Monitors and Thunderbolt devices or even plain USB devices, the TB4 ports support it all so it has the most flexibility. Also some TB devices don't properly daisy-chain so you have to terminate the chain with them, and if you have more than one of these kinds of devices then you use up all the Mac Thunderbolt ports.
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Review: CalDigit's Element Hub Delivers Flexible Thunderbolt and USB Support
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Thats a limitation of M1. The hubs have nothing to do with it.
The CalDigit Hub is selling well enough that it is not only hard to find, but has gone up in price from $199 to $229 to $249.
The price was just ok at $199. At $249 you might as well spring the extra couple bucks for the TS3+.
The goal of the USB-C connector is to replace USB-A. For me, that can't happen soon enough. (Windows user, by the way.) At the risk of stating the obvious, USB-C is not only smaller but connects on the first try. As the old joke goes, USB-A is the only binary connector that takes a minimum of three tries to get it inserted.
Echo 11 Thunderbolt 4 Dock - SONNETTECH
Thunderbolt 4 docking hub with Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C), USB 3.2 Gen 2, Ethernet and audio ports, SD card slot, 90W power delivery, and 4K, 5K, 6K, 8K support.
This one has 90W PD and supposedly can handle 2x 5K @ 60Hz external monitors (which is really just the LG Ultrafine 5K and maybe 1 dell)
I want this, but will wait until I can get it for less than $200
It really depends on what you need. What makes this hub so excellent is that all of its ports (A & C) are the latest USB standard and you can turn it into whatever you want. For example, I capture images on CFexpress cards and connect to a 10GbE network, so an SD card slot and an RJ45 1GbE port just wasted space. I use an external DAC, so the headphone jack is a waste of space. My primary 30-inch monitor is DVI-D, so DP and HDMI ports don't help me. Each USB-A port and USB-C port on this device can be specifically customized for my needs with 100% efficiency. For me, it is worth the cost. Of course, YMMV.
I purchased the Element Hub when I received my MBP MAX. It worked well for a couple of weeks and then out of the blue most USB-A ports died and I had to return it. Luckily, it was under Amazon return window. I end up buying the OWC TB4 11 port hub and so far, so good. Seems like a solid product.
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I was going to ask this. I have a TS3+, and while great, both Thunderbolt ports are used: one to the Mac, one to the display. I'd like a few more actual Thunderbolt ports to work with.
Have you tried this yourself? Anyone else? Any issues?
Yeah, this thing is really lacking on ports. Calling stuff legacy is way out of line. I'm still waiting for the version that let's me connect my ps-2 keyboard and serial monitor. I dunno what the author's been been smoking.
Joking aside, I don't actually have a single TB3 or TB4 accessory, and my iPhone still uses a legacy lighting connector.
This one might work:
Nov8tech USB C Docking Station Dual Monitor – 13 in 1 Triple Display USB C Hub Multiport Adapter With 2x 4K HDMI, Ethernet, VGA, USB 3.0/C/2.0, SD/TF Card Reader, PD For Macbook, Lenovo, HP, Dell, XPS
Upgrade your connectivity with the NOV8Tech 13-in-1 Aluminum laptop docking station, a sleek and powerful accessory designed to enhance your digital lifestyle. This computer dock offers a comprehensive range of ports, including 2x 4K HDMI for immersive displays, a 3.5mm Audio Jack for enriched au...
www.amazon.com
That's a bit weird. I am at this very moment using an original M1 Mac mini with dual 4K monitors, 1 direct via HDMI and 1 via a TS3+ hub, but in theory I could connect the second one directly via TB-> displayport cable, unless I'm missing something?
I’ve had mine for quite awhile. I ordered it directly from CalDigit. I believe it was only $159. It took three months to arrive, though.
Caldigit have confirmed they will soon announce an update to the TS3+ .. so TB4 with extra ports
If you think this is expensive think again. I have two computers - one private and one for work and all I need to unplug is one damn cable for: two displays (4K), microphone, speakers, USB peripherals, DSLR via Elgato Camlink - and one press on my Logitech system and it’s all connected to mouse and keyboard.
Of course you can do the old fashioned “plug millions of cables” but it takes time, it destroys cable over time, and the wiring looks like crap.
(I use the Ts3+)
Of course you can do the old fashioned “plug millions of cables” but it takes time, it destroys cable over time, and the wiring looks like crap.
(I use the Ts3+)
I like having it as a single connection dock where I have a thunderbolt monitor, a time machine drive, and external data drive, and a document scanner all connected to my 2-port MBA. I also am able to connect USB-A peripherals when needed. There are many times when I am use 3 or more devices at once and that would not be possible with the default 2 ports. This also lets me connect multiple thunderbolt devices like a monitor and that external hard drive; something you could not do with the earlier Thunderbolt 3 docks.
This might be a little less needed if I had one of the new MBP with more and more varied ports but even then you have to connect and disconnect the ports each time you move the laptop.
I have not noticed significant heating. you might want to keep an eye on that and definitely not stack them like that.
this is not a limitation of the hub. the M1 chip only supports one external monitor. There are specialty adaptors that take two monitors and combine them so that they appear as one to the M1, but that is not what this kind of dock is for.
If you were to use this with an M1 Pro or Max chip device (the MBP) you could connect multiple external thunderbolt monitors though it, up to the capacity of the thunderbolt cable.
I'll second that. Just got this OWC TB4 dock after digging through a dozen-odd options that all fell short in one way or another. I've got it running gigabit networking, two displays, my laptop (14" M1 Pro), a Stream Deck, external USB-2 hard drive, headphones, and the occasional USB-C peripheral like a hard drive or flash drive and it has performed flawlessly.
It's not cheap, but it finally got me to the "single cable solution" I've been pining for lo these many years.