Fucking incredible! This is hub that the world has needed since the creation of hubs. No random i/o, just straight raw power to usb c and a ports that you can adapt in any way you like. If you need more varied i/o, just plug a smaller hub or device into this thing. One cable to computer life ftw.
@TONG TONG Our US store only ships to North America at this time. You can check in with our Asia team to see when the Element Hub will be available in your region. Here's their email contact: Asia@CalDigit.com
Hey, it’s my man Jerry!!! Nice job dude! CalDigit was my first choice in a hub (thanks to Jerry), now it looks like I’ll be buying CalDigit cables too! Thanks for clearing up a few things. @CalDigit Excellent choice in getting Jerry Schulze on board to put out this video. I’ve been a follower of his on TY since his early days. He really does a superb job. Thanks.
I have a TS3+ and an Element Hub, and both are fantastic. My only wish from CalDigit would be an Element Hub with built-in GaN power supply. Even if it ended up being 2x or 3x as thick, it would be the perfect travel hub with a removable, replaceable power cord as the only thing poking out from the main body.
Thanks for the feedback! We've been exploring integrating GaN with our products, but the variable power needs of a dock make it a little difficult to implement well. Maybe in a future product!
I just placed an order! Already excited for Caldigit's future Thunderbolt 4 lineups. What's the next Thunderbolt 4 hub/dock that Caldigit has currently in development? Any idea how the ports provided are going to look like?
I just got this for my Mac Studio (yes! I already ran out of ports!)... The unit itself is of solid quality, it is really small and works without issue. Two potential dealbreakers for some of you out there. 1) all external SSDs I've plugged into this unit lose about 30 -50 mbps in transfer speeds versus having them plugged directly to the Studio. To me it is not a big deal, since the SSDs are more for long-term storage. 2) the units are not 100% quiet and you do hear a slight coil kind of hum if you place it really close to you. To me this is not an issue since I hide it below/behind my desk and away from my sensitive ears.
Thanks for leaving your feedback! Some loss of external drive performance is expected. This is the result of how docking stations work, and is typical on most, if not all, docking stations. As for the coil whine, I recommend that you get int ouch with our support team. We're seeing some reports of this behavior, and it is most likely caused by the power supply unit itself, even if the sound comes from the dock. We're working on sourcing power supplies from a new manufacturer, but in the mean time, a replacement power supply may correct this behavior.
Just ordered one to partner with my m1 mac mini and my ts3+! Really appreciate this hub as I've been looking for one that only provides usb-c/a ports. I wish you would have an add-on to be able to stack this on top of a ts3 plus so it's easier to organize cables.
Love to hear your appreciation for our products! I believe the Element Hub comes with rubber feet, like the TS3 Plus does. It's not a true solution, but it should sit on top of the TS3 Plus no problem. I'm curious how plausible it is to develop double sided feet that could fit into the TS3 Plus and Element Hub, though. I'm going to check next time I'm in the office to see if the grooves line up!
@@CalDigitHQ Yes please do! I was thinking of using the feet too but not sure if it would cause heat build up of them being too close to each other. I was wondering if a grooved thick silicone pad would help with that and also to keep both stable.
My macbook pro charges via magsafe. Will plugging the Element hub into it also charge my computer at the same time, and will that mess up my computer? I just need the extra ports, not a charge through the hub.
The computer will only let one charging source charge the computer at a time, generally favoring the charger that comes with the laptop or another first party charger. In this case, the computer will likely prioritize the magsafe charger, and tell the Element Hub it does not want power. The Element Hub will respect that, but otherwise function as intended.
1. I think Jerry meant Thunderbolt *3 SSD at 2:45. 2. When it comes to cable performance, what's the difference between Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4? Is it true that unlike Thunderbolt 3 cables, 2 meter Thunderbolt 4 cables won't affect the bandwith? 3. Are you guys going to develop an 'Eject all' option for Windows laptops? It's sadly only available for Macbooks. 4. If I daisy chain the Element Hub with the TS3+ (or HDMI Dock), will I get the benefit of 87w ( or 94w) charging to my laptop? Also, does both hubs need to be plugged in at the same time with their AC adapters? 5. Is it safe to leave the Element Hub plugged in to power when my laptop is disconnected from it?
1. I am not sure the specific SSD used in the video, but you might be right. Thunderbolt 3 and 4 speeds are the same, so the accident is just in name only. 2. At this time, I am not certain how cables will work differently. I believe they are more or less the same. And for the record, you are able to get full speed Thunderbolt 3 cables at up to 2 meters, but you have to use an Active cable to get full speed. Passive cables will get half speed and no charging I believe. We offer an Active cable for reference: shop.caldigit.com/us/Adapters%20and%20Cables/Cables/TBT3-A20B-540 3. We are working on a Thunderbolt tool for Windows, but our engineering team is currently stretched a little thin with updating drivers for some of our older devices to be compatible with Big Sur. 4. Power Delivery with daisy-chained Thunderbolt devices is determined by the first device in the chain. We recommend going " host device > TS3 Plus > Element Hub" for daisy-chaining like this so the TS3 Plus' 87W will be used. Every device in the chain will need to be plugged in to operate. If the Element Hub is at the end of a chain, every device in front of it needs to be plugged in for the Element Hub to work with the computer. 5. Yes! The Element Hub should still provide charge to all connected devices when not connected to the computer. Part of our intent with the Element Hub is to be a charging station for all your devices.
The part about how it'll "just work" with any port USB-C/TB3/TB4 feels a little misleading...if your laptop only has USB-C then this thing isn't gonna magically add thunderbolt ports. Not sure that was made clear in the video.
Sorry that the explanation was confusing. Our claim is not that it will upgrade your ports to TB4. The Element Hub will adapt to any port used as the host (USB-C, TB3, TB4, etc.) so that the USB-C/Thunderbolt ports on the Element Hub match the host port. So if you plug in a USB-C computer, you will get 3 USB-C ports in addition to the USB-A ports and charging.
I looked through what I have on hand as well as on our website and I wasn't able to find anything. The power supply is slightly bigger at every measurement, and the length is a bit less than double the length of the Element Hub. Hope this helps!
Have been waiting for TB4 hub. If I am charging and using hub with my TB4 laptop can I also charge my smartphone (note 10) with power delivery using front USB type A or back USB C port?
Yes, definitely! We have a great graphic towards the bottom of the Element Hub's webpage that breaks it down, but here's the key info: USB-A ports can supply up to 7.5W of power, the USB-C/ Thunderbolt ports can supply up to 15W of power. Here's a link to the page if you're interested: www.caldigit.com/thunderbolt-4-element-hub/
I have more questions! 1. My Lenovo X1 Carbon comes with a 65w power supply. How will the Element Hub perform in terms of power with my laptop? Will it charge slowly or sustain/drain the battery? 2. When are you releasing the 2m Thunderbolt 4 cable? 3. Is the pre-order price now cheaper than when it's readily available in a few months?
At 60 vs 65W, you shouldn't notice much of a difference between the Element Hub and your normal charger. Under high load sustained CPU/ GPU operations, like video rendering, the difference might be enough to slowly discharge your battery, but for the vast majority of tasks, the Element is up to the job. I haven't heard any internal news of an imminent 2m Thunderbolt 4 cable launch. You would be able to use a Thunderbolt 3 cable in this situation and it would work perfectly fine. Yes, the pre-order price is currently discounted on our web shops and the price will go up when the pre-order period is over.
Yes, the Element Hub is definitely coming back. The worldwide component shortage is having an affect on our inventory availability, but we're always producing more.
Hi. I've got a quick question. I know that one of the key new features added in the TB4 spec is the ability to support three downstream TB ports (TB3 only supports one). If I connect a TB4 hub like the Element to a Mac that only has TB3 (e.g. a 2018 Mac mini), will I be able to hang three TB devices off of it? Or will it be limited to one downstream TB device, limiting the other two ports to USB-only capabilities?
The additional downstream ports of TB4 are interchangeable with TB3. So yes, you can absolutely make full use of the Element Hub with a Thunderbolt 3 computer.
Will there be a more stationary version of this like the TS3 but for thunderbolt / usb4? I think this design is appears more suitable for laptop rather than a Mac mini.
