Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

mamcx

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 13, 2008
212
28
I have a Mac Mini 6C as my main, and now I'm considering moving to the new M1 Air (and start moving others when Apple releases the next batch).

With only 2 ports, I get short than the mini. I need then a hub that brings the gap. I need:

  • 1 HDMI for 4K monitor
  • Ethernet
  • 2 USB-A
  • 2 USB-C/T3 (1 for external SSD Mercury Elite Pro Mini)
  • Headphone jack
Now the question is that is a good option of good quality and price (the hub will be use nearly all day all days)
 
USB-C docks/hubs exist with this many ports as a budget option, but Thunderbolt 3 docks that meet your needs are plentiful as well. So if anything there‘s an abundance of choice here. I would recommend considering hubs/docks that use DisplayPort too though, since a DisplayPort -> HDMI adapter is cheap if you need one, and generally reliable.

It’s hard to go wrong with something like the CalDigit TS3+: https://www.amazon.com/CalDigit-TS3-Plus-Thunderbolt-Dock/dp/B07CZPV8DF

Plenty of ports and isn’t too big. One of the cheaper Thunderbolt docks currently, and is a great value. You can use either the TB3 or DisplayPort outputs to hook up a monitor, and as I said, an HDMI adapter is cheap.

This would probably do the trick in your case as well as long as you don’t mind the front-facing TB3 connection for the laptop: https://www.amazon.com/Plugable-Thunderbolt-Charging-Compatible-DisplayPort/dp/B0845X1LV7

But at the pricing the CalDigit can be found at now, it gives you a bit more bang for the buck, while being a bit bigger.

And there’s a lot of options in this space, but they tend to start at around 200$ US and go up to 300$, and they are all over the place in terms of ports. About the only real catch is that DisplayPort 1.4 (for things like 4K 120Hz) is spotty in docks. And if you don’t care about that, then I’d say go ahead and go with bang for the buck.

I don’t really have any good recommendations on USB-C docks. So many of them don’t provide extra USB-C ports that are meant for data. The ones that do start offering good amounts of ports start getting close to the price of a Thunderbolt dock, at which point, you could step up to a Thunderbolt dock and not have to worry about saturating the USB-C connection (since your 4K display will eat a good chunk of the available bandwidth).
 
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.