5-in-1 USB-C Hub & Multiport Adapter
This 5-in-1 USB-C Hub & Multiport Adapter was designed for people to be able to connect to external devices from their USB-C or Thunderbolt host computer. It does a good job of connectivity but is a little slow on the transfer speed performance for the USB-A ports. Overall, it's a good value for a compact, lightweight hub.
- DESIGN
- EASE OF USE
- PRICE
- PERFORMANCE
USB-C hub provides solid standard connectivity support in a lightweight package.
For more than 6 years now I’ve been using docks and hubs to connect my MacBooks to external devices. Apple removed all the pro-level ports (HDMI, SD card slots, USB-A, etc.) with the release of their 2016 laptop product line in an effort to shore up security risks as well as provide a thinner, lighter computer body. Another reason for this change-up in product design was an attempt to drive usage to USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 connection standards.
While these types of ports do offer a lot to consumers the shift Apple made caused their loyal customers to make a dramatic shift from carrying multiple cables with them to carrying multiple cables along with adapters and hubs with them so that they could connect to their most-used devices. Over the years since this design shift, I’ve used many, many hubs.
At this point in time, my daily-driver computer is a 2020 MacBook Air. Even though the 2021 release of the MacBook Pro re-introduced the pro-level ports for consumer use, Apple’s MacBook Air products still only feature USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports for connectivity. So, I still find myself seeking out new USB-C hubs with modern technologies built in. One such hub is the Monoprice 5-in-1 USB-C Multiport Adapter. This is a very simple adapter that provides users with USB-A and HDMI connectivity along with pass-through power delivery.
About the Monoprice 5-in-1 USB-C Hub & Multiport Adapter
The Monoprice 5-in-1 USB-C Hub & Multiport Adapter is designed as a 4K HDMI Display Adapter as well as a USB Hub. The hub is bus-powered but also provides Power Delivery (PD) 3.0 (up to 100W) through a USB-C port located on the end of the device. There are three USB-A ports included. One of them is a charging port that provided 1.5A/7.5W to connected devices. The hub has a connected USB-C cable that is considered the ‘host connection’ because it creates the link between your computer and the hub. The opposite end of the hub features the USB-C port, which also serves as the PD port.
The HDMI port can provide a 4K signal at 60Hz as long as you are connecting to a monitor that supports 4K resolution and using an HDMI cable that is HDMI 1.4 or greater. These are high-speed HDMI cables and are tested to transmit video resolutions from 1080p to 4K. The hub can also transmit 4K/30Hz signals on systems that support DP 1.2 Alt mode. The hub is compatible with Windows or macOS systems and supports USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 hosts.
Specs
P/N | 43527 |
Host Connection | USB Type‑C® male |
Downstream Connections | 1x HDMI®, 3x USB Type‑A, 1x USB Type‑C |
Maximum Video Resolution | 4K@60Hz (with DP 1.4 Alt Mode host) |
USB Data Transfer Rates | 5Gbps |
USB Type‑A Charging Power | 1.5A/7.5W (one port only) |
USB Type‑C Power Delivery | 100W |
PD 3.0 Fast Role Swap | Supported |
Supported Operating Systems | Windows®, macOS® |
Hardware Requirements | USB Type‑C® or Thunderbolt™ 3 host with support for DisplayPort® Alt Mode |
Dimensions | 4.2″ x 1.3″ x 0.5″ (106 x 34 x 12 mm) |
Weight | 2.0 oz. (56g) |
Pricing & Availability
The 5-in-1 USB-C Hub & Multiport Adapter is available from monoprice.com for $24.99.
User Experience
The Monoprice 5-in-1 USB-C Hub & Multiport Adapter comes in a very simple, nondescript box. It’s all white with a black ‘Monoprice’ moniker across the top. The front of the box features an outlined drawing of the hub and the words, “5-in-1 USB-C Multiport Adapter” across the top of it. The back of the box provides a few small details about the product along with the P/N, which makes it easy to locate the hub on monoprice.com.
When you open the box, you’ll find the hub enclosed in a plastic insert. Once you pull it out, you can plug it into your computer and use it straight away. There is no software required (at least not for macOS users) and since it’s bus-powered, no external power is required either.
One of the biggest design features I noticed right away was the hub’s weight. I’m used to handling hubs that are built with aluminum so they are substantially heavier than this one. The specs have this hub weighing around 2 ounces. Many of the aluminum body hubs are more than twice that weight. And even though we are only talking about ounces, it does feel a lot different.
This hub is also only made in white, which was interesting to me because I don’t see a lot of white hubs. Again, most of the time they are Space Gray and made with aluminum bodies. I have seen some black hubs, but it’s a bit unusual to find a white one.
As far as use goes, I would rate it as fair. When I plugged it into my computer, the hub was detected right away and showed up as “USB3.0 Hub” and “USB2.0 Hub” in my System Profiler. The Vendor ID was “VIA Labs, Inc.” which indicates what USB controller was used inside the unit. The USB 3.0 hub stated it was connecting with up to 5 Gb/s speeds and the USB 2.0 was up to 480 Mb/s.
When I test devices like this, I usually run a couple of automated disk speed tests and then complete a drag-and-drop test where I time how long it takes a file (or group of files) to transfer. I attempted to run the Blackmagic Disk Speed Test and AJA System Test Lite with a flash drive connected to the hub.
The AJA test was writing so slowly that I canceled the test and decided to try the Blackmagic test. I tried a couple of different ports on the hub and the test would cancel stating there was an error writing the test file. I dropped the stress test to the 1GB option and ran it again. This time, the test was able to complete and I got a result of 42.9 Mb/s Write and 153 Mb/s Read.
I did complete the drag-and-drop test with no issues. I transferred a file that was 1.22GB in size to the connected flash drive in 23 seconds. This translates to a transfer rate of 0.05 Gb/s or 50 Mb/s, which is close to what the Blackmagic test was showing before it failed. I didn’t have any issues with connecting an external monitor to my computer using the HDMI port. It worked as it should.
Conclusion
Even though it may not provide the fastest transfer time possible for USB devices, it does work well and is very compact for travel. I would recommend this for commuters and users who need to make sure they have solid connectivity no matter where they are.
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