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Cheap USB-C hubs fail in two ways: they do not pass enough power, or they overheat and take a laptop port with them. Buy fewer ports and a brand that publishes PD wattage.
Power delivery
If the laptop needs 65 W and the hub only passes 45 W, you will slowly discharge in meetings. Look for PD passthrough that matches the charger you own. HDMI 2.0 vs 2.1 matters if you drive a 4K high-refresh display.
The cheap ones
No-name hubs with ten ports and a glowing logo are how you get a bent CC pin. One good hub plus the ports you actually use beats a Christmas tree of dongles.
Who should skip a hub
Skip it if your machine already has HDMI and SD. Skip it if you can leave a USB-C dock on the desk and carry nothing. Confirm return policy; DOA HDMI is common.
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