Hello, Guys welcome back with the Latest CalDigit’s Element Hub Delivers Flexible Thunderbolt and USB Support Review. Recent advances in Thunderbolt technology have enabled the inclusion of numerous downstream Thunderbolt ports on various docks and hubs, and CalDigit’s Thunderbolt 4 Element Hub, released earlier this year, offers just that in the shape of a tiny dock that supports Thunderbolt 4 and USB4.
CalDigit’s Thunderbolt hubs have long been a favourite of mine, and I’ve used the company’s TS3 Plus as my primary docking station for many years. The Element Hub lacks some of the specific features found in CalDigit’s other docking stations, such as an SD card slot or Ethernet connector, but if you have many Thunderbolt/USB-C devices and possibly a few USB-A peripherals, the new Element Hub could be a wonderful solution.
With Thunderbolt 4 capability, the Element Hub provides overall transfer speeds of up to 40 Gb/s, allowing it to drive up to a 6K monitor at 60Hz, including dual 4K displays when used with an M1 Pro/Max or Intel Mac. Windows users can also utilise the Element Hub to power an 8K monitor. but only at 30Hz.
Because of Thunderbolt 4’s versatility, you can use any type of external display with a proper adapter, including Thunderbolt 2/3/4, USB-C, HDMI, DisplayPort, Mini DisplayPort, VGA, and DVI.
The Element Hub has eight connectors in total, plus a DC-in port for charging the dock. There are four Thunderbolt 4/USB4 connectors, including one upstream port for connecting to the host computer and three independent downstream ports, each of which may support up to 40 Gbps of data transfer, though not all at the same time. Four USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports on the dock’s opposite side support up to 10 Gbps data transmission.
While the Element Hub is a small docking solution, it does require an extra 150-watt power brick that is much larger than the dock itself. Most users should be able to find a location to hide the adapter and maintain a clean, uncluttered look on their desks, but this isn’t a docking solution you’ll want to take on the road.
Even with the large power brick, the Element Hub’s charging power is restricted to 60 watts, so it won’t be adequate to charge a larger MacBook Pro unless used under light load. However, on a smaller MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, or iPad Pro,
CalDigit notes that the dock is capable of delivering a full 60 watts of power regardless of other loads, so if you have other Thunderbolt devices drawing power (up to 15 watts from each Thunderbolt port and 7.5 watts from each USB-A port) from the hub, it won’t reduce charging power to your computer as some other docks do.
It won’t give the fast charging capabilities found with a MagSafe connection on Apple’s current MacBook Pro models because it charges the host computer via USB-C, but as a desktop hub, it’s more likely to be used for constant power rather than swiftly recharging a depleted notebook anyhow. And, if you have one of the larger M1 Pro / Max MacBook Pro models, you’ll probably want to connect MagSafe anyhow, as the Element Hub only supports 60 watts.
The Element Hub has an interesting design feature in that it can be flipped over depending on which side of the computer you want it to be placed on. The dock’s top and bottom are nearly identical, with the same matte aluminium surface and modest CalDigit branding. The hub’s two long faces, where the majority of the ports are located, are matte black plastic, but they look fantastic and rest flat and solid with the aluminium body.
It’s a simple design, but it’s a sturdy construction that does the job. Pairs of grooves carved into the surface on either side give a touch of visual flair while also serving as mounting places for the accompanying rubber feet strips.
The Element Hub enables offline charging with its external power source, so all of the hub’s ports can be utilised to charge connected devices even when the hub isn’t connected to a computer. The Element Hub also supports Apple’s SuperDrive, with a modified driver from CalDigit providing enough power to accommodate the tiny CD/DVD drive. Finally, CalDigit’s macOS Docking Station Utility sits silently in your menu bar and allows you to simply eject any storage devices connected to the hub at once.
I like the flexibility that the Element Hub provides, with the Thunderbolt 4 ports providing a variety of possibilities, such as direct connections of Thunderbolt or USB-C cables or with adapters for even more connectivity.
Furthermore, the USB-A ports provide simple legacy support for older devices that still use the fading standard. I did some speed tests with Blackmagic Disk Speed Test with a Sandisk G-Drive Pro SSD with Thunderbolt for optimal performance. The drive is promised to support up to a maximum read speed of 2,800 MBps, and I come close to that when connected straight to my 2021 MacBook Pro, with read speeds above 2,500 MBps and write speeds near 2,000 MBps.
This is clear when I connect both the SanDisk SSD and one of my LG UltraFine 5K screens to the Element Hub. Because the 5K monitor consumes a considerable portion of the Thunderbolt bandwidth travelling from the PC to the hub, write rates on the SSD drop to less than 800 MBps in my testing. Because display connectivity is mostly unidirectional, read rates for the SSD remain unaffected, hovering around 2,500 MBps.
Despite the performance penalty, the Element Hub’s three downstream Thunderbolt connections provide maximum flexibility for attaching multiple devices, and the Element Hub’s additional four USB-A ports make it a great docking station for many users. If you have HDMI or DisplayPort external monitors, you will need some dongles, and if you need more features like an Ethernet port, SD slot, or 3.5mm audio, you should look into other possibilities.
CalDigit has had major difficulty keeping the Element Hub in stock due to high demand and chip shortages, and at the time the best supply is through Amazon, where it is priced at $249.99. A 0.8-meter Thunderbolt 4 connection is supplied, and CalDigit offers a variety of USB-C adapters for connecting multiple monitors.