OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub review: Affordable super 80Gbps port booster

Best Prices Today: OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub

Thunderbolt 5 represents a significant performance boost over Thunderbolt 4 than 4 was over 3. The latest MacBook Pro models, M4 Pro Mac mini and M4 Mac Studio all boast Thunderbolt 5 ports, bringing with them up to 80Gbps data-transfer speeds and 120Gbps video bandwidth.

Today, even MacBooks come with enough ports for most people, but pro users or people with the need for multiple external displays and/or fast storage may find a separate docking station is required to add all the connections they need without using up all the ports on their main computer.

The best Mac Thunderbolt docking stations are loaded with fast ports, bringing extra Thunderbolt, USB-C, USB-A, 2.5Gb Ethernet, card readers and audio ports. The CalDigit TS5 Plus has a staggering 20! All those extra ports are valuable but come at a cost: that TS5 Plus has a $499 price tag.

If you just need more super-fast Thunderbolt 5 ports, you should consider a more affordable hub, which is like a dock but focused on just a one or two different ports on top. For example, the front ports on the M4 Max Mac Studio offer only 10Gbps USB-C speed, so this hub can bring a fully fledged Thunderbolt 5 port experience to the fore—ideal for fast mobile SSDs. (The M3 Ultra Mac Studio does boast two Thunderbolt 5 ports at the front.)

Read more: Thunderbolt 5 vs Thunderbolt 4 vs USB-C.

We are fans of the OWC Thunderbolt 5 Dock that offers 11 ports. But what if the OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub really has everything you need at a noticeable price difference?

Specs and features

OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub:

• One upstream Thunderbolt 5 port (80Gbps, 140W)
• Three downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports (80Gbps, 15W)
• One USB-A port (10Gbps, 7.5W)
• 180W power supply

Let’s compare that to the full OWC Thunderbolt 5 Dock:

• One upstream Thunderbolt 5 port (80Gbps, 140W)
• Three downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports (80Gbps, 15W)
• Two USB-A ports (10Gbps, 7.5W)
• One USB-A port (5Gbps, 7.5W)
• Ethernet (2.5Gb)
• UHS-II SD card reader (312MBps)
• UHS-II microSD card reader (312MBps)
• 3.5mm combo audio jack (front)
• 180W power supply

While the full OWC dock’s 11 ports will be useful to some, if you are only after more of the fastest Thunderbolt connections, it can be overkill.

If you are happy with the speed and stability of your WiFi network and never connect to a wired LAN via Ethernet, you simply don’t need that expensive port.

If you don’t see the need to add inexpensive portable storage via SD or MicroSD cards, then those slots will sit idle on a full dock.

Content with listening and talking through your wireless AirPods or headset? You can ignore the audio jack.

If you do need any of these features, you can always add a simple USB-C adapter via one of the Thunderbolt ports. We’ve rounded up and tested the best USB-C adapters for your delectation.

Power

The upstream Thunderbolt 5 port can supply 140W of power to the laptop, which is enough to fast-charge even the top-end 16-inch MacBook Pro. The three other TB5 ports are rated for power output at 15W and the single USB-A port at 7.5W.

Seeing as Apple recommends at least an 18W USB-C connection to fast-charge an iPhone, this line-up feels a little underpowered in that regard.

USB-A is a nice inclusion if you have legacy charging devices or frequently use old-school USB memory sticks that still seem to be the go-to connection for portable flash drives. Modern Macs have moved on from USB-A despite the old standard hanging on in some quarters. But we would still prefer a USB-C port capable of outputting at least 20W of power for charging an iPhone at a decent speed or connecting a wireless charger.

The 180W external power supply is generous, allowing for full 140W laptop charging plus a couple of the Thunderbolt ports going at full tilt.

Design

The OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub is slimmer than OWC’s full Thunderbolt 5 Dock, yet offers the same three downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports.

It measures 7 x 3.1 x 0.9 inches (17.8 x 7.8 x 2.2cm) and weighs 0.84lbs (382g). This compares to the Dock’s 1.7-inch (4.3cm) depth and 1.17lbs (530g) weight.

We approve of the placement of the upstream Thunderbolt 5 port at the back, next to two of the downstream TB5 ports. The company’s Thunderbolt 4 Hub had the upstream port at the front, which we find create unnecessary cable mess on the desk.  

