Need a Thunderbolt hub

[The Elf]

I need a 'Thunderbolt' hub, to give my laptop (a lot) more connectivity.

I was pointed in the direction of the CalDigit TS4, which seemed ideal until... I realised it has only one DisplayPort output - and I ideally want two.

Can anyone suggest another device that gives me oodles of USB-A ports (as many as I can get), enough power so my laptop doesn't constantly whinge about wanting to be connected to its supplied PSU (as per my current hub), and a pair of HDMI/DisplayPort outputs - or even one of each? I can live without Ethernet and don't need card-reader slots.

[BWC]

A search for "thunderbolt multiple monitors" brought up several from Amazon. No personal recommendations to share, sorry.

[tea for two]

Yikes that TS4 400squid is expensive.
Dell HP Lenovo Thunderbolt 3 doc with power adapter are approx 1/10 price around £35-£50 used with 2xdisplay 4xusbA.
There's plenty listed on an auction site just double check they include power adapter.

[The Elf]

Thanks for that, guys.

Yep, I can find them easily enough, but having bought one a while ago that leaves my laptop complaining about power, and now finding myself needing more than the typical 4 USB-A ports I could do with an owner's recommendation.

I agree that TS4 is pricey. My current hub was 60 quid and does the job apart from that power warning. I'm just needing more USB ports right now.

[tea for two]

Which doc do you have. I ran into similar with not enuff usbA ports on a lenovo doc, so I just plugged in a multiport usbA hub into doc.

[BWC]

Does it all have to run off the one TB port? For a bunch of (switchable) Type A ports I bought one of these, and there are similar things from Sabrent that I'd feel confident recommending just based on experience with other things from them.

[The Elf]

It has to hang off the TB port.

[The Elf]

Which dock do you have?

I have the YLSCI 13-in-1 Docking Station. It does do the job, short of providing the amount of power to my laptop that its PSU is trying to supply. But it only has 4 USB-A ports.

[tea for two]

Which dock do you have?

I have the YLSCI 13-in-1 Docking Station. It does do the job, short of providing the amount of power to my laptop that its PSU is trying to supply. But it only has 4 USB-A ports.

Looks like this YLSCI 13-1 has 100W power delivery to laptop.
With the not enuff power to your laptop thru the YLSCI what's your laptop power requirement if it's 85W or 100W then YLSCI will struggle to provide whilst running dooberries plugged into it.
Also do you have a usb power plug that delivers 100W and usbC cable that can carry 100W.

My laptop is 65W I had to get a usb power plug that delivers at least 65W and a usbC cable that can deliver more than 65W.

UsbA ports nearly all the tb3 docks I have seen have just 4xusbA. There is a 6xusbA i-tec tb3 dock butt it doesn't have power delivery (60squid on auction, 120 new on ebuyer).
So it will prolly have to be a usbA hub plugged into a tb3 dock.

[resistorman]

This is the one I use for my Mac Air:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08NDGD2V5/

3-USB A and 1-C, 1-HDMI, 1-DP, etc.

Along with a GAN 60 watt charger.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B087MDT515/

[The Elf]

Thanks mate, but the above is no good. I need far more power than 60W, and there's only one HDMI output on that hub. And 3 USB-A.. I have four on my current one, and I need more!

[Luke W]

I did a lot of similar searching while upgrading my studio and home machines, but I can't think of anything with more than four USB-A ports, unfortunately. I'm using a Caldigit USB-C Pro dock in the office at home, which does have a pair of DisplayPort outputs and happily powers my MacBook Pro and my wife's Lenovo laptop without any complaining. But it's only got three USB-A connectors., and it looks like they've discontinued it anyway!

If you need a good collection of USB-A then you may be getting into dock+hub territory...

[tea for two]

enough power so my laptop doesn't constantly whinge about wanting to be connected to its supplied PSU (as per my current hub),

I need far more power than 60W

You doing the thing lots newbie posters do nooot enuff info so we kind of groping in the dark.
Watt is your laptop and more importantly watt is it's power requirement, watt is it's psu power.

[The Elf]

My laptop's PSU says it is 65W. I didn't know this was important to my requirement. My current hub claims to output (presumably 'up to') 100W? But doesn't the hub just pass the power through to the laptop? Hence not mentioned.

Maybe I need a different PSU to the one delivered with my laptop? I had no idea this might be an option - or is it? Do I risk blowing something up?

I don't understand this Watts thing at all - I just think that 60W hubs likely won't solve the power warning message.

I did give the example of what I was aiming for (CalDigit TS4), but ideally with two monitor outputs. My current hub has 4 USB ports - not enough. I can't really say more than that.

I was expecting a list of the ones everyone uses and to just pick one!

[James Perrett]

My laptop's PSU says it is 65W.

My laptop has two possible power supplies - the lower power one is fine for just the laptop but they do one that is 50W higher for those that want to power lots of peripherals like audio interfaces and disk drives from it. I would guess that you need a hub and power supply that can handle 100W divided between the laptop itself and the peripherals.

Or can you power the hub and laptop separately?

[merlyn]

I have found that USB ports on computers (desktop or laptop) deliver a maximum of 500mA (0.5A). At 5V that is a power of 2.5W. Not a lot, and crap for charging phones/tablets/whatever.

Looking at the back panel of the Caldigit hub its specs are 19.5V and 11.08A. The power is then 230.1W, which is pretty beefy, with one port being able to do 98W (for the computer).

I hope that gives you a sense of the ballpark you're in.

[tea for two]

My laptop's PSU says it is 65W. I didn't know this was important to my requirement. My current hub claims to output (presumably 'up to') 100W? But doesn't the hub just pass the power through to the laptop? Hence not mentioned.

Okie dokie. Your thunderbolt hub psu should be guessing around 180W-230W so it can pass thru upto 100W to power your 65W laptop also power dooberries connected to the hub.

The usbC cable you have to connect from your hub's 100W power pass thru to your laptop this usbC cable should be rated to handle at least 65W. If it isn't then this usbC cable won't be able which could be a reason your laptop is saying insufficient power.

I purrchased a pair of 100W rated usbC cables by INIU for my 65W laptop, as the 45W rated usbC cable I had before wasn't sending enuff juice.

Which tb3 dock to purrchase that has 6-8usbA ports 2xdisplay ports + atleast 65W power pass thru : I haven't seen any.
There is a 6usbA ports 2xdisplay tb3 dock by i-tec butt it doesn't have power pass thru.
You may well have to get a 4usbA 2xdisplay + 65W or 85W or 100W power pass thru tb3 dock.
i-tec make them £85-£130 available ebuyer (approx 1/2 this price on auction site). I haven't used such i-tec so I can't say.
I have one i-tec Non powered tb3 hub works alright butt this is chocolate teapot for you lol.

[The Elf]

I don’t have a separate cable for power. My laptop’s PSU has a captive cable that I plug into the hub, and a captive cable from the hub to the laptop.

The hub didn’t arrive with a PSU.

Sounds like what I might need is a more hefty PSU for the hub, up to 100W of which can be passed to the laptop. If anyone can point me to a suitable one?

Are Watts like Amps? That is, it’s a measure of how much power something draws? Not like Volts, which will cause damage if too high for the device?

I had no idea I was opening a can of worms this deep!

[BWC]

Are Watts like Amps? That is, it’s a measure of how much power something draws? Not like Volts, which will cause damage if too high for the device?

watts = volts x amps

[The Elf]

Are Watts like Amps? That is, it’s a measure of how much power something draws? Not like Volts, which will cause damage if too high for the device?

watts = volts x amps

Yeah, errr... So if I get a more powerful USB-C PSU am I in danger of blowing up my laptop?

[BWC]

Volts should be a known quantity, so you can think of watts as another way to view power (amps) available to (safely) draw. Does that help?

[The Elf]

Kind of...

But I still don't know if I could blow up my laptop.

e.g. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/404484279681 ... R_bGloTkYw

If I search for a PSU for my specific laptop they are all 65W. But from what folk here are telling me I need more power for the hub to deliver power to the laptop and itself.

I'm very confused.

[sonics]

But I still don't know if I could blow up my laptop.

No you won't, the devices will draw what they need. The supply has to be able to deliver enough in the first place. Starving a device of power can be a problem.

You could use a 500W supply and nothing would blow up.

[The Elf]

Phew! Ok, I can grab a new PSU.

Now all I need is suggestions for a Thunderbolt hub. I need as many USB A ports as I can get, and two monitor outputs...

[tea for two]

My laptop’s PSU has a captive cable that I plug into the hub, and a captive cable from the hub to the laptop.

The hub didn’t arrive with a PSU.

Sounds like what I might need is a more hefty PSU for the hub, up to 100W of which can be passed to the laptop. If anyone can point me to a suitable one?

If you want to keep your tb3 dock and power your 65W laptop thru it whilst powering your dooberries plugged into your tb3 dock.

Then a 140W Apple offical usbC power adapter as this 30squid + 2.95 delivery (2years warranty)
https://uk.webuy.com/product-detail/?id ... position=4
Neat thing if it doesn't work out, you can return it to any cex store in person they test it upto 1hr depending on their backlog of testing items then refund you.

There's others on auction site, amazon, that have 140W usbC power adapter just search : GaN 140W.
Make sure they output 140W from a single usbC port, as some have multiple usbC ports which divvy up the 140W.

Re: more than 4usbA ports, I haven't found any tb3 dock that has power delivery and more than 4usbA.