I needed an active converter for my Caldigit dock and second monitor. I bought this one in a hurry and didn't read much about it. When I opened it up I was surprised that it wasn't able to externally power the 'active' aspect and thought I'd have to do another reset, but I tried it anyway and it works great , so I think it consumes energy. from low voltage in HDMI or DP. A good active cable that does not require an external power supply. It seems to be as durable as any average user and it looks good too, not that you'll see it very often.