For power users juggling one or two high-resolution monitors, large data transfers, multiple PC accessories that require power, and perhaps 10 Gigabit Ethernet, a Thunderbolt dock can add convenient high-speed ports while providing a supporting PC, such as a MacBook. , provides power. . This helps streamline an office setup, but also usually comes with a clunky power brick to add to the mix. Hyper’s gallium nitride (GaN)-powered HyperDrive Thunderbolt 4 Hub, which began crowdfunding Monday, hopes to change that.
Hyper, a 7-year-old maker of PC hubs, docks, portable chargers and the like, is trying to crowdfund a Thunderbolt 4 hub that it claims is the first “Thunderbolt 4 hub with an integrated GaN power source.” The dock is a small square with rounded edges and offers one Thunderbolt 4 upstream port and three Thunderbolt4 downstream ports with up to 40 Gbps operation and accompanied by zero clunky power bricks.
Hyper isn’t ready to release its dock just yet; it is currently undergoing a Kickstarter campaign.
Kickstarter worries
Crowdfunding projects are a risky business, as Hyper admits on Thunderbolt 4 dock’s crowdfunding page. But it’s worth noting that Hyper has successfully crowdfunded similar projects, such as the HyperDrive Duo USB-C Hub made for MacBooks, which it claims is the “most crowdfunded MacBook and USB-C accessory” and the HyperJuice 100W GaN charger. , which the seller says is the “most crowdfunded USB-C charger.” The Thunderbolt 4 Power Hub is Hyper’s 28th crowdfunding project.
The Thunderbolt 4 Hub’s Kickstarter page says development started in February 2021. The device is said to be Intel certified and would ship to the first backers in November.
The development is at least far enough that Hyper was able to provide samples to Cult of Mac (which reported speeds in line with rival Thunderbolt products).
For those who would rather have the security of a product officially before putting money on the line, Hyper expects the Thunderbolt 4 Power Hub to sell for a hefty price, even by Thunderbolt 4 standards: $300.
GaN gain
The secret to the portability of the Thunderbolt 4 Power Hub is the use of GaN, rather than silicon, semiconductors for a smaller design. Other Thunderbolt 4 docks, such as the Plugable Thunderbolt 4 Hub, may have a small, central dock, but can also be plugged into a decent-sized power brick before being plugged into the wall.
The AC power input is 100~240V, 50/60Hz.
Hyper’s brickless hub, meanwhile, measures 4.9 × 4.9 × 1.25 inches and 1.4 lbs, according to Cult of Mac (although final specs may vary, as the hub is still crowdfunding).
The single upstream port supports 96W Power Delivery, which is enough to support much smaller laptops, such as the MacBook Pro, but not enough for power-hungry machines, such as a gaming laptop. Notably, the included Thunderbolt 4 cable is 2.6 feet long, while the power cable is 6 feet long.
The three downstream Thunderbolt 4 ports, meanwhile, can deliver 15W of power, which is enough for smaller devices, such as a smartphone.
Thunderbolt 4 boosts Thunderbolt 3’s 16Gbps PCIe speed to 32Gbps, and Hyper’s hub claims to make the most of that, making it suitable for external storage devices and eGPUs.
Hyper notes that its Thunderbolt 4 Hub cannot overcome the multi-monitor limitations of the Apple M1 and M2. While the hub claims to support up to one 8K monitor at a 60Hz refresh rate (or 4K at 144Hz), or two 6K monitors at 60Hz, it won’t work with an M1- or M2-based Mac.
Using two monitors at more than 4K and 60Hz requires the displays and GPU to support Display Stream Compression 1.2 and DisplayPort 1.4 HBR3. That means you can’t use the LG UltraFine 5K in a dual monitor setup with the hub either.
It’s also worth highlighting that this is a Thunderbolt 4 hub exclusively, meaning no other connectivity is available. Plugable’s aforementioned Thunderbolt hub has a USB-A port for more variety for comparison.
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