We will definitely be releasing more Thunderbolt 4 and USB 4 devices, but the Element Hub is intended to be used stationary. Although it's small, it does require AC power in order to work.
i think it would be a good idea on having a youtube video or on CalDigit webpage explaining how the Element hub works for thoes people who don,t want to update to os Big Sur as many of us stay on High Sierra or Mojave because of 32bit plugins that is not suported in version of OS after Mojave
Hello Tony, The Element Hub's tech spec page on our website outlines that Big Sur is required for the device. While users can get USB-C levels of functionality, we found that it works intermittently. This isn't really the intended level of functionality of the Element Hub either, especially on a device that supports Thunderbolt, so we are not supporting earlier editions of macOS. www.caldigit.com/element-hub-support/
@@tonydesousa5652 Yes, you will be limited to 10Gbps speeds. We have also encountered various unwanted connectivity related behaviors, such as devices not reconnecting when the Element Hub is plugged in, etc. These are expected behaviors, so we cannot offer troubleshooting assistance if you encounter such behavior on earlier macOS devices.
I'm curious, have you guys tested this out with any of the new M1 Mac's that came out in 2020? I'm wondering if this will allow you to connect two USB-C connected monitors to the HUB and the M1 Mac will be able to utilize both screens. I've seen successful workarounds with the M1 Mac's only having 1 channel for monitor output, but man if this instantly solves that problem that would be INCREDIBLE! If not... I'll still get it when hopefully Apple comes out with a new M1 or M1X Mac this year that can have more than 1 external display.
M1 macOS devices only support one external monitor via Thunderbolt. The only workaround we've seen at this time is to use a DisplayLink adapter to get multiple external monitors. That would still likely work here, but we have not tested enough to verify.
Is this one backwards compatible with Windows PCs with thunderbolt 3? The OWC Thunderbolt 4 hub is only backwards compatible with TB3 capable Macs running Big Sur, which is a bit disappointing.
For Windows PCs, full compatibility is dependent on the thunderbolt controller. We have a knowledge base guide to help explain how compatibility can be checked and what different levels of compatibility look like. Check it out here: www.caldigit.com/caldigit-thunderbolt-4-usb-4-element-hub-compatibility-and-limitations-on-windows/
I understand that the CalDigit TB4 hub can be daisy chained with the CalDigit TS3+. However, when in that configuration will the ports on the TS3+ continue to work or will only the Thunderbolt 3 out port work? The reason I ask is that I bought a similar device, the Plugable TBT4-HUB3C, since CalDigit's TB4 hub is never in stock. I am on Windows 10 which has a Thunderbolt 3 port. I was attempting to daisy chain the Plugable Hub with the CalDigit dock. I connected the Plugable hub host port to the Windows desktop. I then connected my 2 USB3 4K monitors directly to 2 of the front Thunderbolt ports on the Plugable. I then daisychained i.e. connected the 3rd Plugable Thunderbolt front port to the host port of the CalDigit dock. Both of the 4K monitors work. However none of the ports on the TS3+ work when in this configuration, meaning that my keyboard, mouse and webcam which are all connected to the TS3+ (which itself is daisychained to the Plugable hub) all do not work. If I connect one of the monitors to the thunderbolt out port on the TS3+ then that monitor works so I know that the Thunderbolt 3 port out on the TS3+ is working, just not the non-thunderbolt ports on that device. If instead I connect the TS3+ direct to the Windows 10 host computer, all of the ports on the TS3+ then work again. Given that the CalDigit Thunderbolt 4/USB4 Element hub is quite similar (3 TB4 out ports, one TB4 host in port), I was wondering whether I would run into the same problem.
Yes, the entire TS3 Plus should work in this configuration, with our Element Hub or the Thunderbolt dock you are using. What sounds vaguely possible here is that the TS3 Plus is not an approved Thunderbolt device on your computer. In a case like this, the USB ports will not work, but monitors would work. Check your Thunderbolt Software to see if it's been approved or not. Something else you can try is putting the TS3 Plus first in the chain, then the TB4 hub downstream from that. You'll get charging based on the device closest to the computer, but otherwise this configuration would work exactly the same. Our support team may have some more troubleshooting options for you to try, so I recommend that you get in contact with them. Here's some ways to get in touch: Email: Support@CalDigit.com Livechat: caldigit.com/support/
@@CalDigitHQ Thanks for the quick response!!! I don't think that it is an approval issue as the TS3 Plus when first in line shows as approved in the TB Control Center software. However, you have given me something to think about as it may be a Plugable issue as when that hub is connected to the Windows 10 PC, it does not even show at all in the Thunderbolt Control Center software... even though it appears to work. Will run some tests and report back.
@@mag3966 Yeah, I wasn't sure if that was the right suggestion, it sounds like you were previously using the TS3 Plus no problem. Definitely try swapping the dock order and see if the behavior changes. It might be a Plugable problem, but our support team would definitely be happy to try throwing their knowledge at it and seeing what they can do!
Couple questions about this dock. First the USB-A ports. Aren't all USB-A ports that are USB 3 or above (assuming this is supposed to be USB 3.1 Gen 2) supposed to be blue/teal blue? Why aren't these black which is old USB-A 2? Second question is doesn't the Macbook Pro 16 take 96 watts to charge. So this dock wouldn't provide enough juice right?
I believe the Blue is generally used to differentiate between different USB specs, but not mandatory. Because all of these are the same specification, we did not need to differentiate with color. Plus, it looks cooler this way. Yes, the MacBook Pro 16" has a 96W charger, though I believe the device only pulls 94W in reality. This hub would likely provide enough charge to the 16" at idle, and under light load, but any kind of heavy CPU or GPU load will likely drain the battery. The 16" MacBook Pro is the top-end mobile macOS device, though. This hub mostly targets lower-end and more power mindful devices, such as 13" MacBooks and the M1 lineup. If you have a 16" MacBook Pro, our USB-C HDMI Dock might be a better fit. It provides up to 94W charging and has a bunch of peripheral ports for most people's needs.
This looks like what I have been searching for, but I have one question: I would use it with an M1 Mac Mini, which - of course - has its own power source. Am I right in presuming that even though the TB connection from the hub is able to supply 60W to an attached computer, this won‘t be an issue with my self-powered Mini?
You are correct. Modern computers have a ton of fail-safes built in for multiple charging source situations like this. Essentially, when any charging device is connected to a host computer, there's an agreement made between the two devices before any power is transmitted. In the case of the Element Hub plugging into a Mac Mini or other desktop computer, the host computer unilaterally rejects all incoming power because it will never need it. The Element Hub simply does not pass on power, but everything else works as expected.
Awesome product! A question to CalDigit: From a technical perspective, is it possible to have a Thunderbolt 4 Hub that has a total of 5 Thunderbolt 4 ports? One to connect to the PC/Mac, and the other 4 are free for the user to use as they wish. Is that doable?
Hello! I need to extend the TB2 port on my iMac Pro Retina computer. Can I use CalDigit Thuderbolt 4 Element Hub to make a connection between my TB2 audio interface and my iMac Pro Retina TB2 computer using the Apple Thunderbolt 3 to 2 Mac adapter? Thank you?
Our Thunderbolt 4 products technically work with Thunderbolt 2, but every macOS update since Big Sur, which introduced Thunderbolt 4, has had an adverse effect on Thunderbolt 2 support. At this point, it's rather hit or miss whether a Thunderbolt 4 dock will work on a Thunderbolt 2 computer, so unfortunately the best answer I can give you is: Maybe. If it does work, the setup you proposed would be the correct way to set it up!
Question; If I would connect a Samsung Dex device to one of the regular 3 USB C ports, could I get the Dex desktop to a screen/projector connected via the USB C (with HDMI) adapter? Or does it have to be connected to the 1 x Thunderbolt Power Delivery port?
We have not tested with Samsung Dex in particular, so I am not certain how it will interface, but for any kind of behavior to what you are describing, the Samsung Dex device will have to be in the Host port. It can also operate via USB-C, so it should work. Hit up our support team for more information: Email: Support@CalDigit.com Phone: (714) 572-9889 Livechat: caldigit.com/support/
Where do you order this Hub, it is not available anywhere, it does even appear on your website. I will appreciate you providing news of when will it be available and where. Thank you
Due to the ongoing worldwide component shortage, our inventory is a little limited right now. There's currently a shipment of Element Hubs on the way to Amazon US, so keep an eye over there. Otherwise, we've got more units being made and shipping soon. Follow us on social media for updates regarding availability.
