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Like the Anker USB-C hub above, the 4K streaming through the HDMI port is limited to only 30Hz. Nevertheless, the other ports make up for the versatility of this product. Note that the USB-C cable that connects to your computer is quite short (15cm) so it will have to sit right next to the host. Of course, the ports can accept any length of cable for the required devices and accessories. Example, using a sabrnet USB 3 hub to transfer a 9Gb file SSD to SSD (hub port yo hub port) takes over 9 minutes, while it only takes 15 seconds to transfer to or from the computer. If we talk numbers, it can passthrough 87W of power to charge the connected laptop, thereby removing the hassle of connecting an additional wire to charge your MacBook. But do note that you will also need to use a compatible power adapter.
The Anker USB-C Hub is both affordable and adds just the right amount of flex to your laptop. If you plan to use the HDMI connection or the Ethernet port sparingly, this is the right one to get for your laptop. 2. Totu USB C HubYou get 8 ports to add to your laptop with Baseus’s good-looking 8-in-1 USB-C Hub. It features excellent PD USB-C pass-through charging (up to 100W) so you don’t lose a valuable USB-C or Thunderbolt 3 port on the laptop if you need to charge or sync. There are three USB-A ports pushing data at 5Gbps but a little underwhelming on device charging at 7.5W each. We conducted standardized tests to transfer a file from the SSD to the laptop; from the hard drive to the SSD; and then from an SD card to the PC, while simultaneously transferring files from the hard drive to the SSD. In some cases we used AJA’s System Tool app to run read and write tests on connected drives. In almost all cases, the performance was identical, with a spread of about 3 percent—good news for you, as that’s one less thing to worry about. The standard M1 and M2 chips in Apple’s recent MacBooks are powerful but have a major limitation: unlike Intel-based Macs, they don’t support more than one external display. The smarter M1 Pro and M1 Max chips do support multiple displays. Similar to the Sabrent HB-U3CR, the Atolla delivered 1.2 amps at 4.8 volts on our power test and it charged our phone at 4.78 volts and 1.35 watts. The Atolla hub also offered similar performance to other hubs; we detected no slowdowns when copying files with our test SSD. Output ports: Make sure you get enough ports to attach the number of devices you’re likely to need. Most USB hubs have at least 3, more often 4, output ports, but at your desk, you may need a lot more than that. Also, consider whether you are attaching any USB-C devices (most output ports on hubs are Type-A).
The Anker PowerExpand is special as it offers an HDMI port that supports 4K 60Hz resolutions, where most are limited to 4K 30Hz. For 4K 60Hz resolution, your device must support DP 1.4. This includes MacBook Air (from 2020), MacBook Pro 15in (from 2018), MacBook Pro 16in (from 2019) and iPad Pro (from 2018). The version 2.0 HDMI is an upgrade on most adapters with HDMI 1.4, and can get to 60Hz with 4K displays.
All of the portable USB-C hubs reviewed here are compatible with the Mac’s Thunderbolt 3 and 4 ports, but most feature slower USB-C connections (5Gbps or 10Gbps) compared to Thunderbolt (40Gbps). Hyper also sells a 5-in-1 iMac USB Hub with two USB-C (5Gbps) and three USB-A (5Gbps and one that charges at 7.5W). If you are a Windows user, you can use the MST or Multi Stream Transport, and it supports up to three monitors in both extend mode and mirror mode. 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.
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