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by crote 41 days ago
The longer Thunderbolt (which is actually just USB4) cables internally use fiber optics for data transmission, with converters to copper in each connector. Even the medium-distance (3 meter) ones have signal quality boosters in each connector matched to the kind of signal degradation that kind of cable will experience.

Completely passive TB4/TB5 cables max out at about 80 centimeters.