Buying a new computer in 2026 costs a lot more than it used to. A global memory shortage, caused by AI data centres swallowing DRAM production, has pushed RAM and SSD prices up sharply, and IDC expects average PC prices to climb by 4% to 8% this year. Some manufacturers have gone as far as shipping pre-built machines with no RAM at all, and major vendors have warned customers about increases of 15% to 20% on systems shipping in the second half of 2026.
The natural result is that people are holding on to their devices for longer, and analysts expect PC demand to soften this year. That raises a very practical question: if you are not replacing your machine any time soon, how do you get the most out of it? The answer is simpler than you think, and it starts with the ports on the side of your laptop and the cable you plug into them.
What is actually happening with ports
Base USB4 delivers up to 40 Gbps, and it is the standard you will find on most modern devices today. Above it sits USB4 Version 2, which reaches 80 Gbps, and Thunderbolt 5, which offers 80 Gbps in both directions plus a boost mode that reaches 120 Gbps when a display needs more bandwidth in one direction.
Reality on the ground is calmer than the headlines. Thunderbolt 5 is still confined to premium laptops, workstations and expensive peripherals, while USB4 Version 2 controllers from makers such as ASMedia and VIA Labs are expected around the end of 2026 or the start of 2027, which means broad adoption stretches into next year. The takeaway: if your device runs USB4 or Thunderbolt 4 at 40 Gbps, you are not behind. You are exactly where the vast majority of real-world use will sit for years.
What this means for you in practice
The most important rule to learn is that the shape of a port tells you nothing about its capability. One USB-C port can be a full Thunderbolt port, and another can be a slow data-only port that never outputs video at all. Video output requires DisplayPort Alternate Mode or Thunderbolt support, and that support is not present on every USB-C port. So before you buy any adapter, check your device manual or the symbol printed next to the port itself.
The second rule is that the adapter sets the ceiling. DisplayPort Alternate Mode at version 1.4 carries up to 32.4 Gbps, which is theoretically enough for a 4K display at 120 Hz with HDR, or 8K at 60 Hz with DSC compression. But if the adapter itself is built on HDMI 2.0, your ceiling is 4K at 60 Hz no matter how powerful your machine is. Reaching 4K at 120 Hz needs a DisplayPort 1.4 source, an HDMI 2.1 adapter and a display that supports it too.
- Docks share the bandwidth budget: a display that works perfectly when connected directly can lose options once it runs through a dock loaded with USB devices, because the bandwidth budget is divided among everything attached.
- Certification matters: USB-IF unified its logos so a cable's power rating is printed clearly in watts, 60 W or 240 W under the USB Power Delivery 3.1 specification, and it advises buying from trusted sources that display the certified logo on the packaging or the cable.
- Length is the enemy of signal: the longer a copper cable gets, the harder it is to hold high frequencies, which is exactly why optical cables exist for long runs.
- Your old screen is still useful: any TV or monitor with an HDMI port can become your second screen with nothing more than the right cable, instead of buying a new display at today's prices.
A recommended product for each case
If your laptop has a USB-C port that supports video output and you want the simplest way to reach a monitor or TV, a direct cable is cleaner than an adapter because it removes a failure point and needs no extra HDMI cable. A metre and a half covers most home desks and study tables.
If you already own a good HDMI cable and would rather not buy a second one, the small adapter is the practical choice: leave it in your bag and connect to whatever screen or projector you meet in a meeting room or classroom. It saves an embarrassing amount of trouble for its size.
Slightly older machines, such as business laptops, workstations and earlier Mac models, carry a Mini DisplayPort instead of USB-C. That port is still perfectly capable of driving a full display, and all it needs is the right conversion cable rather than throwing out a working machine and buying a replacement at this year's prices.
When the display sits far from the source, such as a TV in a showroom, a screen in a meeting hall or a ceiling-mounted projector, copper starts to struggle and the picture drops in and out. An optical cable carries the signal as light, so it holds 4K at 60 Hz across long runs, and the 20-metre version covers most halls and offices.
And if the distance is bigger than that, a whole floor, a shopfront or a digital signage screen, the 50-metre version solves it with a single continuous run instead of splitters and signal repeaters that add complexity, add cost and multiply the number of things that can fail.
For anyone building a desktop this year, internal tidiness matters more than it used to, because you will most likely keep this machine for years. Sleeved extension kits organise the 24-pin motherboard run and the 12+4-pin graphics card run, giving you better airflow, a cleaner look and easier maintenance whenever you change a part later.
The same logic applies to accessories: an excellent gaming headset often loses its cable long before it loses its drivers. Replacing the cable is far cheaper and faster than replacing the whole headset, especially in a market where almost everything is getting more expensive.
The takeaway, and advice that keeps working
The memory crisis will ease one day, but the rule you learn now stays with you: know your port before you buy, read the adapter's specification and not just your device's, and choose a certified cable at the length you actually need rather than a longer one. Three simple steps unlock capabilities that already exist inside your machine and that you have simply never used.
Instead of paying for a whole new device in an expensive year, make your small spending work smart: the right cable, a second screen from a TV you already own, and an accessory repaired instead of discarded. Every order from Jowa Al-Souq is delivered to all Iraqi provinces with cash on delivery, and you can ask us which port your device has before you complete the order.
