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What are the best USB-C hubs for expanded laptop connectivity?

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so I was thinking I need a decent hub for my setup before my trip next week. i saw that Anker 7-in-1 everyone loves but some reviews say it gets crazy hot which scares me a bit. my logic was to find something under $60 that handles HDMI and a couple USB-A ports without frying. what do you guys actually use?


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11

Honestly, heat is pretty much a given with these compact hubs because of the power delivery conversion, but some definitely stay cooler than others. I've tried many over the years and the Ugreen Revodok Pro 109 9-in-1 USB-C Hub is my current go-to. It handles 4K@60Hz which is better than that basic Anker one, and the aluminum casing actually dissipates heat fairly well without feeling like its gonna melt. Another solid pick under $60 is the Baseus Joystar 9-in-1 USB C Hub. In my experience, the Baseus has a slightly better port layout for travel cables and handles thermals better than the cheaper plastic ones. Basically, if youre worried about temps, just dont run a high-wattage charger through the PD port if you dont need to. That usually causes the most heat buildup. Both of these beat the Anker 7-in-1 on raw specs for the price tho.


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ngl the heat thing is basically a law of physics with these small controllers. ive spent way too much time over the years looking into the internal specs of these things. the reality is that pushing video while charging your laptop through the same tiny board is gonna generate a ton of thermal energy. remember my first cheap hub actually started smelling like melting electronics during a long presentation. it was a plastic nightmare and i learned my lesson the hard way... nowadays i look for a few specific things whenever i grab a new one:

  • full metal casing because it acts like one big passive heatsink
  • enough spacing between the ports so the cables arent jammed together
  • higher wattage ratings for the power delivery than i actually need to reduce load on the IC my current setup uses a solid aluminum block style one i got recently. even when i have it fully loaded with an external drive and a monitor it barely gets warm to the touch. honestly just avoid the cheap plastic housings and you should be fine for your trip. found that hubs with a slightly larger footprint tend to manage the thermals way better than the ultra-thin ones anyway.


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