Alongside the upstream TB5 port at the back are two of the downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports. Some dock makers compromise with one fewer TB port to make way for a dedicated video port. They argue that dock users will be attaching at least one external display so would have to use one of the TB ports anyway and require a video adapter cable.

But we are happy with the flexibility of the maximum three downstream Thunderbolt ports. Most decent monitors these days can connect via USB-C/Thunderbolt and so don’t need an HDMI or DisplayPort adapter.

One of the downstream TB5 ports is at the front, for fast connections when you need them.

Also at the front is the USB-A port for easy access—I expect that memory sticks are being thought about here, and no one enjoys reaching around the back of a device trying to fit in a non-reversible USB-A connection.

It boasts the same glossy top that looks sleek but it is just as prone to dust and smudges as the dock top. It looks great pristine but can mark up if you leave it exposed or keep touching it.

We like the side-positioned power button, which allows you to switch off power to the connected MacBook when it’s not in use, which can help reduce strain on the laptop’s battery.

Video options

You don’t need a fully equipped dock to connect up to external monitors.

While Windows users can add up to three (up to three 8K displays at 60Hz, or two 8K displays at 120Hz) Apple limits Thunderbolt docks to just two on its Macs.

For all Macs you’ll need a dock that supports DisplayLink software or use the MacBook’s HDMI port or spare Thunderbolt ports to connect more than two external displays. Read our reviews of the best DisplayLink docks if two monitors is just not enough for you. DisplayLink can add up to five.

Refresh rate is, to some degree, determined by whether the connected display supports Display Stream Compression (DSC). Non-DSC displays offer lower refresh rates. Currently, MacBooks equipped with the top-end M4 Max support up to dual 8K at 60Hz with DSC, while all other Apple silicon models support up to dual 6K at 60Hz with DSC.

All Apple silicon (M series) Macs can drive a single 4K display at 144Hz. Newer models, such as all M4 versions and M2 or M3 Pro and Max chips can also support a single 4K display at 240Hz. For dual high refresh-rate displays, only M4 Pro and M4 Max models can handle dual 4K at 144Hz.

See our list of the best displays for Mac and also the best portable monitors.

Full power in practice

For our practical test, my colleague Thomas Bergbold from our sister title Macwelt benchmarked various drives and compared them with an Apple Mac Studio M4 Max, using the 4K test in AJA System Test Lite.

The first drive he tested was the OWC Envoy Ultra Thunderbolt 5 drive. The measured data transfer rate of 4,390MBps write and 5,606MBps read is slightly lower than the 5,101MBps write and 6,253MBps read directly on the Mac Studio.

We connected the Lacie Rugged SSD Pro 5 Thunderbolt 5 drive directly to the front TB port and measured 4,428MBps write and 5,491MBp/s read speeds. This is also impressive compared to the 4,947MBps write and 5,626MBps read speeds directly connected to the Mac Studio. By the way, it makes no difference whether you use the rear downstream ports or front.

We connected the ADATA SE920 USB4 drive directly to the front Thunderbolt 5 port and measured 3,249MBps write and 3,491MBps read speeds. This is also excellent compared to the 3,264MBps write and 3,536MBps read speeds when connected directly to the Mac Studio.

Our final test examined how much the data-transfer rate changes when multiple drives are used in parallel. We connected two USB4 drives and started a large copy job. At the same time, we measured the data-transfer rate on an OWC Envoy Ultra. At 3,740MBps write and 4,220MBps read, the speed is still above USB4 levels.

Price and alternatives

The OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub is priced at $189.99, compared to $329.99 for the full OWC TB5 Dock.

While we have tested several Thunderbolt 5 docks, there really aren’t many Thunderbolt 5 hubs available today. The only real competition in the hub market is the CalDigit Thunderbolt 5 Element 5 Hub that at $299.99 costs significantly more than the OWC TB5 Hub but boasts three USB-A and another two USB-C ports.

Check out our full recommendations of the best Thunderbolt docks and hubs for MacBook.

Should you buy the OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub?

For a simple solution that adds as many extra Thunderbolt 5 as possible, the high-quality OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub is the most affordable available and an appealing premium alternative to full docking stations.

Best Prices Today: OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub