A USB-C hub monitor is a superb improve in your residence workplace. It will cut back muddle in your desk and take away the effort of eradicating or attaching peripherals to your rig. Laptop owners may even eradicate the necessity for an exterior energy brick.
The result’s a tidy, versatile workstation. However, not all USB-C screens are the identical. Some hardly qualify as a USB hub whereas others can change a high-end USB-C dock. Here’s what to know before you purchase.
Why must you purchase a USB-C hub monitor?
Dell
A USB-C hub monitor will take away quite a few cords out of your desk. Instead of connecting peripherals to your PC, you possibly can join them to the monitor, which then connects to your PC over USB-C.
Laptops which have USB-C profit probably the most. The USB-C hub monitor can act as a video cable and energy cable in a single. You can go away the laptop computer’s energy adapter in your backpack or baggage since you gained’t want it at your desk.
Most individuals who personal a USB-C appropriate laptop computer will need a USB-C hub or dock, anyway. Bundling it with the monitor means you gained’t have to seek out house for a separate hub or dock in your desk.
The finest USB-C hub screens will embrace Ethernet, a number of USB-A ports, and help daisy-chain shows over DisplayPort. Dell’s P3421W ultrawide monitor is one instance of a USB-C monitor that may deal with quite a few peripherals without delay.
Want the last word clear setup? Buy a monitor arm with a laptop computer stand and use wire clips to router wires behind the monitor arm. This can take away practically all wires from sight. You’ll solely see the USB-C twine that connects the laptop computer to the monitor.
USB-C hub is just not a technical time period, so be cautious of imposters
The time period “hub” is usually used to explain units that reach USB connectivity. This isn’t a technical time period and has nothing to do with any particular normal. The determination to slap the time period “hub” on any USB-C system, together with a monitor, is on the whims of the maker’s advertising division.
That’s why you should take note of a monitor’s specs. Asus’ ProArt PA278CV, for instance, is marketed as having a USB-C hub, however solely contains two further USB-A ports. The advantages of utilizing it as a USB-C hub are restricted.
I like to recommend you search for a USB-C hub monitor with at the very least 4 further USB ports and a mixture of USB-A and USB-C. I additionally advocate that you simply snag a monitor with an Ethernet port in case your laptop computer lacks Ethernet built-in.
DisplayPort Alternate Mode: Make positive your laptop computer has it!
No model of USB features a video normal as a part of the bottom specification. Instead, USB-C units that deal with video use an elective addition referred to as DisplayPort Alternate Mode. USB-C screens will record the model of DisplayPort supported by the USB-C port within the monitor’s specs.
You don’t want to fret concerning the model of DisplayPort utilized by the monitor. A monitor that helps video over USB-C will use a DisplayPort model that’s satisfactory to drive the monitor at its native decision and refresh price.
USB Forum
It’s essential to examine {that a} USB-C port with DisplayPort Alternate Mode is accessible on the PC you’ll connect with the monitor. This characteristic is just not necessary, and never all PCs which have a USB-C port help it.
The model of DisplayPort supported by your PC’s USB-C port often isn’t essential. USB-C units with DisplayPort Alternate Mode will help at the very least DisplayPort 1.2, which might output 4K at 60Hz.
DisplayPort model will matter should you join a excessive refresh show. You want USB-C with help for DisplayPort 1.4 to deal with a excessive refresh 4K at 144Hz, for instance. But only a few USB-C screens have a refresh price above 60Hz, so that is hardly ever a situation.
Power supply: Check the wattage before you purchase
Most USB-C units help some USB Power Delivery, which is required to produce energy over USB. However, the USB Power Delivery normal is extraordinarily broad. The wattage out there can fluctuate from just a few watts to 100W or extra. You’ll must examine the USB-C monitor you need can present sufficient energy for any units – normally, a laptop computer – it’s going to energy.
There’s a simple means to do that. View the monitor’s specs to learn how a lot energy it will possibly ship over USB-C. Compare that to the rated wattage of your laptop computer’s energy adapter. The monitor ought to help USB Power Delivery at the very least equal to wattage provided by the laptop computer energy adapter.
Power Delivery out there from a monitor is at the moment restricted to 100 watts at most. That means some high-performance gaming and workstation laptops can’t rely completely on USB-C for energy even when the laptop computer has a USB-C port with Power Delivery.
What about Thunderbolt hub screens?
USB-C and Thunderbolt are comparable, but there are some perks to Thunderbolt.
Thunderbolt has a better minimal information price than USB. Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 should help a knowledge price of 40Gbps, whereas USB 3.1 helps a minimal information price of 10Gbps, and USB4 helps a minimal of 20Gbps. USB can obtain the identical 40Gbps information price as Thunderbolt, however it’s elective, so many units (together with USB-C hub screens) don’t supply it. Thunderbolt’s greater information price might be essential if you wish to join a number of high-speed storage units or use exterior graphics.
A Ben Q USB-C hub monitor.
Ben Q
DisplayPort is default to the Thunderbolt normal, so that you don’t must examine if it’s supported on each the monitor and the system you wish to connect with it. Thunderbolt 3 helps DisplayPort 1.2 whereas Thunderbolt 4 helps DisplayPort 2.0.
Power Delivery stays variable, so you continue to must examine the facility delivered by a Thunderbolt hub monitor is sufficient for the system you wish to join.
For now, BenQ’s newest PD-Series workstation monitors are the one screens I’d advocate as a Thunderbolt hub monitor. LG gives a number of Thunderbolt screens, however they lack the breadth of ports wanted to considerably broaden the connectivity of your PC.
What comes subsequent: More energy…generally.
USB4 is the latest USB standard. It will improve the minimal information price for USB to 20Gbps and help a most of 40Gbps. I’d anticipate most units will supply the minimal somewhat than the utmost. Still, it’s a pleasant improve over prior variations of USB. USB4 will likely be backwards appropriate with USB 2.0 and newer in addition to Thunderbolt 3.
The newest model of USB Power Delivery helps as much as 240 watts of energy, sufficient to deal with all however the quickest laptops. That’s an enormous deal. It will permit simple, single-cable connections with laptops at the moment too highly effective to embrace it.
USB Forum
Now the dangerous information: Compatible devices are rare. Only just a few USB-C hubs or docks can be found and not one of the USB-C screens proven at CES 2022 introduced help for USB4 or the 240-watt Power Delivery normal.
USB4 makes inclusion of Power Delivery normal and has the choice to help the newest as much as 240 watts of energy, however it doesn’t improve the required minimal wattage. You’ll nonetheless must maintain a detailed eye on precisely how a lot energy a USB-C monitor supplies.
Conclusion
USB-C hub screens could be a bit complicated, however deciphering the small print is well worth the effort. You’ll must do the identical psychological gymnastics to purchase the proper USB-C hub or dock, anyway. Choosing a USB-C hub monitor over a standalone dock will supply the identical advantages and save house in your desk.