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CalDigit's Latest Dock Features Four Thunderbolt 4 Ports and Four USB-A Ports
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That's spelled out on Caldigit's page. Any Thunderbolt 4 hub/dock requires Big Sur.
I did some testing. It sort of works with Catalina if it's connected before boot but it doesn't support hot plug.
There were some cases where I couldn't get max performance from a USB type A or type C port, but swapping cables or trying again was sufficient to get the expected result. For Thunderbolt performance, different NVMe's will have different performance and changing the enclosure usually won't change that.
I didn't try connecting the Element hub after another device except once in the Startup Manager tests which seemed to cause a hang.
Comparing this with the OWC Thunderbolt 4 hub, we see that the CalDigit adds a 5 port USB 3.1 Gen 2 hub but only 4 of the ports are exposed. The main 3.0 hub is the same built-in Intel 8087:0b40 which I guess is part of Goshen Ridge? I didn't take the Element Hub apart to find out. The main 2.0 hub is CalDigit in the Element hub and Fresco Logic in the OWC hub, so I guess that means vendors get to choose that part. As with the OWC Thunderbolt 4 hub, the Element hub uses only one of the controller ports which is used to connect the main hubs.
If you would like to see a different test, then let me know.
Code:
CalDigit Element Hub and Mac Mini 2018
Layout:
USB:
USB 3.1 Bus 8086:0b27 Intel Goshen Ridge XHCI (uses AppleUSBXHCITR in Big Sur, but uses AppleUSBXHCIPCI in Catalina)
USB 2.0 XHCI port 1
Element USB 2.0 Hub 2188:0031 CalDigit
USB 2.0 hub port 1
USB2.0 Hub 2188:0031 CalDigit
USB 2.0 hub port 1 type A #3
USB 2.0 hub port 2 type A #2
USB 2.0 hub port 3
USB 2.0 hub port 4 type A #1
USB 2.0 hub port 5 type A #4
USB 2.0 hub port 6
USB 2.0 hub port 7
USB 2.0 hub port 8
Element Hub 2188:0035 CalDigit Billboard Device
USB 2.0 hub port 2 type C #1
USB 2.0 hub port 3 type C #2
USB 2.0 hub port 4 type C #3
USB 2.0 XHCI port 2
USB 3.0 XHCI port 1
USB3.0 Hub 8087:0b40 Intel
USB 3.0 hub port 1 type C #3
USB 3.0 hub port 2 type C #1
USB 3.0 hub port 3 type C #2
USB 3.0 hub port 4
USB3.0 Hub 2188:0032 CalDigit
USB 3.0 hub port 1 type A #3
USB 3.0 hub port 2 type A #2
USB 3.0 hub port 3
USB 3.0 hub port 4 type A #1
USB 3.0 hub port 5 type A #4
USB 3.0 XHCI port 2
Startup Manager (hold the Option key at boot):
- If connected to Alpine Ridge at boot, may cause Startup Manager.
- If direct connect to Mac at boot, then USB and Thunderbolt devices appear.
- Hot plugging USB device to any of the 7 ports works.
- Hot plugging Thunderbolt devices to any of the 3 Thunderbolt ports works.
- Hot plug Element Hub works.
- Can boot USB and Thunderbolt to Big Sur.
- Can boot USB to Catalina.
- Cannot boot Thunderbolt to Catalina.
Catalina:
- If direct connect to Mac at boot, then USB controller appears and down stream Thunderbolt devices may appear.
- If the USB controller of hub exists then USB devices can be hot plugged to it.
- If Element hub is hot plugged, then nothing appears.
- Performance R/W AmorphousDiskMark (SEQ1M QD8 1 GiB MB/s):
type A #1: 981 993
type A #2: 977 994
type A #3: 377 995 (slow reads - reconnect and try again)
type A #4: 983 994
type A #3: 446 460 (5 Gbps should be 10 Gbps - reconnect and try again)
type A #3: 380 990 (slow reads - reconnect and try again)
type A #3: (test incomplete, disconnect drive, USB3.0 Hub disappears, restart)
type A #4: 126 994 (slow reads - reconnect and try again)
type A #3: 983 987 (different USB-C to USB-A cable)
type C #1: 448 453 (5 Gbps should be 10 Gbps - reconnect and try again)
type C #2: 1002 1004
type C #3: 1003 1007
type C #1: 1003 1007 (now it's working)
TB #1: 2786 2355 (Sabrent Rocket 4.0 2TB) (Mac Mini 2018 direct = 2746 2732)
Big Sur:
- Thunderbolt, USB controller, and downstream Thunderbolt devices appear.
- Performance R/W AmorphousDiskMark (SEQ1M QD8 1 GiB MB/s):
type C #3: 1003 1003
TB #1: 2828 580 (Samsung 960 Pro 1TB)
TB #3: 2700 2500 (Sabrent Rocket 4.0 2TB) (Mac Mini 2018 direct = 2739 2847)There were some cases where I couldn't get max performance from a USB type A or type C port, but swapping cables or trying again was sufficient to get the expected result. For Thunderbolt performance, different NVMe's will have different performance and changing the enclosure usually won't change that.
I didn't try connecting the Element hub after another device except once in the Startup Manager tests which seemed to cause a hang.
Comparing this with the OWC Thunderbolt 4 hub, we see that the CalDigit adds a 5 port USB 3.1 Gen 2 hub but only 4 of the ports are exposed. The main 3.0 hub is the same built-in Intel 8087:0b40 which I guess is part of Goshen Ridge? I didn't take the Element Hub apart to find out. The main 2.0 hub is CalDigit in the Element hub and Fresco Logic in the OWC hub, so I guess that means vendors get to choose that part. As with the OWC Thunderbolt 4 hub, the Element hub uses only one of the controller ports which is used to connect the main hubs.
If you would like to see a different test, then let me know.
Got mine on the March 20th to use with a M1 MacBook - the hub failed this weekend (shorted out - will not power on any longer). When I disconnect and reconnect the power cable it has an electrical burning smell.
Good point especially since USBC is where things are moving and they would still support USB 3.2 Gen 2 10Gbps.
I have a number of SSDs I tested on it in Raid 0, 1, 4, 5, and 10 (1+0). I experienced pauses and "staccato" performance in some cases. I presume it is me, but the Element has not worked for me like I had hoped. It is very promising, however an upgrade of the CalDigit TS3 Plus that changed all the USB-A and USB-C ports into TB4 ports would render them all usable for either USB4 or TB4 compliant connections. If the host power were to be allowed to distribute to the ports the device would become almost independent from the power brick especially with a desktop that was plugged into the wall. I was testing with an iMac. I haven't finished, but I was hoping to plug and play.