Hi @CalDigit. Will the hub make my external T5s and Gtech SSDs work with their advertised speeds? I'm having trouble getting my Mac mini M1 to read and write above 350mb/s and to my understading the Element Hub would be a wat to fix that. Thanks!
The Element Hub can only operate at the speed that is given to it. If the Thunderbolt ports on your Mac Mini M1 are experiencing a slowdown, it sounds like an internal problem with the computer itself that the Element Hub will also be a victim of. It would definitely be a good compliment if you have multiple devices, but it won't resolve your speed issue unless it's replacing a dock that isn't performing well.
Most TVs are going to use HDMI, so you will ned a USB-C to HDMI adapter + HDMI cable or a USB-C to HDMI cable. You can plug that into one of the USB-C/ Thunderbolt ports on the Element Hub!
Hey I'm from the first batch of pre-orders back in February, placed an order on the day of the announcement. What's going on with the shipment? It was supposed to be March, then there was a shipment delay to April, now I got an email saying there is a delay in manufacturing there won't be stock available until Mid-May. Is there some quality control issue going on?
Thanks for reaching out. As stated on your other comment, we ran into a small bug that needed to be corrected and ultimately delayed our shipments. After a couple weeks of troubleshooting, our dev team corrected it at the factory and we received our most recent shipment earlier this week. Unfortunately, this ordeal has pushed back our original expected delivery timeline, leading to the delays you have received. We thank you for your understanding. Best regards and stay healthy, Dalton from CalDigit
@@UrosR The previous statement is for US pre-orders. I'm not sure the status of UK pre-orders at this time. You can check with our UK sales team and find out. Email: EUSales@CalDigit.com
No. Only a very small handful of monitors consume a small enough amount of power to be able to be powered by an upstream USB-C port if they even accept power from upstream.
@@danagoyette7932 Hadn't bought a monitor in 10yrs. Was curious if a Hub/Dock could power a monitor, which I found out they cannot. Yes, the USB-C cable will transfer video and other USB information to it.
What happens when I connect it to a thunderbolt 3 port on my laptop (macbook)? Do I get 3x thunderbolt 3 connections out of the hub? What happens to those usb-c ports on the hub? Thanks
If you connect the Element Dock to a Thunderbolt 3 computer, you will get access to three Thunderbolt 3 connections on the Element Dock. The ports are compatible with all versions of Thunderbolt, even 4, as well as with USB-C.
@Photo Bunny That's pretty specific! We could see a USB-C only dock in the future, but no promises. CF might be a little bit more of a longshot, though!
@Photo Bunny Thank you for providing further feedback on CF Express. I know for now a lot of cameras with CF Express also have SD options built in, but as the market transitions, we will too! Right now, we're focused on filling out our line-up for the widest market we can, but we will return to offering more professional and niche focused devices in the future.
@Photo Bunny We actually have quite a few users that use SD cards with our docks. But it is clear that CF Express will become the standard across most cameras eventually and it is currently gaining traction. As it takes up a larger market share, it will become more feasible for us develop products with compatible readers.
@@CalDigitHQ U mean after Pre-Order of "TB4 EH" huh? ㅋㅋㅋ Anyway, I joined the pre-order(yeh.. I'm the guy who love unboxing🤣🤣). I look forward to seeing Both TB4+ and EH4 as soon as possible!
@@ForeverYoung007 Honestly, I have no idea. Personally, I know of our products a few months in advance to help develop our marketing strategy, but I have heard no word of a TS4 yet. I have no doubt something like that will come, though.
This product is great. But bigger laptops releasing in 2021 with Thunderbolt 4 will definitely need more than 90W of power. My current XPS 15 with Thunderbolt 3 requires 130W of power. This is the only thing holding me back from buying Caldigit's products, because even the TS3 plus supports only 87W of power.
Unfortunately, the maximum limit of wattage via Thunderbolt is 100W. This is a theoretical limit, and to my knowledge, the closest device we've gotten so far is Apple's 96W charger. The Element Hub's wattage is definitely lower than some of the other devices we have for sale, but that is by design. It is smaller and targeting a different audience than our TS3 Plus, for example.
The original adapter for my 16" Macbook Pro M1pro is a 140W USB-C to MagSafe 3, but the Element hub only seems to charge at 60W. Can using the 60W charger (instead of the original apple charger) have any negative impact the on the mac battery? And if using both chargers at the same time, would it then bypass the charging from the Element hub?
The Element Hub provides more than enough power for the 16" M1 Pro MBP. The power curve for this laptop is extremely wide, and in all but the most extreme circumstances it sips power enough that the Element Hub can provide it no problem. In reality, the 140W charger is more of a fast charger in virtually all applications. If you were to plug in multiple chargers to your computer, your computer will only select one to accept power from, generally either the higher wattage charger or one that the computer recognizes as being the original charger. In the circumstance you outlined, the magsafe charger would take priority, and the Element Hub would not provide charging.,
I have a macbook air M1 with 2 USB C TB3 ports and a Samsung Neo G9. Right now I have to use one port for Displayport USB C and one port for power. Will I be able to use the USB4 element hub to either power via USB C and allow expansion through that port, or to convert Displayport 1.4 to USB C and display and expand over that port?
The Element Hub will provide 60W of charging to the computer, which should be enough to charge an M1 MacBook Air. You will also be able to connect your Samsung monitor, with room for 2 more USB-C/ Thunderbolt ports and 4 USB-A ports.
I don't think that would work. What you are suggesting relies on the iPhones being treated like individual computers by the Element Hub, so that Ethernet is passed onto them. This is fundamentally not how the Element Hub works. it will instead treat the iPhones as data connections and devices to charge.
In order to get full Thunderbolt speeds, macOS users will need to be on Big Sur. Earlier OS versions will be limited to USB Data, likely at speeds of up to 10Gbps.
If I connect the hub to a Thunderbolt 3 PC, will the capabilities be reduced? If so, how? I've been looking for something to swap between a work machine (TB3 Intel Mac) and a home machine (HP Omen 15 2021 with Titan Ridge JHL7540), and I'm thinking this might do it, if I add some dongles: * Charging isn't important, because I'd plug in power separately anyway. (No Type-C charging on Omen, and work machine should stay plugged in even without the hub.) * Main display is DisplayPort 1.4 (3840x2160 at 120Hz) * Maybe eventually a second display * Regular USB 3.0 port(s) for keyboard, mouse, and misc. devices * Must pass through Adaptive Sync (FreeSync) for the Omen (it's wired to the NVIDIA, but I don't know how many DisplayPort streams) * Must NOT use an MST hub for multiple displays (no support in MacOS, and many hubs don't support Adaptive Sync) * Gigabit Ethernet (I already have a Realtek USB 2.5GbE dongle, and an Apple TB3TB2 adapter and an Apple TB ethernet adapter)
The Element Hub has the capability to operate perfectly with a Thunderbolt 3 Titan Ridge PCs, but you will need to check the Controller ID. I'll post a link below on how you can check for yourself. Other than that, I believe the Element Hub will meet all your needs. I'm not 100% certain about adaptive sync capabilities, but I believe because video will be driven by the graphics card, it should pass-through and work properly. www.caldigit.com/caldigit-thunderbolt-4-usb-4-element-hub-compatibility-and-limitations-on-windows/
@@CalDigitHQ Looks like mine is 15E8 (Titan Ridge). The hub's product page mentions dual 4k@60, but if it's a true passthrough, it should support 4k120 or 8k30, or whatever the GPU (and the USB-C to DP cable) supports. Do you know if the hub has an MST hub, and if so, what chip model?
@@danagoyette7932 @Dana Goyette The Element Hub does support 8k30. I'm not 100% sure about 4k120hz on a single monitor, but I believe it does support that. There's no MST Hub in the Element Hub.
I got a Caldigit TS4 Dick and even with the 39.1 firmware update, it still disconnects my external hard drives after sleep except for my Acasis drive with a Samsung 980 drive. I wonder if this Hub if connected to my dock will still disconnect my drives after sleep?
