Nowadays, more and more laptops are built with less and less ports. Between your charger, your second screen and any other gaming peripherals you’ve picked up, you’re probably finding that you’re fast running out of ports to connect or charge all of the devices you own. That’s why we think it’s time you invested in an USB hub, so you can create the gaming set-up of your dreams.
For those unaware, a USB hub acts as an extension lead for any USB-compatible device. Most tend to feature about four USB-A ports, while some come with extra ports that are suitable to plug in a HDMI cable or a microSD card.
This makes it a must-have as PC brands begin to steer more towards thinner and compact gaming laptops with less and less room for USB ports. Even newer MacBooks and Chromebooks are moving in favour of slimmer builds, featuring small, minimalistic USB-C ports. However, seeing as many PC accessories still use USB-A shields, this means that decking out your rig with a wired RGB keyboard or second screen can become tight for space.
Having so many devices competing for desk space can make your gaming station look cluttered and confusing. You might find yourself scratching your head wondering which cable goes with what device or maybe you thought you’d plugged one in for a recharge then realised a different cable was plugged in this whole time. Don’t worry, it happens to the best of us.
With a USB hub, you have the opportunity to have all of your cables connected to one centralised hub. It’ll save you more time than individually unplugging and switching cables, as well as having the ability to unplug the entire hub altogether and take it with you when travelling.
Of course, a USB hub doesn’t just serve as a way to extend the number of ports you have on your laptop or PC, but it also helps to achieve super fast data transfers from external storage devices. If you’re a content creator as well as a gamer, you’ll be able to transfer videos and photos much quicker than you would with a regular cable, especially if you own one with a 3.0 USB connector.
But before you take the plunge, here are a few questions you should ponder before investing in a USB hub.
How many ports do I need?
While it’s easy to think that the more ports, the better – that’s not necessarily true. While handy, it’s wholly unnecessary (and expensive) to use a 20-port USB hub as a nearby charging station for your wireless mouse or keyboard. If you do only want a USB hub to charge your devices, then we recommend the AUTENS USB charging station, which you can check out here.
When choosing a USB hub, think about how many peripherals are on your desk now, whether you’re actually going to use them and how many of them you’ll need simultaneously plugged it at any given time.
What kind of ports do I need?
You’ll have to take a look at each of your peripherals and see what types of ports they fit with. Thankfully, most USB hubs aren’t limited to just USB-A ports and can also support USB-C, as well as HDMI connections too. You might find it handy to grab one with some USB-A ports and a SD card reader slot as well. It’s totally up to you.
How fast does it need to be?
This depends on what you intend to use your USB hub for. If it’s just to connect an external keyboard to your PC or charge a mouse, then you’ll get by just fine with a 2.0 compatible USB hub.
However, if you like to dabble with video editing or transferring large game files on and off your laptop, then you’ll want to choose a 3.0 USB-compatible hub, which offers double the transfer speeds of a 2.0 port.
What USB hub should I buy?
Sabrent 4-Port USB 3.0 Data Hub
This 4-port USB hub includes individual LED power switches for each connection, so you can choose what is or isn’t connected. However, it’s designed for data transfer only – not charging.
Where to buy: Amazon ($14.99) | Catch ($26.45) | eBay ($18.65)
Tersely 4-Port USB-A 3.2 Hub
Tersely’s simple hub sells itself by being cheap and fairly small. Unlike most USB hubs on the market, this one sports four upgraded 3.2 USB ports that offer an even faster data transmission rate of 10Gbps, which is double the speed of a 3.0 USB port.
Where to buy: Amazon ($12.95) | eBay ($19.99)
Anker 4-Port USB 3.0 Ultra Slim Data Hub
Anker’s USB-A hub includes a lengthy 60cm cable, a super slim design with a damage resistant cable and four USB 3.0 ports for your peripherals.
Where to buy: Amazon ($14.99) | Catch ($32.95) | eBay ($19.99)
Novoo USB-C Hub Adapter
This is the perfect choice if you own a new MacBook Air, which is limited to only two USB-C ports. While this one only has two USB 3.0 ports, it also supports 4K HDMI and SD/MicroSD card readers if you need an all-purpose hub.
Where to buy: Amazon ($29.99)
IVETTO USB 3.0 7-Port Hub
If you need lots of USB 3.0 ports, then IVETTO has got you more than covered with a whopping seven ports.
Where to buy: Amazon ($57.54) | eBay ($18.95)
WAVLINK 13-in-1 USB-C Hub
This WAVLINK hub can do the most. It features 13 different ports that cater to HDMI, USB-A and USB-C with 3.0 compatibility, as well as an SD card slot and a headphone jack. The better question is what can’t it do?
Where to buy: Amazon ($89.99)
Sabrent USB 3.0 20-Port Aluminum Hub with Power Switches and LEDs
We said there was 20-port USB-C hub and we weren’t kidding. This might be overkill for most, but hey, if you’ve got a lot of gadgets at least you know this Sabrent USB 3.0 hub won’t let you down. It even comes with an individual switch for each port so you can save power off the ones you aren’t using.
Where to buy: Amazon ($163.87)
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