Satechi USB-C Slim Multiport with Ethernet Adapter (Space Grey)

My main goal was to use for a 3 display setup, utilizing the laptop display and two HP 23” 1080p displays. My laptop supplies one HDMI output and the Satechi 7-in-1 supplies the other. For my daily use the Satechi definitely has me covered for whatever I need. The plus is it helps me condense my accessories since it has an ethernet port as well; I won’t need to carry that separate accessory. Just using the HDMI port on the adapter the aluminum housing has a warmness to it. Not hot, but noticeably not cold either. Some things you need to consider: -USB-C port is Power Delivery only (meaning it is only for charging), it cannot be used as a Display Port or Data Transfer. So if you are needing the USB-C port to be more functional, you may need to look for another ... MoreMy main goal was to use for a 3 display setup, utilizing the laptop display and two HP 23” 1080p displays. My laptop supplies one HDMI output and the Satechi 7-in-1 supplies the other. For my daily use the Satechi definitely has me covered for whatever I need. The plus is it helps me condense my accessories since it has an ethernet port as well; I won’t need to carry that separate accessory. Just using the HDMI port on the adapter the aluminum housing has a warmness to it. Not hot, but noticeably not cold either. Some things you need to consider: -USB-C port is Power Delivery only (meaning it is only for charging), it cannot be used as a Display Port or Data Transfer. So if you are needing the USB-C port to be more functional, you may need to look for another adapter to meet your needs. Product page states it can handle 60W charging...this would be INPUT. It does not state that, but Thunderbolt 3 spec INPUT is 100W, but OUTPUT is 15W to USB peripherals. So, if your laptop only has 1 USB-C port and it is used for charging, then the Satechi 7-in-1 will allow you to use the USB-C port for charging. -Make sure you have good HDMI cables. Some older ones I had laying around would not work with the USB hub, even though they worked with my HDMI port on the laptop. I have Monoprice 4K cables and they worked just fine. -USB-A ports do not support charging or CD readers, including Apple SuperDrive. We recommend connecting one bus-powered device at a time. That last point is copied directly from the manufacturer product page. So it can be taken as you cannot use a CD reader or charge via USB-A. Also, don’t use more than one bus at a time. I am not too sure about all of that because if you can tell in my pic I have four ports being used and I am not having any issues and the device did not gain much warmth over what I noticed when just using the HDMI port for 3-display setup. Four ports being used: 1. Ethernet 2. USB Flash Drive 3. USB-DVD Writer 4. HDMI Now, I am not outputting anything 4K, and was only moving small folders of ~250MB at a time, while playing the DVD, streaming audio, and typing this in Google Docs. So not sure if Satechi is trying to cover their butts here or what? If indeed they only recommend using one powered bus at a time...HDMI, Ethernet, Micro/SD, USB-A, USB-C...then why buy this 7-in-1. I have used countless hubs in the past that didn’t have these limitations. You’ll have to decide for yourself on how you use your device and maybe their recommendation is based on what type of USB-C port will be supplying the hub. I listed my below, so if yours is less, then maybe it will put more strain on the hub and then run into overheating or reliability issues. The recommendation still makes me scratch my head if this thing can take up to 60W input though...which input and output are not equal, but it still has to be designed to take the heat of 60W input. Again, decide for yourself. I can confirm it won't do data transfer via USB-C, may laptop showed charging via USB-C 65W adapter (tested after taking the pic), but I also could not get it to charge my phone. So it would appear that the USB-C Port on the hub is for INPUT charging only. My setup: -Asus ROG Zephyrus G14: USB-C 3.2 with Power Delivery, DisplayPort, and G-Sync -MonoPrice Slimline HDMI 4K cable -Dual HP 23” 1080p Monitors -LG Slim DVD-Writer -Sandisk Cruzer 8GB USB 2.0 I don’t have any complaints on this device. The aluminum chassis is nice and the Space Gray looks good. It being very slim and streamlined it definitely fits into a bag easily. For cable management I kind of wish the HDMI port was on the other side, just to clean-up the wires and give a little more spacing on the side, but its meant for productivity and it does do that.

One of the biggest issues with modern laptops is the fact that there really isn't enough space for a full range of I/O anymore. This has made products like this multiport adapter all but essential if you're looking to use an Ultrabook as your primary machine, and after spending a week with this particular one I have to say it does a pretty good job. The minimalist design makes this very easy to slip into a bag or pack, and seems sturdy enough to survive rattling around with anything else that might be in there for a prolonged period. Functionality on all the ports seems more than adequate as well. There are a few limits you should probably be aware of. It can't quite match the speed or bandwidth you can get with a native port. Power delivery over USB-C is also ... MoreOne of the biggest issues with modern laptops is the fact that there really isn't enough space for a full range of I/O anymore. This has made products like this multiport adapter all but essential if you're looking to use an Ultrabook as your primary machine, and after spending a week with this particular one I have to say it does a pretty good job. The minimalist design makes this very easy to slip into a bag or pack, and seems sturdy enough to survive rattling around with anything else that might be in there for a prolonged period. Functionality on all the ports seems more than adequate as well. There are a few limits you should probably be aware of. It can't quite match the speed or bandwidth you can get with a native port. Power delivery over USB-C is also limited to a hundred watts. That's enough to handle most productivity focused systems, but isn't going to be able to keep up with the power draw of a dedicated GPU. But these are things to be expected for anything other than a proprietary docking station, and I never found it to be a serious problem as I was using it. I'd recommend this to anyone who's fed up having to constantly swap out dongles on their laptop.

So far I am very happy with the adapter. I have very active children and pets so I preferred this over another device that looked easier to break off due to the design. Each port has worked well with the MacBook. It’s very user friendly since keeping up with all the new tech is a challenge. This adapter fits my needs perfectly. I still prefer a digital camera as opposed to a phone (higher clarity). My son likes to make mini movies stored on a mini as card and it has transferred smoothly so far. I would recommend this adapter to active and clumsy people who want the ease of use and quick and smooth transfers.