Jerry, I pre order it base on on what you said, back in Feb 2021. When are they going to ship it First it was mid Feb then early March now its mid March. is this a scan?
Hey Nate, Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and expressing your concerns. We caught a small bug that we want to address before we continue shipping out Element Hub orders. Right now, we have at least one completed shipment waiting for a firmware update before getting shipped. Our developers are working as fast as they can to correct the behavior and continue delivering pre-orders. We appreciate your understanding and your patience in this. We will continue delivering pre-orders in the near future. Best regards and stay healthy, Dalton from CalDigit
@@CalDigitHQ Thanks for the quick reply. It’s always good to keep the the public up to date on a product that’s pre paid for. Thanks again Waiting with great anticipation.
@@bnate5 We posted about the delay on our other social media platforms and we'll be posting when we resume shipments. Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!
With this hub plus displaylink, can M1 connect to two monitor? I really love this hub. And i saw some people using other hub with m1 chip to connect to two monitor with their M1.
@@whoami6821 We do not officially support DisplayLink for a variety of variables out of our control. What I can say specifically, is that we have seen one of our users connect a total of 6 monitors to our TS3 Plus using DisplayLink. We believe DisplayLink to function the same with the Element Hub.
While we don't officially recommend it or support it if it doesn't work as intended, you could try an AC powered USB hub to get some extra ports. Try to use it for just light bandwidth devices, like keyboards mice, printers, and other peripherals. Heavy use devices, like external hard drives, should be connected to the TS3 Plus directly.
Hi, I have a new 16" Macbook Pro M1 Max, which supports 3 external displays natively. I'm currently using a single 4K display, and 2 x 1080p displays. Will I be able to plug all three of these displays into this hub, without using DisplayLink or any other connector?
No. Despite your computer supporting 3 external displays, it only supports up to 2 displays on a single port, which is also the maximum displays our docks support. I'm not sure if this is the case for the M1 MacBook Pro Max in particular, but previous MacBooks only support up to two monitors on a single BUS, actually. The two Thunderbolt ports on a side of the MacBook make up a single BUS. It's possible you may have to plug in the third monitor on the opposite side of the computer you would plug the dock into.
If you order it off of any of our websites, we will send the plug for that region, so yes, you will get a UK plug if your shipping address is in the UK.
In terms of power, how will the TS3 Plus do with my XPS 15 which requires 130W? Will it charge slowly? Also, would the TS3 Plus that's capable of 87W regulate the wattage a bit lower for laptops that don't need as much wattage e.g. XPS 13?
I couldn't really even begin to guess, to be honest. It is possible that you will get a slow charge while idling and doing low intensity computer tasks, such as Excel, emails, etc., but if you were to do high intensity tasks, such as rendering a video or 3d animation work, anything that heavily taxes the CPU and GPU, it will almost certainly drain the battery. All Thunderbolt powered computers have built in systems to handle different power levels as well as charging from multiple devices. A device that can only utilize say 80W would tell the TS3 Plus to only provide 80W, and it would do so. Likewise, if you plugged in your computer charger and the TS3 Plus, it would choose to accept power from only one device (typically this is the higher wattage device, but it can depend on a variety of variables).
Warranty Policy Disclaimer from Caldigit This policy is applied only for the merchandises sold in the Untied States(unless specified). CalDigit reserves the right to modify this Limited Warranty and RMA Service Policy as necessary without prior notice at anytime.
This is a fairly standard boilerplate warranty statement meant to protect us as a company from liability in the event of us changing internal policy relating to warranty services, such as our policy regarding returning for credit or initiating warranty services, which are also outlined in the RMA Service Policy document you are quoting from. Regarding the United States section in particular, we operate offices out of a variety of regions with different warranty laws, so we have a unique warranty policy for each region, which is standard practice for most international companies. When necessary, our warranty teams have collaborated to help customers no longer in the country they initially purchased the product from more easily access warranty services without having to send the product back to the country of purchase.
Hi TS3 PLUS is in use (MacBook Pro) Thunderbolt 3 devices and 10G SSDs There are many devices. I'm trying to buy an Element Hub Can I experience optimal performance with data chains? if not TS3 Plus, Element Hub all connecting to a laptop separately Would you like better?
Part of Thunderbolt specification requires that all possible power that the dock can use is always provisioned for. This means that you can get maximum power delivery out of each USB port (between 7.5W - 20W depending on the port) in addition to the host port's 98W charging all at once. Ultimately, it clocks in at around 200W of power needed for the ports at all times, plus power to keep the dock itself running.
I have a computer with a single TB3 port. Can I connect a TB3 device (Apple TB to Firewire adapter) and a displayport screen (through usb-c to displayport cable) at the same time through this hub? More crazy: Could you connect multiple TB (pcie) devices (like eGPU's) at the same time? I understand bandwidth would be severely limited / split between the devices, but would it technically work?
All of that should be possible. I'm not sure how firewire will interface with it, but if it's Apple's official adapter, it should work. One thing to note if, you should check compatibility with your computer first. If you're on Windows, we here's how: www.caldigit.com/caldigit-thunderbolt-4-usb-4-element-hub-compatibility-and-limitations-on-windows/
@@CalDigitHQ Oh god no I'm on Linux. The adapter is indeed an Apple adapter (well actually USB-C to TB2 and then TB2 to FW but it works perfect if connected directly to the TB3 USB-C port). I have 2 computer both with Titan Ridge 15e8
@@chrisdejonge611 Titan Ridge 15E8 is fully compatible to support the Element Hub, but your mileage may very with Linux. We don't officially support the OS with any of our docks, but our products have worked for Linux users in the past - sometimes out of the box and sometimes with some work. Since the Element Hub and Thunderbolt 4 are so new, we don't have a strong grasp of how compatible they are with Linux yet. If you do end up picking an Element Hub up, let us know if it works for you!
Can you explain again the difference between passive vs active cables? The Element Hub will be shipped with an 0.8m passive Thunderbolt 4 cable right? Does that mean I'll only get half the speed at 20Gb/s and won't charge my laptop?
Passive and Active only matter when pushing a cable beyond .8m in length. At .8m, the cable is technically passive, but you will get the full 40Gbps and up to 100W PD. Any longer than that requires the "active" technology to maintain full speed and power delivery. An "Active" cable has a special repeater at both ends of the cable to strengthen the signal. It costs more, which is why you mostly see cables .8m in length and less and then 2m.
@@jeverett0902 We're still experimenting and testing the technology, so we can't verify for sure. As it is, we anticipate any length longer than .8m to require an active connection for the time being, in order to get the full 40Gbps connection and 100W charging. We might be able to push to 3m with an active connection, but we're still testing and not sure how viable it is yet. Another option for longer cables is an optical cable. This option can get up to and possibly exceed 50m in length, but no power delivery. This is something else we're experimenting in, but the cost of optical cables can be prohibitively expensive.
@@CalDigitHQ Are active Thunderbolt 4 cables backwards compatible with USB 3 and higher? Active Thunderbolt 3 cables only did USB 2. Intel marketing has been promoting the Thunderbolt 4 "Universal cables" as backwards compatible with USB 3 (and USB 4). Is that not going to be true for active cables?
My Macbook pro M1 has a magsafe charger so why do I also want a simultaneous 60W charger with a massive power brick? Do you have to make a point of NOT using the magsafe charger, as in, is it dangerous to have both plugged in? Thanks
For virtually all users, the 60W charging from the Element Hub is enough to keep any M1 chip powered and charged due to how wide the M1 chip's power curve is. In most applications these chips sip on power. When considering this, the magsafe charger is more a fast charger than anything else. As for the size of the power brick, Thunderbolt specification mandates that any port that needs power have that power allocated at all times. The Element Hub can provide over 130W of power across all its ports. Between that and the power to keep the device itself on, the charger ends up being a little beefy. Multiple chargers can be plugged into modern computers with no issues. As soon as a charging device is plugged into a computer, the computer and charger have a sort of handshake, where they figure out how much power can be passed along the connection, if any at all. When multiple chargers are plugged in, the computer will determine which one it wants to use. It generally favors the manufacturer's charger, like the magsafe charger, but there are situations where it may choose a 3rd party device like one of our docks. The computer will then reject power from all other sources, but the device will otherwise function as expected.
