Any extra connectivity? Some USB-C hubs will come with HDMI out, allowing you to connect to a monitor, provided that your PC can output video from its Type-C port. Other hubs have microSD or SD card readers built-in. 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.

This UGreen unit is another basic USB hub, with four USB 3.0/3.1 Gen 1 ports connecting through a single USB-A connection. Disappointingly, what looks like an aluminium casing turns out to be plastic, which feels a little creaky in comparison to some models, but it’s robust enough for daily desktop or mobile use. The big advantage this one has over similarly priced rivals is a 5V micro-USB input, meaning it can charge devices while in use (without any fast charge support) and run one or more USB SSDs or HDDs – we tried it with one of each without any issues. The only downside? You’ll need to supply your own charger and cable, but it’s hard to grumble at this price. The different USB 3.x version numbers exist purely because the number has been iterated with each speed advancement. In 2008, the USB 3.0 standard launched, bringing USB up to 5 Gbps, a huge leap from the 480 Mbps speed of USB 2.0, and for many years that was as fast as USB could go. In fact, even today, the vast majority of USB ports and products don't go beyond 5 Gbps nor do you need them to. Many peripherals don't even need to go beyond USB 2.0.

Specifications

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, external SSDs and the best hard drives need at least USB 3.2 / 3.1 / 3.0 speeds. The fastest external SSDs or SSD enclosures can operate at USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) or USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20 Gbps), though the 10 Gbps speed is far more common and cheaper. Improved data encoding for more efficient data transfer leading to higher through-put and improved I/O power efficiency If you often find yourself confused about the appropriate and satisfactory hub, Ssk Usb Hub is your end point. The ssk usb hub is good for card reader, is best for heat dissipation, it is perfect for an external monitor and has a good design. Ssk 4 in 1 USB c superspeed usb 10gbps hub, all ports in one hand, no matter where you go, when you are on a trip, business conference and travel around the world. Also, this is also best used for wireless mouse/keyboard, more sensitive and more stability due to the usb 3.0 radio frequency interference to the wireless connection. Not every USB Hub is one of the best USB hubs you can buy. We tested a number of other models that are worth considering, but not necessarily at the head of the class.

Over-voltage protection, effectively preventing other high-voltage power inputs from damaging the connected devices However, despite the USB-IF's desires, we still see most PC vendors listing their ports as USB 3.2 or USB 3.1, without necessarily telling you what to expect from them. The spec sheets may not even list a generation number, though if they don't, you should assume that it's Gen 1 (5 Gbps). pixelpusher220 said:At least for me this was helpful. Basically all that's important is the Gen 1/2 for the Type A, and only Gen2x2 for the zippy zippy. If you're using a USB hub, you'll want at least a 5 Gbps connection, because all of the peripherals connected to that hub will be sharing that bandwidth. So, if you have a mouse, a keyboard and a webcam all plugged into the same hub, they will definitely need at least the 5 Gbps that USB 3.2 Gen 1 / USB 3.1 Gen 1 provides. In 2017, the organization rolled out a 20 Gbps speed for USB 3.x devices. In honor of the new speed, the version number changed for all speeds so the 5 Gbps speed became USB 3.2 Gen 1 and the 10 Gbps speed became USB 3.2 Gen 2 and the 20 Gbps speed became USB 3.2 Gen 2x2.

What's on Board

Upstream connection (Type-A or Type-C?): USB hubs have multiple downstream ports to connect to your devices but only one upstream connector, which could be a port but is often a built-in wire that connects to your computer. Many laptops, including a lot of the best Ultrabooks, only have USB-C ports, so your hub's upstream connector would have to be Type-C. You can also get other versions of Inatek's USB hub, the HB2025 for example, that connect to your computer via USB-C, which is a more common interface for 10 Gbps connections, particularly on laptops. We really wish one of these hubs had a mix of USB-C and USB Type-A downstream ports, but they are all Type-A downstream. Powered or not? Some USB hubs come with their own AC adapters so that they can provide more power than your computer delivers from one of its ports. Bus power from your computer can be pretty low, not enough to juice several power-hungry peripherals at once or to charge devices at a reasonable rate. By definition, a USB hub that needs its own plug isn’t very portable. Sabrent's HB-U3CR looks like it was built for MacBooks, thanks to a gunmetal gray aluminum chassis and a stylish, slanted design that will prop it up at an insertion-friendly angle on any table. However, it's an equally strong choice for use with a PC laptop that has USB-C ports and needs a few USB Type-A connections.

Still, for Windows laptops, MacBook, and Chromebook users who only need a couple of reliable ports, this makes it onto our list of best USB-C hubs. Ethernet is easier, as it’s hard to find a hub that doesn’t support Gigabit Ethernet speeds. That said, a small number now support the faster 2.5 Gigabit (2.5GbE) standard, which isn’t a priority for most home networks, but a plus for advanced users or just for future proofing.HDMI: A hub can be very useful at a desk, especially if you want to hook your computer up to an external monitor. We connected each of the hubs via HDMI to a Philips 272P7VUBNB/27 monitor with the resolution set to 4K, and we used the Blur Busters UFO Motion Test to confirm the refresh rate. Most hubs support only a 30 Hz refresh rate (the image refreshes 30 times a second) at 4K resolution, but a handful now support a smoother 60 Hz rate, and we prefer those hubs that do.

USB Type-C has plenty of perks, and with one of the USB Type-C hubs you might be considering getting, you'll be able to copy files at USB 3.1 speeds, deliver enough power to charge a laptop, or use Alt Mode to send other types of data using DisplayPort or Thunderbolt 3connections.Industrial grade HUB chip, adopting MTT technology, allows stable and smooth 4x concurrent USB connections