Modern laptops have few ports. A hub or dock lets you connect monitors, keyboard, mouse, external drives and more with a single USB-C or Thunderbolt cable. The difference between a basic hub and a Thunderbolt dock can be significant.
Thunderbolt 4 Dock
4.8/5 · Based on 278 reviews
The most complete Thunderbolt 4 dock on the market. 18 ports, 98W charging and compatible with Mac and PC.
~230€
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Read full review →USB-C Hub
4.5/5 · Based on 412 reviews
The most complete USB-C hub for under €70. 8 ports including 4K HDMI, Ethernet and card reader.
~30€
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Read full review →A hub is small and portable, powered by the laptop itself: ideal for carrying and adding a few ports. A dock is larger, with its own power supply, and is the fixed hub of your desk: leave it connected and plug in the laptop with one cable. If you always work in the same place with several monitors, you want a dock.
Almost always the video output. "Supports 4K" means nothing without the hertz: many hubs only do 4K at 30 Hz (choppy) or a single monitor. For two 4K monitors at 60 Hz you need Thunderbolt. Also check whether your laptop has Thunderbolt or just standard USB-C.
Only if it has Power Delivery (PD), and it depends on the watts. A powerful laptop may need 90-100 W; many hubs only deliver 60 W, which charges but slowly under load. Check the PD wattage before buying if you want to charge over the same cable.
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