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- Verified Buyer
Let me start off with providing some details about my laptop, as this is somewhat relevant to the performance of the actual hub. My laptop is the Dell Precision 7540, and has an i7-9750H, 2x8GB DDR4-3200 CL18 RAM, a 512GB SX8200 Pro SSD, and the standard integrated Intel UHD Graphics 630 (this is somewhat important later on), and no discreet GPU inside the laptop, but I use a Thunderbolt 3 eGPU (GTX 980).Now for the hub, it takes one USB 3.0 Type C port, and gives me 3x USB 3.0 Type A ports, 1 HDMI port (), 1 GbE port, a card reader, micro card reader, and a Type C female port. As for the HDMI port, it uses the integrated graphics instead of the GTX 980 even when the 980 is plugged in first, so I cannot guarantee if an HDMI display connected to this hub will use the integrated GPU or discreet GPU in a laptop with hybrid or "dual" graphics (integrated GPU + discreet GPU; example - UHD Graphics 630 + GTX 1650), as my laptop only has the integrated GPU and has an external GPU via Thunderbolt 3. As for the Type C female port, this is actually only a power input port, and does not double as a Type C USB port for perhaps an external SSD. I can confirm this does work to provide power, however because my laptop has rather strict requirements on the Type C charging rules, my particular laptop will not charge from this hub (requires 130W+ which is not doable from a single Type C port), however a lower power device such as a Dell XPS 13 should be able to use this USB hub with the charging function (I am only able to use this USB hub as a USB hub, and no charging function). In regards to the actual "looks" of the hub, the Type C connector is gold plated, the cable is black rubber, and the hub itself is a two tone grey/black combination, with the silver (painted silver, not metal silver) being the metal shell, and smooth black plastic for the GbE and opposite side.Pros: By using a single Type C USB connector, this hub provides 3x USB 3.0 Type A connectors, and this is helpful in my situation as I really needed more than 2x USB Type A ports. The Ethernet port also works, and while I could not verify GbE speeds since the internet speeds at the dorms are limited to 100Mbps, I can only confirm up to 100Mbps, but this does prove useful for thin laptops that do not have an Ethernet port, or have a malfunctioning Ethernet port (as the case with my laptop). I should also mention that in Device Manager, I was able to update the Ethernet driver to a Realtek driver, which is an indication that this is no "cheaped out" Ethernet port, this is up to par with regular desktop Ethernet ports (1GbE). This hub feels very lightweight, which is a bonus because I expected this hub to feel heavier, but for the case of portability, the lower weight is actually helpful. Because this is relatively lightweight, you would EXPECT this hub to be flimsy or bendy in some way, however that is actually not the case; this is a very rigid hub, and does not bend (at least according to my hands, which are by no means weak), an indication of a good balance between weight savings and rigidity (has more than enough rigidity for the average person, and is lightweight).Cons: The Type C connector is not detachable, and you cannot choose your own cable for the connection between the computer and the hub, which can potentially result in the cable eventually breaking with no easy repair (while having a detachable cable, for example, Type C male to Type C male would be replaceable), which does lower the reliability factor a tiny bit. However, it does have a thick shield at the ends so this should reduce wear and stress on the cable. Another con is the female Type C port that is present, for charging purposes only. It would be a nice touch to have it double as a Type C USB connection, as it could be used to connect Type C devices to the hub, without requiring a Type C to Type A cable or adapter. This isn't exactly a huge issue, however in my instance, where while my laptop is plugged in, it is actually capable of charging other laptops and devices, so I would have liked to have seen that this can double as a USB data port, since I already have a 240W laptop charger, and power is a plethora for this laptop. Additionally, there are no audio ports, however that should not be a "problem" for a 30$ USB hub as typically, you would rather have a quality DAC instead of relying on basic generic drivers.NOTE: Make sure you have a USB 3.0/3.1/3.2 USB Type C port for optimal performance, as this USB 3.0 Type C hub provides power delivery of up to 100W (87W for safety), and has rather high bandwidth ports (USB 3.0, HDMI, GbE)NOTE: This is NOT a Thunderbolt 3 hub, this is a USB 3.0 Type C hub, meaning you do not get 40Gbps, you get 5Gbps, so