A USB-C hub should do more than give you back the ports your laptop manufacturer removed. If you have a high-refresh-rate monitor, it should also let you use that display without dropping to 60Hz. Plugable’s latest hubs promise to do that without requiring an expensive desktop dock, although your laptop still needs to support the advertised output.
The Plugable USBC-6IN1 and USBC-8IN1E support a single external display at up to 4K 144Hz or 8K 30Hz through HDMI 2.1. The six-port model costs $39.99, while the eight-port version costs $59.99. Plugable is offering a 20 percent launch discount on both, bringing those prices to approximately $32 and $48 before tax.
The appeal of 4K 144Hz goes beyond gaming. A higher refresh rate can make scrolling, moving windows, and following the mouse pointer look smoother, while retaining the detail of a 4K screen. That does not mean connecting one of these hubs will suddenly make your laptop run games at 144 frames per second. The hub provides the display connection; your computer still has to do the work.
The smaller USBC-6IN1 includes an HDMI 2.1 port, one USB-C data port, three USB-A ports, and a USB-C Power Delivery input. All four data ports support speeds up to 5Gbps. The USB-C data port and one USB-A port also offer up to 7.5W charging for connected devices.
That arrangement makes sense if your bag contains a mouse, an external drive, and a few other USB accessories. There is no Ethernet connection or memory card reader, but you get more USB-A ports than on the pricier model. The space gray aluminum enclosure measures 4.79 x 1.34 x 0.45 inches and has an attached 6.7-inch USB-C cable.
The USBC-8IN1E trades some of that USB connectivity for Gigabit Ethernet and separate SD and microSD readers. Both card slots can operate simultaneously, which could be useful when transferring files from two cards. They use UHS-I, however, with advertised speeds up to 104MB/s, so buyers working with faster cards should keep that ceiling in mind.
Alongside HDMI and the charging input, the eight-port model includes one 5Gbps USB-C data port, one 5Gbps USB-A port, and one USB-A 2.0 port. That slower port is better suited to a keyboard or mouse receiver than an external SSD. Its aluminum enclosure is slightly larger at 5.99 x 1.34 x 0.55 inches, with the same attached cable length.
There is also a charging detail worth understanding before buying either hub. Although Plugable advertises 100W pass-through charging, both accept up to 100W from a USB-C charger and deliver up to 85W to the laptop. The remaining 15W is reserved for the hub and its ports. A power supply is not included, and neither hub requires one for basic use.
Compatibility is the other catch. Both models work without drivers on Windows, ChromeOS, and macOS, but video output requires a USB-C port with DisplayPort Alt Mode. A USB-C connector alone does not guarantee that capability.
According to Plugable, reaching 4K 144Hz or 8K 30Hz on Windows requires DisplayPort 1.4 with Display Stream Compression, or DSC. Mac users need macOS 26 or later and a compatible model, which Plugable lists as M1 or M2 Pro and Max systems, or M3 and newer. An HDMI 2.1 cable and a compatible monitor are also required. Base M1 and M2 MacBooks, MacBook Neo, and laptops using DisplayPort 1.2 are limited to 4K 60Hz.
Both hubs come with a two-year warranty. The Plugable USB-C 6-in-1 Hub is available on Amazon here, while the Plugable USB-C 8-in-1 Hub with Ethernet can be purchased here. The cheaper model looks like the more sensible choice if you mainly need USB accessories and a monitor connection. Spending another $20 buys Ethernet and card readers, but it does not improve the advertised display output or laptop charging.
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