AUKEY’s CB-C55 USB-C Hub Now on Sale: Macbook Port Expander with Power and Ethernet
by Anton Shilov on March 29, 2017 5:00 PM EST- Posted in
- USB-C
- Apple
- MacBook Pro
- Aukey
- USB-C Hub
AUKEY has started to sell its latest USB Type-C hub for Apple’s MacBook laptops and other computers that need something more than USB-C and wireless interconnection technologies. The new CB-C55 hub expands the port allocation to provide outputs for displays, projectors, Gigabit Ethernet and traditional USB Type-A devices, along with supporting power delivery input to the main machine.
Modern notebooks are very thin, whereas legacy ports like 8P8C/RJ45 (Ethernet) and D-Sub were designed in the seventies and the eighties when PCs only existed in desktop form-factors. Even more modern ports such as the HDMI port were not designed for ultra-thin laptops. Today, it is either impossible or very complicated to install such ports into ultra-thin notebooks, and the opinion of some OEMs is to combine them into a single USB-C port and require additional dongles. As a result, various dock stations and USB Type-C hubs are gaining popularity because people still need their legacy devices/connections, but want to have the thinnest and lightest devices possible.
The AUKEY CB-C55 USB Type-C hub was designed primarily for road warriors who use modern ultra-thin devices such as Apple’s MacBook, MacBook Pro (2017), HP’s Spectre, Lenovo’s Yoga 900, Google’s Pixel and others. The CB-C55 has a two USB Type-A connectors, a D-Sub header (max resolution is 1920×1080), an HDMI output (max resolution is 3840×2160 at 30 Hz) as well as a GbE port. The unit is made of matte aluminum and weighs 120 grams.
| AUKEY 6-in-1 USB Type-C Hub | |||
| CB-C55 | |||
| Main Connection | USB 3.0 Type-C at 5 Gbps with power delivery | ||
| Display Outputs | D-Sub (max resolution is 1920×1080) HDMI 1.4 (max resolution is 3840×2160 at 30 Hz) |
||
| Ethernet | GbE | ||
| USB | 2 × USB 3.0 Type-A (5V 500mA - 5V 900mA) | ||
| Power Input | 5-12V 2A (up to 24 W) | ||
| Cable Length | 142 mm 5.6 inches |
||
| Dimensions | 102 × 58 × 18 mm 4 × 2.3 × 0.7 inches |
||
| Weight | 120 grams 4.2 ounces |
||
Like many other USB hubs from AUKEY, the CB-C55 has its own power connector and thus can power laptops as well as devices that can be charged using USB ports. The input of the CB-C55 is 5-12 V at 2 A, so, the maximum amount of power it can deliver is about 24 W. Meanwhile, since the CB-C55 only supports USB 3.0 Type-C interconnection, the maximum bandwidth it can provide to other devices is limited to 5 Gbps.
The AUKEY CB-C55 USB-C hub is currently available from Amazon for $99.99, down $30 from the typical price of the product, which is $129.99, according to the retailer. The hub is backed by a two-year warranty.
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qap - Wednesday, March 29, 2017 - link
Almost what I need ... almost. I would much rather see this with dual link DVI-I instead of VGA (it's becoming difficult to connect my older but still very good 30" HP LCD) and at least one more USB port.Destoya - Wednesday, March 29, 2017 - link
You could get an active DP to HDMI 1.4 adapter and use that to connect to your monitor (assuming it's one of the older 2560x1600 monitors). Dual-link DVI is such a niche connector nowadays that I can't imagine a company integrating it into one of these hubs.peterfares - Wednesday, March 29, 2017 - link
Many older 2560x1600 monitors only support DL-DVI for their native resolution. Some (like my U3011) technically support 2560x1600@60 over HDMI but their EDID doesn't specify support for it. If you're able to set a custom resolution it'll accept it.Guspaz - Thursday, March 30, 2017 - link
The U3011 is a native DisplayPort display... You can feed it 2560x1600 over DisplayPort. You don't need DL-DVI for that.hechacker1 - Thursday, March 30, 2017 - link
I was looking for the same thing (a hub with dual link DVI) but couldn't find one. I ended up buying a generic one on amazon since I really only need it for my older monitors that are DVI only.Sarah Terra - Friday, March 31, 2017 - link
The real issue at hand is who the eff bought the new macbook pro? ...ripoff/fail centralbill44 - Wednesday, March 29, 2017 - link
I would like a USB C Hub. Every time I see one mentioned, it turns out it's just an other old 5Gbps USB A hub with some aditional (usualy old style or old version) extra display and ethernet pors.So far, I have not come accross any proper USB C hub, where the input is USB C Gen 2 and a least 2 of the output (or should I call them input) ports are also USB C 10Gbps.
Will there be one? I would like a 4 port version.
quiksilvr - Wednesday, March 29, 2017 - link
Why the hell isn't it 4K at 60Hz? Oh, because Apple cheaped out and limited the USB Type C port to 5 Gbps.Kevin G - Wednesday, March 29, 2017 - link
The limitation isn't that the Type-C port is limited to 5 Gbs.It is a limitation of the DP to HDMI active converter chip in this adapter.
dontlistentome - Thursday, March 30, 2017 - link
Not quite.There are 4 channels in USB C that can be used to provide Thunderbolt, DP or USB3 or a combo.
Most use 2 for displayport (so 1x 2560@60 or 1x 4K@30) and 2 for USB 3 speeds. They could have given the hub the ability for 4K displays at 60Hz, but it would have meant only USB2 speeds for those ports / the LAN port.
The way around this will be Displayport 1.4 when that (finally) goes mainstream, or building the port on Thunderbolt 3 over the datachannels (more cost, but can support 2x 4K@60).