At a look
Professional’s Score
Professionals
- 9 ports but compact
- 4 Thunderbolt 5 ports
- 5 USB ports
- 180W complete energy
Cons
- Could require HDMI or DisplayPort adapters
Our Verdict
Extra of a mini dock than a hub, the CalDigit Component 5 packs 9 quick ports together with 4 of the most recent 80/120Gbps Thunderbolt 5.
Worth When Reviewed
This worth will present the geolocated pricing textual content for product undefined
Finest Pricing At present
Worth When Reviewed
$299.95
Finest Costs At present: CalDigit Thunderbolt 5 Component 5 Hub
The CalDigit Component 5 Hub is the successor to the corporate’s award-winning Thunderbolt 4 Component Hub, changing the Thunderbolt 4 (TB4) ports with the double-speed Thunderbolt 5 (TB5) and even squeezing in an additional USB port for good measure.
Simply because the CalDigit Component 4 Hub was our really useful Thunderbolt 4 hub, the Component 5 takes over its place on the prime of the Mac hub hierarchy.
Specs and options
- One upstream Thunderbolt 5 port (80Gbps/120Gbps, 90W)
- Three downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports (80Gbps, 15W)
- Two USB-C ports (10Gbps, 7.5W)
- Three USB-A ports (10Gbps, 7.5W)
- 180W energy provide
The Component 5 Hub boasts 5 Thunderbolt 5 ports, every providing blisteringly quick 80Gbps data-transfer and when using Bandwidth Increase can present as much as 120Gbps bandwidth for show functions.
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The upstream TB5 port that connects to your laptop can even ship as much as 90W of energy to a laptop computer. That’s sufficient to fast-charge nearly all of Apple’s MacBooks, though it gained’t fast-charge the top-end 14- or 16-inch Professional/Max MacBook Professional. For that you just’ll want a dock that may provide 140W. However 90W remains to be beneficiant and sufficient for many laptop computer setups.
The downstream TB5 ports can every provide 15W of energy, and the USB-C and USB-A ports have potential for 7.5W every. The exterior energy provide offers a good 180W—up from 150W with the Component 4—which is similar supplied by even a full-scale docking station such because the Sonnet Echo 13 Thunderbolt 5 Dock.
All of the USB ports—two USB-C and three USB-A— are rated at a quick 10Gbps.
Thunderbolt 5 is far more of an improve than Thunderbolt 4 was from Thunderbolt 3. It will probably present as much as 6,200MBps efficiency for exterior storage units, for instance, which is double that of Thunderbolt 4.
With 9 ports in complete, the Component 5 Hub provides greater than some other Thunderbolt hub we’ve seen or examined, together with even the eight-port Component 4 Hub. The OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub provides 4 TB5 ports and one 10Gbps USB-A port.
Whereas three USB-A ports ought to be lots for legacy units, most equipment are actually firmly within the USB-C camp so that you might need one or two left empty, and OWC’s one USB-A port might be all that’s required. It does, in fact, lack the Component 5 Hub’s further two Sort C ports.
The Thunderbolt 5 ports can be utilized to attach USB-C units, in fact, so as much as 5 could be accommodated utilizing this hub.
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A full docking station could have many extra ports of various kind, similar to quick Ethernet for wired community entry, card readers, show connections and audio ports, however with just a few cheap adapters the Component 5’s 9 ports could also be all you want.
As a result of it options so many ports, the Component 5 Hub is a critical consideration for desktop customers in addition to laptop computer homeowners and might be a match for docking stations relying in your wants.
You could possibly add an Ethernet adapter, such because the Ugreen USB-C to 2.5G Ethernet Adapter, or card reader performance by way of a USB-C adapter, for instance.
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Show choices
Whereas it doesn’t host a DisplayPort or HDMI port, the Component 5 Hub can connect with twin 6K or 8K 60Hz prolonged shows on Macs. These require no show adapter when the displays assist a USB-C or Thunderbolt connection however will in case your show calls for a DisplayPort or HDMI connection.
(When linked to Home windows Thunderbolt 5 PCs, the Component 5 Hub helps as much as three exterior prolonged shows with Bandwidth Increase in use. Observe that when Bandwidth Increase is in operation, the remainder of the hub drops to 40Gbps. Until connected to a DisplayLink dock, macOS doesn’t assist triple displays by way of a Thunderbolt Dock or Hub.)
For the Mac, the Component 5 Hub can assist two 6K shows at 60Hz or 4K shows at 144Hz.
Observe that Apple’s plain (non-Professional or Max) M1- and M2-based computer systems assist only one exterior monitor. Though it’s attainable to attach two or extra shows to M1 and M2 Macs by way of use of DisplayLink adapters, the Component 5 Hub doesn’t assist DisplayLink.
Nevertheless, we anticipate most individuals desirous about a strong Thunderbolt hub will personal a MacBook with a Professional or Max processor.
The Component 5 Hub is appropriate not simply with Macs however with USB-C or Thunderbolt iPads and iPhones, in addition to Home windows tablets.
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Design and construct
If used as a dock, the Component 5 Hub is among the smallest you’ll discover with its personal energy provide, measuring 4.5 x 2.75 x 1 inch (11.4 x 7 x 2.5cm) and weighing simply 200g (0.44lbs). That’s about the identical measurement as a fats pack of playing cards and shorter than an iPhone, and solely marginally bigger than the older Component 4 Hub.
You would possibly even lose monitor of it sat neatly in your desk, except, in fact, it has 9 cables protruding it alongside the facility cable.
The ability brick is about the identical measurement, and so is far diminished from that of the Component 4 Hub, which was fairly chunky. It’s not unattainable that you might use the Component 5 as a conveyable hub. It’s constructed with aluminum and feels sturdier than cheaper USB-C hubs.
The hub is reversible so you’ll be able to place both the three downstream TB5 ports and one USB-A port on the entrance or the opposite facet with two USB-C and two USB-A. That is made attainable by CalDigit being good sufficient to place the upstream TB5 port on one facet of the hub, which is a a lot better placement than on the entrance as some hub and dock producers do.
It ships with a 0.8m Thunderbolt 5 cable.
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Worth
The Component 5 Hub prices US$299.99, £249.99, or €249.99. That’s somewhat greater than the Component 4 Hub, and about $100 greater than the less-ported OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub.
It’s costlier than normal TB4 or USB-C hubs however it’s full of the most recent and most refined expertise and much more future-proof. For a nine-port Thunderbolt 5 hub, that further spend is justified, and if used as a substitute of a full-stocked dock will prevent cash.
There are various forms of hubs out there to Mac customers plus multifunction adapters and docks. Take a look at our roundups of the greatest USB-C hubs and adapters for Mac and greatest Thunderbolt docks for MacBook.
Verdict
You gained’t discover any extra trendy USB and Thunderbolt ports on a hub than you get with CalDigit’s compact and well-priced Thunderbolt 5 Component 5 Hub, and they’re all rated at prime speeds. The 90W energy supply is sufficient for many laptops, and different units ought to be absolutely powered too.
Though not fairly as handy as a bigger docking station, it will possibly even be used as a totally useful laptop computer Thunderbolt 5 dock with the precise adapters.
Cleverly designed, compact sufficient to be comparatively transportable and stocked with top-end ports, the Component 5 Hub is definitely our top-rated Thunderbolt 5 hub/mini dock.
