Joined in 2023 
82 
63 About this deal
Also included are an SD card reader (that can support a microSD card with an adapter). This is rated at UHS-I (104MBps) so not the fastest but speedier than some other hubs tested here offer. There’s an easy way to do this. View the monitor’s specifications to find out how much power it can send over USB-C. Compare that to the rated wattage of your laptop’s power adapter. The monitor should support USB Power Delivery at least equal to wattage supplied by the laptop power adapter. If you have a recent-gen iPad with a USB-C connector, you may find yourself wishing you could connect a USB Type-A device, headphones or even an external display. Anker’s 541 USB-C Hub for iPads has you covered with a unique design that’s meant to snap right into the side of your tablet or even a USB-C laptop. There’s no wire as the USB-C plug and a slight, protruding chin hold the entire metal hub in place. The Aukey USB-C Hub takes things to the next level. This 12-in-1 hub not only lets you effortlessly transfer data or connect your accessories but also displays 4K content at 60Hz. There’s a slight catch. This Aukey USB-C hub only works at its best when connected to Thunderbolt 3 ports. This means you will either need to have a Mac or one of the HP laptops that supports Thunderbolt 3. Even though two USB-C hubs may have wildly different brand names, you may sometimes find that they’re otherwise identical or just very similar.
The USB-C hub’s aluminum surface dissipates heat, and the braided nylon cable is designed to withstand up to 2000 bends. Gigabit Ethernet is there, too, as is an HDMI port that can support 4K displays at 30Hz—not a refresh rate to excite gamers but enough for most of us. If your smartphone is compatible, you can charge your phone up to 80% in just 35 minutes. To fast-charge an iPhone, you need a minimum of 18W and USB-C, so look for extra USB-C slots, which are more capable than USB-A.
These USB-C hubs are versatile devices that let you extend the functionality of your USB-C laptop. However, not all USB-C hubs are built equal. While some have several USB-A ports, others concentrate on video ports like HDMI and DisplayPort.
Plug your HDMI cable directly into your device and see if you get a stable connection. If you can't get a stable connection, then the problem is with your HDMI cable. Can a USB-C hub feel elegant? This one does. Anker’s 7-in-1 USB-C hub feels surprisingly weighty (3.5 ounces), with a premium metallic (aluminum and polycarbonate) sheen. It’s also a bit more expensive than its rivals. Anker’s hub was among the coolest we’ve tested under load, at about 87 degrees.In the same family, Satechi also offers the Pro Hub Mini (the same as the Max but without the HDMI port) and the Pro Hub Slim (which swaps the Ethernet port for an extra USB-A port, and boasts 10GBps USB-A and USB-C ports compared to the Mac and Mini’s 5Gbps). If you don’t need wired Internet access, the Pro Hub Slim edges out the Pro Hub Max. If you don’t need more than one external screen or you want to save the USB4 for passthrough charging only, consider the Pro Hub Mini or the Plugable 5-in-1 USB-C Hub reviewed below.. The version of DisplayPort supported by your PC’s USB-C port usually isn’t important. USB-C devices with DisplayPort Alternate Mode will support at least DisplayPort 1.2, which can output 4K at 60Hz.
Recent laptops have begun offering a USB-C technology called HBR3 with DSC, which we’ll explain more fully in the sections following our recommendations. The bottom line is that the technology offers something similar to the DisplayLink technology below, but as an industry standard. In our experience, although the technology is somewhat supported in laptops with 11th-gen Core processors, it works best in 12th- or 13th-gen laptops. That’s why you must pay attention to a monitor’s specifications. Asus’ ProArt PA278CV, for example, is advertised as having a USB-C hub, but only includes two additional USB-A ports. The benefits of using it as a USB-C hub are limited. (The Asus ProArt PA279CV, on the other hand, is a much more compelling USB-C hub monitor option.) We also like the choice of cables, with a short, pull-out cable that stows inside the case for travel, plus a longer desktop cable for when you need to stretch a little further. It gives this unit a little more flexibility than other USB-C hubs. No version of USB includes a video standard as part of the base specification. Instead, USB-C devices that handle video use an optional addition called DisplayPort Alternate Mode. USB-C monitors will list the version of DisplayPort supported by the USB-C port in the monitor’s specifications.
How do I choose the right USB-C hub, dock, or adapter?
I have been using the Sabrent HB-BUP7, the nearly-identical 7-port sibling to the HB-B7C3, as my daily driver for more than a year, and having these buttons is a real game changer. Changing default audio devices in Windows is a royal pain, requiring one to go into the control panel to, for example, make sound come out of your headset instead of your speakers. But with the power switches, I just turn off my USB speaker and turn on the wireless headphone dongle, or vice versa. The version 2.0 HDMI is an upgrade on most adapters with HDMI 1.4, and can get to 60Hz with 4K displays. It should allow video output and passthrough charging simultaneously. In a test connection from a MacBook to an LG 4K UltraFine Display, the MacBook was able to output video to the monitor, while the monitor was able to provide power to the MacBook, all through the single connection. Owners of the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro and M2 Air can charge via the MagSafe connector at the same time as using the Pro Hub. For a stable connection, avoid connecting devices that exceed a total of 900 mA. Devices are usually rated as follows:
Related:
Great Deal 
New Comment