Mine stopped working after 2 months. My Win 11 PC cant see it. It seems to have power but Windows 11 can't see it attached. Seems like this is an issue with this product according to the WEB
Sorry to hear that! All of our docks come with a 2 year warranty, so definitely hit up our support team and they'll replace it if it can't be fixed. Email: Support@CalDigit.com Livechat: caldigit.com/support/
Maybe, but we could not say for sure. It will partially depend if the USB-C/ Thunderbolt 4 port on your computer is capable of supporting the Valve Index.
We've seen some success with Samsung DeX working with our products to connect monitors, keyboards, and mice. Portable monitors can sometimes act finnicky with docks, so I can't totally guarantee it will work, however!
Yes! Do keep in mind it can only support up to the host device. So if you have a USB-C host computer, you won't be able to run a Thunderbolt monitor. But with a Thunderbolt host device, any type of monitor is supported.
The next batch of orders should start delivering in the next couple weeks! I can't be certain without more details, but it's very likely your unit is in this batch.
Thank you for your insight! The SD Card reader will likely return on future Thunderbolt 4 products. We wanted to keep the Element Hub sweet and simple in order to put the benefits of Thunderbolt 4 front and center.
@@ianforestdj Not at this time! We're still catching up on pre-orders in the US. When all our pre-orders have been fulfilled, the rest of our stores will be stocked and it should be available. Right now we're expecting to finish fulfilling pre-orders some time in May, so availability in all regions will come some time after that.
Thunderbolt devices are only compatible with Thunderbolt host computers. You would not be able to take a USB-C computer and plug in a Thunderbolt device through the Element Hub. This will work with a Thunderbolt 2 computer on macOS - the Big Sur update is required.
While I have owned (and currently still own) many CalDigit products including a few TS3 Plus docks, I want this... but can't get it in the EU as CalDigit has closed their EU shops...
We have a shipment of our products on the way to Amazon EU. We're doing a bit of restructuring right now to get our products available for cheaper in the EU in light of the new trade rules with the UK. The Element Hub should be coming within the next month or two.
@@CalDigitHQ Thanks for the reply. Which EU Amazon store? Will the pre-order price be in place still or full retail price? And will it include the UK plug as well for those of us in Ireland? Thanks!
@@vonEitzen It will be distributed to all Amazon EU stores eventually. I'm unsure of what our plan is with pre-order pricing. Our EU Sales team may have more info in that regard. Ireland is part of the UK for the sake of our online shop. If you're located in Ireland, you should be able to pre-order the Element Hub right now. Our EU store ships the proper plug for the purchasing region. Here's our EU Sales team's email if you are interested: EUSales@CalDigit.com Hope this helps! Best regards and stay healthy, Dalton from CalDigit
@@vonEitzen I looked at our UK shop earlier and was able to select Dublin as a location to ship to successfully. I recommend checking out our online shop and seeing if you are able to select your address in shipping.
i purchased one of these as i was told that it would connect to a mac with TB2 using an apple TB2 to TB3 adapter. The computer connection lights up blue but no drives show up on the Mac. Is there a fix for this or have i been mis sold (from amazon not Caldigit)
Sorry to say that Thunderbolt 4 devices do not work on Thunderbolt 2 computers. In the macOS update that added Thunderbolt 4 support, Thunderbolt 2 also became deprecated and no longer works as intended. There is no overlap where both Thunderbolt 2 and Thunderbolt 4 are supported by macOS. Our website does not list Thunderbolt 2 as meeting the Minimum System Requirements for the Element Hub to work: www.caldigit.com/thunderbolt-4-element-hub/
@@CalDigitHQ bit of a strange one but went back out to Mac earlier and both of the external SSDs were now showing on the desktop. I was able to access both disks, then tried plugging in monitor and drives disappeared
@@adv8nturenick Sounds like a possible malfunction with the Thunderbolt connection. Try swapping out the Thunderbolt cable if you are able. If that does the trick and the culprit is one of our cables, or if it's still acting up, reach out to our support team and they'll be happy to help further. You can best get in touch via email at Support@CalDigit.com
Is it safe to use a dock on a M1 iMac? Given that both the dock and the iMac have their own power sources, could that cause problems? Thank you ahead of time.
Yes, it's totally safe to use our docks with desktop computers. Modern computers are smart enough to simply not accept power they don't need. In the proposed case, the iMac will reject power from the Element Hub at all times, but it will otherwise function normally.
If you have a Thunderbolt host, you could connect a 10 Gigabit Ethernet adapter to the Element Hub. Our Connect 10G would be a good option, but it is currently out of stock and we don't have an ETA on its return. There are other options available on the market though. Looks like it's currently available on our EU web shop. Please note that our EU shop is currently based out of the UK, so VAT or other import fees may be required. There may be other retailers in Sweden, but I am not familiar with any. Here's our web shop: shop.caldigit.com/eu/
@@CalDigitHQ does not seem so good for my needs after som trial and errors at home today … - maybe the TS4 is better for me? But I cannot find the Ts4 anywhere to buy?! Or do you sell it right now? If so, - where? I am in Sweden. These are my needs, Connect a macbook pro Max with one cable to a docking station that then can: 1. A docking station that then can provide, several screens for the macbook while also charge it. 2. Can also charge my ipad as well with usb C (or C to A) as long it got enough watt to do so at the same time as charging the other devices. 3. Provide electricity and send data into the macbook from my audio interface, an Audient 14 id MKll, this device only uses USB C to connect to get power and send data in one cable. 4. USB A to connect my mechanic keyboards with electricity and data input. 5. Ethernet plug 6. Display port /. Ports for external monitors. I tested all this right now by a ALOGIC PRIME MX3 Dockningstation It worked fine until I plugged in the ipad mini in the front usb A to charge it, after some minute the screen disconnected… I am not sure why? Do docking stations have a limited watt power of devices it can charge at the same time?? When I took out the ipad mini it was possible to reconnect with the LG ultrawide (can also charge and send video to and from macbook from usb c in the back of the LG screen) again by display port ( I used the diplayport instead) but it been unstable back and forth… 😤 frustrating to say the least for 350 euro! Would TS4 show similar issues? I saw you got USB C of 20 watt (why different watts, what are they for?) and 7.5 watt at the front which the ALOGIC PRIME MX3 Dockningstation does not as it uses one usb c and one usb A… Would this difference matter to charge all of my devices or would it still be an issue? Thanks for getting back to solve my questions! 🫣😅🙏🏻
The TS4 is currently sold out, but we are expecting it to restock towards the end of this month. It will be available on our web shop as well as on various Amazon storefronts. It sounds like for your needs that the Element Hub does indeed come up a little short. I would recommend the TS3 Plus or TS4, as either should be able to meet your needs. The TS3 Plus would be able to provide up to 7.5W of power to charge your iPad Mini through any of the USB ports, although iPad Minis can accept up to 20W of power to my understanding. The TS4 has a special high wattage 20W USB-C port on the front to accommodate your iPad and other similar devices, which makes it a slightly better fit, but you can't go wrong with either choice. If you go with the TS3 Plus, we recommend that you also download and install the increased charging driver on our downloads website, which should make for better compatibility with your iPad. Both of these docks can provide up to 2 external displays, which is the maximum amount supported via hardware through a Thunderbolt connection. As detailed above, they can both charge your iPad. Both docks should be able to support your audio interface and definitely will support your keyboard, various other peripherals, and Ethernet. The TS3 Plus and TS4 both have one DisplayPort for monitor connections, and can support a second monitor via the spare USB-C/ Thunderbolt port, which you can convert to DisplayPort if you need. To answer your question about the iPad on your current dock - macOS limits how much power Thunderbolt docks are able to provide, which may be causing some weird behavior with your current dock. We sometimes see this with users of our TS3 Plus before they install the increased charging drivers I mentioned above. I would recommend you check with your current dock's manufacturer and see if they have any similar drivers available for download on their website. If so, that may help clear up the problem.
