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beatledud

macrumors 6502
Original poster
May 4, 2006
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I'm trying to find (with out much luck) a USB-C monitor with several USB port so the monitor can act as a proper USB hub. But most of the ones I find only have a couple USB ports in the back or side to use. I'm trying to get an all-in-one plug and play solution for both my MBP and my work Lenovo T490. The requirements on ports is as follows:

Thunderbolt 3/USB-C - To connect monitor, usb devices, and to power a MBP or a Lenovo T490 (with the correct wattage!).
USB-C - To plug my iPhone Magsafe charger into.
USB 3 - To plug an external hard drive into.
USB 3 (always ON?) - To plug a USB cable into for charging generic devices.
USB 2/3 - To plug my wireless headset dongle into.
USB 2/3 - To plug my wireless keyboard/mouse into.

The two USB 3 could also be USB C (would just have to get different cables). I'm personally not clear if the connection between the Monitor and laptop HAS to be Thunderbolt 3 or if USB-C would suffice but just with lower data transfer but sufficient power supply (I don't plan on daisy chaining).

Monitor size doesn't have to be massive (I'm kind of thinking 27" min size) nor the greatest of quality in resolution (should be good - but I'm not doing photo editing or video editing - just Drafting and general browsing....maybe games again some day). With that said - I'm really not trying to spend a fortune. My goal is around £300 (so a bit more if in $) but not finding much so far...However the 1,000+ don't really offer the ports I need either.
 
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Forget it. Prioritize picture quality from the monitor not the number of USB ports.

If you want more USB ports, feed one of the monitor USB ports to a USB hub. One of the great benefits of doing it this way is reducing cable clutter. My USB hub is taped to the underside of my desk; you can't see it. USB hubs are cheap.

The USB hub itself is powered externally so there are two ports for offline charging of various devices (game controllers, iPad, whatever).
 
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The Dell U2520D, which is a 25-inch, QHD, USB-C (NON-TB3) display will get you close - you get four USB ports (three A, one C, one of which has charging). This one is a QHD version (1440p) so it will support USB 3 speeds even when using a 60 Hz refresh rate. It's charge rate is 90 watts, so it should be sufficient for everything except the 16-inch MacBook Pro when the 16-inch is being used heavily enough.

There is a UHD (4K) version of this display as well in the 27 inch size, the U2720Q, with the same portage and charge rate. However, you only get USB 2.0 data speeds with a 60 Hz refresh rate due to bandwidth limitations.

The price for both are reasonable for the features and quality, with excellent stands and construction, good panel consistency, good color reproduction, and good brightness. (They are not considered the best for HDR though, if that matters.) The included cables are good quality but short - if you need a longer cable, you would want either a good quality USB-C or (passive) Thunderbolt 3 cable that supports data, USB-C DP Alt mode, and 100W charging...this adds 20-30 bucks to the purchase, if it matters.


 
The Dell U2520D, which is a 25-inch, QHD, USB-C (NON-TB3) display will get you close - you get four USB ports (three A, one C, one of which has charging). This one is a QHD version (1440p) so it will support USB 3 speeds even when using a 60 Hz refresh rate. It's charge rate is 90 watts, so it should be sufficient for everything except the 16-inch MacBook Pro when the 16-inch is being used heavily enough.

There is a UHD (4K) version of this display as well in the 27 inch size, the U2720Q, with the same portage and charge rate. However, you only get USB 2.0 data speeds with a 60 Hz refresh rate due to bandwidth limitations.

The price for both are reasonable for the features and quality, with excellent stands and construction, good panel consistency, good color reproduction, and good brightness. (They are not considered the best for HDR though, if that matters.) The included cables are good quality but short - if you need a longer cable, you would want either a good quality USB-C or (passive) Thunderbolt 3 cable that supports data, USB-C DP Alt mode, and 100W charging...this adds 20-30 bucks to the purchase, if it matters.


I had the older version of this monitor, the U2518D and there was one major flaw that forced me to return it;
Resolution / UI Scaling in Mac OS. At it's native resolution (2560x1440) on a 25" screen, the screen is super sharp @ 117DPI, but the UI is too small and made it difficult to read text on screen. Mac OS unfortunately did not allow for UI scaling settings like you would see on 4k screens. Really disappointing that Mac OS doesn't allow this kind of adjustment.


Also, 60hz these days is kind of pitiful.
 
Resolution / UI Scaling in Mac OS. At it's native resolution (2560x1440) on a 25" screen, the screen is super sharp @ 117DPI, but the UI is too small and made it difficult to read text on screen. Mac OS unfortunately did not allow for UI scaling settings like you would see on 4k screens.
FWIW, you can force the UI scaling on 2560×1440 monitors using SwitchResX.
 
How much power delivery wattage do you need for the MacBook or Lenovo? Monitors with power delivery will usually provide either 65 or 90 watts.
Only the monitors power delivery USB-C port will supply enough watts for your Magsafe charger. The magsafe charger needs 20W, but the most you can expect for non-power delivery is 15W.

There are many monitors with built-in USB hubs, but don't rely on any of them to fast-charge anything other than a single laptop. For your budget, you may be better off taping a USB-C hub to the back of a cheaper monitor and call it a day.
 
FWIW, you can force the UI scaling on 2560×1440 monitors using SwitchResX.
I tried that when I had the monitor, but it only decreases the resolution of the screen to make the UI bigger. There needs to be an option in Mac OS to increase the size of all apps UI without changing the resolution of the screen.
 
I tried that when I had the monitor, but it only decreases the resolution of the screen to make the UI bigger.
HiDPI modes don't decrease the resolution of the screen. They just give the impression of decreased resolution. You do lose screen estate in exchange for a bigger UI though, as you say.

There needs to be an option in Mac OS to increase the size of all apps UI without changing the resolution of the screen.
Way back in the 2005 to 2009 timeframe, in Mac OS X v10.4 to v10.6, there was a way to do just that, but it was very glitchy and unfinished. Basically unusable.
 
Forget it. Prioritize picture quality from the monitor not the number of USB ports.

If you want more USB ports, feed one of the monitor USB ports to a USB hub. One of the great benefits of doing it this way is reducing cable clutter. My USB hub is taped to the underside of my desk; you can't see it. USB hubs are cheap.

The USB hub itself is powered externally so there are two ports for offline charging of various devices (game controllers, iPad, whatever).
+1, though I prefer to use a docking station with the monitor connected to it. The two docking stations that I use provide a single connection to the computer and provide for a number of USB connections and dual monitors. Actually one can drive 3 monitors when using a Windows machine.
 
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