There was a time, perhaps 20 years ago, when it truly didn't matter which USB/HDMI cable you bought. Brands like "monster cable" overcharged uneducated people to a disgusting degree, while the rest of us laughed and bought the cheapest possible cables which performed identically. ...well, those simple days are gone now. With the advent of 2K/4K/8K, not every HDMI cable is the same anymore. And with data transfer speeds evolving so quickly, USB-C cables have become one of the most confusing tech items for consumers to buy. So before buying a premium cable like this, ask yourself: -Do you actually need USB4 data transfer speeds (40 Gbps)? Like, are you frequently using an external SSD with USB4 capability? If not, you probably don't need this. -Do you only need this cable for something like a USB-C monitor? Look for an uncertified USB4 cable capable of 20 Gbps, or depending on the monitor you may only need USB-C 3.0. It will be cheaper than this cable. With that being said, if you actually do need the crazy speed of a cable like this, then spare yourself the time and frustration of cheaper brands. After much trial and error with many different cables, docks, hubs, etc; I have decided the Cable Matters brand is what I'll be looking for from now on when I *actually* need a super high-speed cable. They don't lie about their claims. If it isn't a certified cable, they will say that in the description and give you real speeds. This cable does what it claims: it transfers data at 40Gbps. That's what I needed for my case, and it's been working flawlessly for many months now. No negatives here.