@@CalDigitHQ thanks, that was really helpful information. Will take a look and see how the current one have similar drivers available for download or not. What is the exact price of the Ts4 and is the VAT counted with the total shipping price included these days from UK or only on the price of the device itself? I have had issues where DHL added up to 60% of the device prices and stated in an unclear and unethical way that is now both arrival delivery fees plus VAT that they charge us, if you don’t want the device we keep it! Highly unethical customer service at various delivery companies here in EU… in Sweden the governmental post office does not exist anymore, everything is privatized and so fake fees show up and go up all the time, and as a consumer is very hard to tell if the end total is really what one is supposed to pay with the way they deliver at DHL… just sayin, 60% on top of a device price is too much for me, VAT is normally 20% if I am not wrong? Taking both Arrival fees plus Deliver fees on top of the already paid shipping cost I had never heard of previously before I ordered a mechanical keyboard from California by DHL to Sweden…so hope not to get such an issue again…🥵😅
We're expecting it to be available in all regions some time in April. Our Asia team might have more details for you. You can email them here: Asia@CalDigit.com
hey jerry, i just got my caldigit element hub and updated the firmware to 30.3 from 30.2 via my m1 air running monterey pb6 which went fine and now in system report i cannot see the name or firmware of my hub. it is showing as unknown device but it is working perfectly. is it a bug?
Have you reset the computer since the update? It's possible macOS is a little confused because it just applied the firmware update. If everything is working well, there's nothing to worry about, but you can reach out to our support team and they may have some additional troubleshooting for you. Here are some ways to reach them: Email: Support@CalDigit.com Livechat: caldigit.com/support/
@@CalDigitHQ can you just confirm me from your side if you have a monterey beta on any of your m1 macs and connecting it to the caldigit element hub firmware ver 30.3 and looking under system report if its showing name and firmware ver of your hub.
@@CalDigitHQ no, i havent updated or reset my m1 air after i updated the firmware on element hub from 30.2 to 30.3 as i am already running macos monterey pb6 on my m1 air. i think the monterey beta just got confused after the update as it was showing all the details when the hub was on 30.2 hoping it to be resolved in future macos updates.
@@uttamkumar097 You'll have to reach out to our support team with that request. We only have a handful of people in the office on any given day and most of them are our support crew. Here are some ways to reach out: Email: Support@CalDigit.com Livechat: caldigit.com/support/
From a purely bandwidth perspective, this monitor should be supported at 5120x1440@120Hz. In reality, we have seen the G9 family of monitors be a little problematic, and won't always work at the expected resolution or refresh rate. If this is the case for you, try swapping out the Thunderbolt cable connecting the dock and computer, and the video cable connecting the dock and your monitor. Beyond that, our support team would be happy to assist further. You can best get in touch via email at Support@CalDigit.com
Can I use this as a usb hub for my PC? If i'm using a Desktop. do I have to plug in the power or can I just connect it to my Desktop and the PC will power the hub?
The Element Hub requires wall power to work at all times. It can work with desktops, but it entirely depends on your computer itself. If it's a pre-built, let me know the name and model, and if you built it, let me know the motherboard name and I can look it up.
I built my pc. But since the host connection port also provides power, would it not damage the motherboard it’s connected to a PC? Or would you have to plug the pc on a different port other than the host port? It’s what i been looking for for a very long time, but i just want to make sure i don’t damage my motherboard
@@marvenscantave4023 Thunderbolt docks only provide as much power as the host computer requests. Modern computers are pretty smart about power handling, including in situations like this. Basically, when a charging device is plugged into a computer, before any power is passed along, the charger and computer share their needs and capabilities with each other and then come to an agreement on how much power to pass along. In the case of your setup, the computer will reject all incoming power, and the TS4 will not pass anything along. So it's totally safe to plug the TS4 or another Thunderbolt dock with charging capabilities into your computer. My work desktop has a TS4 connected to it and it all works perfectly fine.
Is there product that can do HDMI 2.1 4K / 120Hz out of the new M1 / M1 Pro / M1 Max Macs? Trying to power an LG OLED CX at native 120Hz. Is there any solution for this?
By the looks of it, a fantastic device. My only concern is Apple's engineering fault within their new M1 MacBooks that seem to be very sensitive to any power surges when power is delivered to them by 3rd party charging devices, effectively bricking them. I don't suppose there is any way of bypassing power delivery to a Mac, is there?
We have heard of the behavior you are referencing. So far we have only seen it on USB based devices, so any of our Thunderbolt devices, including the Element Hub, should be absolutely safe to use. Furthermore, we have yet to see any of this behavior appear on any of our products. At this time, we do not believe our products will trigger this behavior. Wherever we can, we model our USB docks after Thunderbolt's standards, which may be protecting our products from the pitfalls that are allowing the referenced behavior to occur.
The Element Hub comes with rubber feet that can be mounted on either side to prevent scratching. It would be awkward to have it able to stand up, because the Computer port is on the side, so it would always be sticking up, and it wouldn't be good for the cable's long-term health.
Fucking incredible! This is hub that the world has needed since the creation of hubs. No random i/o, just straight raw power to usb c and a ports that you can adapt in any way you like. If you need more varied i/o, just plug a smaller hub or device into this thing. One cable to computer life ftw.
A unit that was extremely needed in the market... if it is as they say it is.... this will be a killer component.... ordering right now!!!!
I have a TS3+ and I still want this new thing.
Same lol
So slim
This is exactly what I’m looking for to go with my M1 MacBook. Let’s hope they’re available to order in Germany soon!
I believe we're expecting a shipment to Amazon EU in mid-March. Check back in a month or so!
@TONG TONG Our US store only ships to North America at this time.
You can check in with our Asia team to see when the Element Hub will be available in your region. Here's their email contact: Asia@CalDigit.com
Oh okay so like a handshake, thanks for clarifying, I was more worried about the capabilities of the hub. I’ll order mine assap
This video is too long I placed my order at the 1 min mark 😂. Good complement to my TS3.
Hey, it’s my man Jerry!!! Nice job dude! CalDigit was my first choice in a hub (thanks to Jerry), now it looks like I’ll be buying CalDigit cables too! Thanks for clearing up a few things.
@CalDigit Excellent choice in getting Jerry Schulze on board to put out this video. I’ve been a follower of his on TY since his early days. He really does a superb job. Thanks.
We love the work he puts out too! Glad to hear he made you a fan of ours!
Just got it! It works as a Swiss watch! Love it! Verified on MBP 2017, MBA with M1, Dell Vostro 7510
Thanks for sharing! Cheers!
I have a TS3+ and an Element Hub, and both are fantastic. My only wish from CalDigit would be an Element Hub with built-in GaN power supply. Even if it ended up being 2x or 3x as thick, it would be the perfect travel hub with a removable, replaceable power cord as the only thing poking out from the main body.
Thanks for the feedback! We've been exploring integrating GaN with our products, but the variable power needs of a dock make it a little difficult to implement well. Maybe in a future product!
Thank you for the video. I bought one after seeing this video awhile back. Great product.
Glad to help! if there's anything else we can do to help, please don't hesitate to task!
I just placed an order! Already excited for Caldigit's future Thunderbolt 4 lineups. What's the next Thunderbolt 4 hub/dock that Caldigit has currently in development? Any idea how the ports provided are going to look like?
That's a secret! Can't tell you yet! It would take away from the Element Hub's hype.
I just got this for my Mac Studio (yes! I already ran out of ports!)... The unit itself is of solid quality, it is really small and works without issue. Two potential dealbreakers for some of you out there. 1) all external SSDs I've plugged into this unit lose about 30 -50 mbps in transfer speeds versus having them plugged directly to the Studio. To me it is not a big deal, since the SSDs are more for long-term storage. 2) the units are not 100% quiet and you do hear a slight coil kind of hum if you place it really close to you. To me this is not an issue since I hide it below/behind my desk and away from my sensitive ears.
Thanks for leaving your feedback!
Some loss of external drive performance is expected. This is the result of how docking stations work, and is typical on most, if not all, docking stations.
As for the coil whine, I recommend that you get int ouch with our support team. We're seeing some reports of this behavior, and it is most likely caused by the power supply unit itself, even if the sound comes from the dock. We're working on sourcing power supplies from a new manufacturer, but in the mean time, a replacement power supply may correct this behavior.