naturally you are limited by the actual data speed of USB 3.0 (5Gbps). However, many Thunderbolt docks are over the 200$ range because there are special controllers and components required for Thunderbolt 3 functionality, so for 30$, that would be asking for way too much.Conclusion: For the 30$ price tag, this may be one of the best Type C USB hubs you will find on the market. It features 3x USB 3.0 Type A ports, an HDMI port, an Ethernet port, and media card readers. This combination of ports is a good one, as these are the ports that laptops nowadays are missing. After testing and using this hub I do not regret purchasing this at all.Recommendations: I recommend this to people that have laptops with a Type C port, and are in need of more USB ports, an Ethernet connection, or even an extra display. I also recommend this to people that want to spend a reasonable amount of money for a hub, because this is an extremely high value product.I do not recommend this to users with desktops, since you likely will have more than enough I/O ports on the motherboard alone. This is not meant to replace video ports, but rather add functionality. For example, I recommend plugging a display FIRST into a port on the laptop, and then using the HDMI port on the hub last, since it will reduce performance because it goes through a hub. I also do not recommend this product to people who do not have a Type C port, because even if you have a Type C to Type A adapter to make the hub work, the power delivery function will not provide 100W, it will charge at ~5W, and therefore will not be able to charge a laptop through a Type A port (not to mention I have never heard of a laptop that supported charging of the laptop's battery via a USB Type A port).It works most of the time but sometimes, like once a week it glitches and doesn't want to work, it takes a couple of minutes of connecting and disconnecting the cables and it works again.Mildly annoying.Works exactly as advertised. No fussSo far it has exceeded my needs which is awesome. I have tested it with Macbook Pro Retina Display. I tried all the features and all worked great.Design: I like the design of this hub. It feels like a good product and looks well made. The tip of the USB-C cord appears to be gold plated. The symbols and text are all etched into the steel. The length of the USB_C cable is a good size to me (about 4.5" long).HDMI: I was able to get a full picture on my external display with no problem. Since I don't have a 4K TV, I cannot say whether the resolution holds up in 4K.USB Ports: I tried using three 3.0 USB drives at the same time and was excited to see all three appear on the desktop. Other hubs I checked only allowed 1 at a time to appear. The speed was exactly as expected, its great to finally transfer big files in a quick time. Also, I was able to fit 2 flash drives side by side with ease.SD Ports: I used a micro SD and a SD card at the same and was happy to see both appear on the desktop again. The transfer rate was good, it's limited based on your SD cards.Network Port: I tested the network port and was surprised to see that it was able to reach gigabyte speed. This is one of the main reason why I bought this hub. Since the Macbook doesn't have an ethernet port, I will be relying on this.USB-C Port: I plugged my Macbook power adapter and the laptop started to charge. Great to have in case you use all your USB-C ports.Con: The hub is a bit warm when it is plugged in. When you start using it, it can get a little hot.It's really a good price for this hub and I have been using it everyday. If anything changes, I will update my review.This is a great compact hub with good features. There are 2 issues that I found with the device.. The first is the cord is very short and a bit stiff. Its about 3 inches, but this is mainly an issue for my setup trying to use it like a dock for my laptop. If you're on the go, it probably won't cause any problems. The fittings are snug and don't fall out or lose connection. The second issue that is more of a problem is the USB-c PD will crash the device. When I plug in my power cord to the port, within 5 minutes my Macbook Drops the hub and drives. It pops up a notification to remove the accessory using too much power to re-enable USB devices. It took me a bit to figure out what was happening. I don't use the USB-C port for anything since it crashes the hub. My other hub allows for charging via USB-C without issue. So as a conversion for older USB-A 3.0 and SD cards it works perfectly connecting to my laptop, just can't charge with it. The HDMI port is nice, but I use the USB-C directly to the Display Port on my external monitor for better (60 htz ) refresh rate. The ethernet port I have not tried yet. Its a great feature for traveling without wifi connections..
