CORSAIR: EXPLORER
Browse how-to guides, support articles, and other content related to CORSAIR products.
Docking Stations & USB Hubs
Limited ports and connections on your laptop, desktop, or small form factor machine? Then a docking station or USB hub is the perfect solution. Take a single connection from your system and expand it with a powered hub that can connect you to your network, your screens, all your peripherals, and charge your devices as you work. Compact, portable, and versatile.
What to look for in a docking station or USB hub
As with any peripheral related to your PC, there’s a lot to consider when choosing the right dock or hub for you.
- Ports: First, look at how many ports and what types are available—USB (A or C), thunderbolt, HDMI/DisplayPort, ethernet, headphone jacks, and more.
- Computer connection protocol: Make sure there’s a matching input on your computer, and go for Thunderbolt for the most transfer bandwidth.
- Display needs: Check if you need 4K, high refresh rates, or multiple displays.
- Form factor: Do you want a true dongle that can travel with you, a single adapter cable, or a full-on desktop dock?
Are USB hubs fast and good enough for gaming?
It’s important to consider transfer speeds and focus on mitigating lag if you’re working on a gaming setup. A USB hub can be a great solution for quickly connecting to all your peripherals, but it can also be a bit of a bottleneck if you’re trying to do too much with it. In general, the best move for speed is to choose a Thunderbolt dock, as this allows the highest transfer speeds to your computer and will handle multiple high-resolution displays, peripherals, receiver dongles, and more. That doesn't mean a high-quality USB-C dongle or dock can’t do the job, though. Take a look at the transfer speeds supported for all USB ports on the dock, and to see what level of display resolution and framerate are supported.