, mainly react to the current, that is, the wire supports 5A, 3A charging current. To get a high power charging, we need to use the right cables. 

To introduce the fast charging wire, mainly distinguish by current.

1. Cable’s Type

USB-C charging cable is the most common fast charging interface in the market today, and there are three main types of USB-C cables: USB-C to USB-C, USB-A to USB-C, and USB-C to Lightning.

1) 3A charging cable

The 3A cable is one of the most widely used cables, the appearance, terminals are not clearly marked, and has two specifications A to C, C to C.

The maximum transmission current value is 3A, they are designed and manufactured according to the power specification like contact gold plating, core thickness and cost control, support USB PD3.0 maximum voltage of 20V.

There is basically no difference between the cable cores for these two wire types, but the C to C wire is a little more expensive. Many chargers below 60W have different styles of USB ports due to USB port specifications not the same, but they usually pack 3A wire as standard.

2) 5A charging cable

5A cable is usually marked with the word “5A” clealy on the outer packaging and at the end of the terminal net for easy identification.  According to the USB PD3.0 maximum voltage of 20V specification, the maximum fast charging power it can withstand is 100W.

Based on the “USB Power Delivery” document which issued by the USB-IF Association, the 5A cable must have a 5A E-Marker chip built-in. In order to break through the 3A current transmission limit for the entire fast charging system, 5A cable must be obtained the “information negotiation” between the power supply device and the receiving device .

Like the 3A charging cable, it also has two specifications: A to C and C to C. Generally speaking, the A to C charging cable is designed for charging mobile phones and other devices and requires a specific charger, while the C to C charging cable supports PD fast charging and can charge mobile phones, tablets and laptops, more widely application.

In some case, users might find that although the wire supports 5A current, but the measured current does not reach 5A or even below 3A, this is because some devices use private fast charging protocols, the cable and charger are encrypted communication content, people have to buy their official fast charging wire for these devices.

3) 6A charging cable

The charging cable that supports 6A fast charging is the advanced version, usually are customized from various manufacturers.

Above is the gaming phone from Nubia: the Red Devil 6 Pro, which comes with a 120W fast charging kit in the box. The included 120W charger has a USB-C output port and supports up to 20V6A 120W output power.

They use C2C charging cable, it should be noted that it will only trigger 6A high current fast charging when use the original 120W charger to charge the Red Devil 6 Pro.

Above is the latest gaming phone from Redmi, which also comes with 120W fast charging kit in the box.

They use an A2C fast charging cable that supports 6A high current, and a 120W USB-A charger, which can provide up to 20V6A 120W fast charging power for the Redmi K50 Gaming Edition.

4) 8A charging cable

Besides the 6A fast charging cable, there are now fast charging cables that poke the current up to 8A.

Above is the latest flagship model from OPPO, and it comes with OPPO 80W SuperVOOC flash charging kit.

They use A2C fast charging cable, which supports 8A high current transfer, and with the 80W charger can provide up to 80W fast charging for the OPPO Find X5 Pro.

5) 10A charging cable

I didn’t expect it , on top of fast charging for digital products, there are now cables that can transmit up to 10A current.

It’s the latest realme realme GT NEO 3, and what makes it special is that it upgrades the phone’s fast charging to 150W, yes, you heard right, the whole 150W.

The charging cable is C2C, with the USB-C port 160W charger, can provide up to 150W fast charging power for realme GT NEO 3. It can be seen from the end of the cable that supports 10A super charging current.

So next time, please check your cable if find that PD fast charger not charging fast for your devices.