Just ordered one to partner with my m1 mac mini and my ts3+! Really appreciate this hub as I've been looking for one that only provides usb-c/a ports. I wish you would have an add-on to be able to stack this on top of a ts3 plus so it's easier to organize cables.
Love to hear your appreciation for our products! I believe the Element Hub comes with rubber feet, like the TS3 Plus does. It's not a true solution, but it should sit on top of the TS3 Plus no problem. I'm curious how plausible it is to develop double sided feet that could fit into the TS3 Plus and Element Hub, though. I'm going to check next time I'm in the office to see if the grooves line up!
@@CalDigitHQ Yes please do! I was thinking of using the feet too but not sure if it would cause heat build up of them being too close to each other. I was wondering if a grooved thick silicone pad would help with that and also to keep both stable.
@@normandyeuropa The Element Hub shouldn't get too hot, so it should be fine to pair the two devices!
My macbook pro charges via magsafe. Will plugging the Element hub into it also charge my computer at the same time, and will that mess up my computer? I just need the extra ports, not a charge through the hub.
The computer will only let one charging source charge the computer at a time, generally favoring the charger that comes with the laptop or another first party charger.
In this case, the computer will likely prioritize the magsafe charger, and tell the Element Hub it does not want power. The Element Hub will respect that, but otherwise function as intended.
seems what was used was a USB type A to usb C cable, pls recommend one. i am definitely buying this
Looks like the USB-a to USB-C cables shown in this video are the ones that come with our Tuff Nano and Tuff Nano Plus.
I have two and love them!
Glad to hear it!
1. I think Jerry meant Thunderbolt *3 SSD at 2:45.
2. When it comes to cable performance, what's the difference between Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4? Is it true that unlike Thunderbolt 3 cables, 2 meter Thunderbolt 4 cables won't affect the bandwith?
3. Are you guys going to develop an 'Eject all' option for Windows laptops? It's sadly only available for Macbooks.
4. If I daisy chain the Element Hub with the TS3+ (or HDMI Dock), will I get the benefit of 87w ( or 94w) charging to my laptop? Also, does both hubs need to be plugged in at the same time with their AC adapters?
5. Is it safe to leave the Element Hub plugged in to power when my laptop is disconnected from it?
1. I am not sure the specific SSD used in the video, but you might be right. Thunderbolt 3 and 4 speeds are the same, so the accident is just in name only.
2. At this time, I am not certain how cables will work differently. I believe they are more or less the same. And for the record, you are able to get full speed Thunderbolt 3 cables at up to 2 meters, but you have to use an Active cable to get full speed. Passive cables will get half speed and no charging I believe. We offer an Active cable for reference: shop.caldigit.com/us/Adapters%20and%20Cables/Cables/TBT3-A20B-540
3. We are working on a Thunderbolt tool for Windows, but our engineering team is currently stretched a little thin with updating drivers for some of our older devices to be compatible with Big Sur.
4. Power Delivery with daisy-chained Thunderbolt devices is determined by the first device in the chain. We recommend going " host device > TS3 Plus > Element Hub" for daisy-chaining like this so the TS3 Plus' 87W will be used. Every device in the chain will need to be plugged in to operate. If the Element Hub is at the end of a chain, every device in front of it needs to be plugged in for the Element Hub to work with the computer.
5. Yes! The Element Hub should still provide charge to all connected devices when not connected to the computer. Part of our intent with the Element Hub is to be a charging station for all your devices.
The part about how it'll "just work" with any port USB-C/TB3/TB4 feels a little misleading...if your laptop only has USB-C then this thing isn't gonna magically add thunderbolt ports. Not sure that was made clear in the video.
Sorry that the explanation was confusing. Our claim is not that it will upgrade your ports to TB4. The Element Hub will adapt to any port used as the host (USB-C, TB3, TB4, etc.) so that the USB-C/Thunderbolt ports on the Element Hub match the host port. So if you plug in a USB-C computer, you will get 3 USB-C ports in addition to the USB-A ports and charging.
Are their any pictures or video of the power supply, preferably in comparison to the size of the hub? That would be really helpful. Thank you!
I looked through what I have on hand as well as on our website and I wasn't able to find anything. The power supply is slightly bigger at every measurement, and the length is a bit less than double the length of the Element Hub. Hope this helps!
Have been waiting for TB4 hub. If I am charging and using hub with my TB4 laptop can I also charge my smartphone (note 10) with power delivery using front USB type A or back USB C port?
Yes, definitely! We have a great graphic towards the bottom of the Element Hub's webpage that breaks it down, but here's the key info: USB-A ports can supply up to 7.5W of power, the USB-C/ Thunderbolt ports can supply up to 15W of power.
Here's a link to the page if you're interested: www.caldigit.com/thunderbolt-4-element-hub/
I have more questions!
1. My Lenovo X1 Carbon comes with a 65w power supply. How will the Element Hub perform in terms of power with my laptop? Will it charge slowly or sustain/drain the battery?
2. When are you releasing the 2m Thunderbolt 4 cable?
3. Is the pre-order price now cheaper than when it's readily available in a few months?
At 60 vs 65W, you shouldn't notice much of a difference between the Element Hub and your normal charger. Under high load sustained CPU/ GPU operations, like video rendering, the difference might be enough to slowly discharge your battery, but for the vast majority of tasks, the Element is up to the job.
I haven't heard any internal news of an imminent 2m Thunderbolt 4 cable launch. You would be able to use a Thunderbolt 3 cable in this situation and it would work perfectly fine.
Yes, the pre-order price is currently discounted on our web shops and the price will go up when the pre-order period is over.
Looks great, and just what I want/need for my new computer. BUT... I can't find one for sale! Will CalDigit be making & releasing more of these?
Yes, the Element Hub is definitely coming back. The worldwide component shortage is having an affect on our inventory availability, but we're always producing more.
@@CalDigitHQ Thanks. I saw it once on Amazon, but it disappeared from inventory before I could buy it. Hurry up! (just kidding... 😁)
Hi. I've got a quick question. I know that one of the key new features added in the TB4 spec is the ability to support three downstream TB ports (TB3 only supports one).
If I connect a TB4 hub like the Element to a Mac that only has TB3 (e.g. a 2018 Mac mini), will I be able to hang three TB devices off of it? Or will it be limited to one downstream TB device, limiting the other two ports to USB-only capabilities?
The additional downstream ports of TB4 are interchangeable with TB3. So yes, you can absolutely make full use of the Element Hub with a Thunderbolt 3 computer.
love JERRY REVIEW
You got me sold
Will there be a more stationary version of this like the TS3 but for thunderbolt / usb4? I think this design is appears more suitable for laptop rather than a Mac mini.
We will definitely be releasing more Thunderbolt 4 and USB 4 devices, but the Element Hub is intended to be used stationary. Although it's small, it does require AC power in order to work.
i think it would be a good idea on having a youtube video or on CalDigit webpage explaining how the Element hub works for thoes people who don,t want to update to os Big Sur as many of us stay on High Sierra or Mojave because of 32bit plugins that is not suported in version of OS after Mojave
Hello Tony,
The Element Hub's tech spec page on our website outlines that Big Sur is required for the device. While users can get USB-C levels of functionality, we found that it works intermittently. This isn't really the intended level of functionality of the Element Hub either, especially on a device that supports Thunderbolt, so we are not supporting earlier editions of macOS.
www.caldigit.com/element-hub-support/
@@CalDigitHQ ok , from earlier edition of Mac OS , will all ports USB-A and USB-C ports work as 3.1 gen 2 10gbs ?
@@tonydesousa5652 Yes, you will be limited to 10Gbps speeds. We have also encountered various unwanted connectivity related behaviors, such as devices not reconnecting when the Element Hub is plugged in, etc. These are expected behaviors, so we cannot offer troubleshooting assistance if you encounter such behavior on earlier macOS devices.
I'm curious, have you guys tested this out with any of the new M1 Mac's that came out in 2020? I'm wondering if this will allow you to connect two USB-C connected monitors to the HUB and the M1 Mac will be able to utilize both screens. I've seen successful workarounds with the M1 Mac's only having 1 channel for monitor output, but man if this instantly solves that problem that would be INCREDIBLE! If not... I'll still get it when hopefully Apple comes out with a new M1 or M1X Mac this year that can have more than 1 external display.
