Still trying to figure out this Lemmy ordeal. lots of overlapping and not enough specific groups, so I feel this should belong here

So I'm struggling to understand all the different types of usb standards like 2.0, 3.1, 3.2, 4.0, etc. I am interested in only USB c to USB c. I've read about higher data transfer speeds? I'm confused by what that actually means. Is that like transferring files from your laptop to an external drive? Basically sending files between devices in the network? I've read you can get 8k video resolution? I have no need for that.I just don't quite know what is best for me.

I have a dell xps 13 9310 laptop and the only two ports on the laptop are usb c. I've had major connectivity issues after the years of wear and tear. I just had a shop replace one port, so the major plan is to get a docking station with pass through charging capabilities.

But for now, I feel so foolish I don't even know what standard or protocol cables I need. Since all of the fancy features like video display don't appeal to me and I never do file transfers via usb, does that mean all I need is simple usb 2.0 cables for power delivery? Do the newer 3 series standards provide more power and or helpful features? What is the best sort of cable to link my main device, my laptop, to a docking station? I need to start there to reduce wear and tear on the new usb c ports on my laptop.

Any pointers would be great, thanks I RUN LINUX BTW SO THATS WHY I POSTED HERE lol