Have a 16” MBP M1 Pro with a LG 5k2k on the way: help me figure out additional needs

[kbutler84]

I have a 16” with M1 Pro and 32gb ram and have an LG 5k2k ultra wide on the way. I’m debating if I’ll need a thunderbolt hub or not. I’ll use this primarily as a photo editing work station. The potential uses for the hub would be a single cable solution to provide power, Ethernet connection, and SD reader. Granted with the monitor I ordered, I can power the MBP with the thunderbolt connection. I have a 400/400 fiber connection and I’m seeing good speeds via wifi currently. I’m sure a wired connection will be more stable and provide better connection to my NAS. My plan is to keep working files on the internal SSD and then offload to the NAS once finished.

With all that being said. Does my use case warrant a thunderbolt hub? And if so, can I get by with a thunderbolt 3, or will I benefit from a thunderbolt 4 hub?

 

[GrindedDown]

I have mostly the same setup and have been contemplating the same thing. For now, the usb hub in the 5k2k is fine enough for me and I’m sticking to Wi-Fi for connection at the moment. Having said that, I think I may go with a used thunderbolt 3 hub, something like the OWC on eBay or something. Prices are very good over the newer thunderbolt 4 hubs and things like a 3rd thunderbolt port on the tb4 model vs 2 on the tb3 model don’t make much of a difference to me.

My workflow is video editing, working off of external drives, and hooked into my 5k2k. With the ports on the mbp, and the hub on the back of the lg, I’m holding off on a hub for just a little bit longer. I also don’t have a NAS yet and is something I am going to acquire by the end of the year. having a nas might be the tipping point for me to get a tb hub. Tb3 will be just fine though.