M1 macOS devices only support one external monitor via Thunderbolt. The only workaround we've seen at this time is to use a DisplayLink adapter to get multiple external monitors. That would still likely work here, but we have not tested enough to verify.
Looks great! Would like to review it...
Is this one backwards compatible with Windows PCs with thunderbolt 3? The OWC Thunderbolt 4 hub is only backwards compatible with TB3 capable Macs running Big Sur, which is a bit disappointing.
For Windows PCs, full compatibility is dependent on the thunderbolt controller. We have a knowledge base guide to help explain how compatibility can be checked and what different levels of compatibility look like. Check it out here:
www.caldigit.com/caldigit-thunderbolt-4-usb-4-element-hub-compatibility-and-limitations-on-windows/
I understand that the CalDigit TB4 hub can be daisy chained with the CalDigit TS3+. However, when in that configuration will the ports on the TS3+ continue to work or will only the Thunderbolt 3 out port work?
The reason I ask is that I bought a similar device, the Plugable TBT4-HUB3C, since CalDigit's TB4 hub is never in stock. I am on Windows 10 which has a Thunderbolt 3 port. I was attempting to daisy chain the Plugable Hub with the CalDigit dock. I connected the Plugable hub host port to the Windows desktop. I then connected my 2 USB3 4K monitors directly to 2 of the front Thunderbolt ports on the Plugable. I then daisychained i.e. connected the 3rd Plugable Thunderbolt front port to the host port of the CalDigit dock. Both of the 4K monitors work. However none of the ports on the TS3+ work when in this configuration, meaning that my keyboard, mouse and webcam which are all connected to the TS3+ (which itself is daisychained to the Plugable hub) all do not work.
If I connect one of the monitors to the thunderbolt out port on the TS3+ then that monitor works so I know that the Thunderbolt 3 port out on the TS3+ is working, just not the non-thunderbolt ports on that device.
If instead I connect the TS3+ direct to the Windows 10 host computer, all of the ports on the TS3+ then work again.
Given that the CalDigit Thunderbolt 4/USB4 Element hub is quite similar (3 TB4 out ports, one TB4 host in port), I was wondering whether I would run into the same problem.
Yes, the entire TS3 Plus should work in this configuration, with our Element Hub or the Thunderbolt dock you are using.
What sounds vaguely possible here is that the TS3 Plus is not an approved Thunderbolt device on your computer. In a case like this, the USB ports will not work, but monitors would work. Check your Thunderbolt Software to see if it's been approved or not.
Something else you can try is putting the TS3 Plus first in the chain, then the TB4 hub downstream from that. You'll get charging based on the device closest to the computer, but otherwise this configuration would work exactly the same.
Our support team may have some more troubleshooting options for you to try, so I recommend that you get in contact with them. Here's some ways to get in touch:
Email: Support@CalDigit.com
Livechat: caldigit.com/support/
@@CalDigitHQ Thanks for the quick response!!! I don't think that it is an approval issue as the TS3 Plus when first in line shows as approved in the TB Control Center software. However, you have given me something to think about as it may be a Plugable issue as when that hub is connected to the Windows 10 PC, it does not even show at all in the Thunderbolt Control Center software... even though it appears to work. Will run some tests and report back.
@@mag3966 Yeah, I wasn't sure if that was the right suggestion, it sounds like you were previously using the TS3 Plus no problem. Definitely try swapping the dock order and see if the behavior changes. It might be a Plugable problem, but our support team would definitely be happy to try throwing their knowledge at it and seeing what they can do!
Couple questions about this dock. First the USB-A ports. Aren't all USB-A ports that are USB 3 or above (assuming this is supposed to be USB 3.1 Gen 2) supposed to be blue/teal blue? Why aren't these black which is old USB-A 2? Second question is doesn't the Macbook Pro 16 take 96 watts to charge. So this dock wouldn't provide enough juice right?
I believe the Blue is generally used to differentiate between different USB specs, but not mandatory. Because all of these are the same specification, we did not need to differentiate with color. Plus, it looks cooler this way.
Yes, the MacBook Pro 16" has a 96W charger, though I believe the device only pulls 94W in reality. This hub would likely provide enough charge to the 16" at idle, and under light load, but any kind of heavy CPU or GPU load will likely drain the battery. The 16" MacBook Pro is the top-end mobile macOS device, though. This hub mostly targets lower-end and more power mindful devices, such as 13" MacBooks and the M1 lineup.
If you have a 16" MacBook Pro, our USB-C HDMI Dock might be a better fit. It provides up to 94W charging and has a bunch of peripheral ports for most people's needs.
Awesome, does it come with Mac M1 drivers for the Thunderbolt T4 Raid???
We are still working on getting new drivers out for our T4!
When I connect CalDigit Thunderbolt 4/USB4 Element Hub with TS3 plus, Do I need to connect power DC-in into two both?
This looks like what I have been searching for, but I have one question: I would use it with an M1 Mac Mini, which - of course - has its own power source. Am I right in presuming that even though the TB connection from the hub is able to supply 60W to an attached computer, this won‘t be an issue with my self-powered Mini?
You are correct. Modern computers have a ton of fail-safes built in for multiple charging source situations like this.
Essentially, when any charging device is connected to a host computer, there's an agreement made between the two devices before any power is transmitted. In the case of the Element Hub plugging into a Mac Mini or other desktop computer, the host computer unilaterally rejects all incoming power because it will never need it. The Element Hub simply does not pass on power, but everything else works as expected.
when is it available, amazon says currently unavailable and didn't see it on B&H
We're expecting it to be readily available some time in April. We had pre-orders up and available, but they have already sold out.
It's all very well having a small hub but the power adapter looks absolutely massive, which rather compromises the utility of the small hub.
The Element Hub is ready to provide all allocated power to the dock at any time, which is a significant amount collectively.
Awesome product! A question to CalDigit: From a technical perspective, is it possible to have a Thunderbolt 4 Hub that has a total of 5 Thunderbolt 4 ports? One to connect to the PC/Mac, and the other 4 are free for the user to use as they wish. Is that doable?
To my knowledge, no. TB4 can only do 4 ports max, and the host device counts as one of those.
@@CalDigitHQ Thank you!
Hello! I need to extend the TB2 port on my iMac Pro Retina computer. Can I use CalDigit Thuderbolt 4 Element Hub to make a connection between my TB2 audio interface and my iMac Pro Retina TB2 computer using the Apple Thunderbolt 3 to 2 Mac adapter? Thank you?
Our Thunderbolt 4 products technically work with Thunderbolt 2, but every macOS update since Big Sur, which introduced Thunderbolt 4, has had an adverse effect on Thunderbolt 2 support. At this point, it's rather hit or miss whether a Thunderbolt 4 dock will work on a Thunderbolt 2 computer, so unfortunately the best answer I can give you is: Maybe.
If it does work, the setup you proposed would be the correct way to set it up!
Question; If I would connect a Samsung Dex device to one of the regular 3 USB C ports, could I get the Dex desktop to a screen/projector connected via the USB C (with HDMI) adapter? Or does it have to be connected to the 1 x Thunderbolt Power Delivery port?
We have not tested with Samsung Dex in particular, so I am not certain how it will interface, but for any kind of behavior to what you are describing, the Samsung Dex device will have to be in the Host port. It can also operate via USB-C, so it should work.
Hit up our support team for more information:
Email: Support@CalDigit.com
Phone: (714) 572-9889
Livechat: caldigit.com/support/
Where do you order this Hub, it is not available anywhere, it does even appear on your website. I will appreciate you providing news of when will it be available and where. Thank you
Due to the ongoing worldwide component shortage, our inventory is a little limited right now.
There's currently a shipment of Element Hubs on the way to Amazon US, so keep an eye over there. Otherwise, we've got more units being made and shipping soon. Follow us on social media for updates regarding availability.
Hi @CalDigit. Will the hub make my external T5s and Gtech SSDs work with their advertised speeds? I'm having trouble getting my Mac mini M1 to read and write above 350mb/s and to my understading the Element Hub would be a wat to fix that. Thanks!
The Element Hub can only operate at the speed that is given to it. If the Thunderbolt ports on your Mac Mini M1 are experiencing a slowdown, it sounds like an internal problem with the computer itself that the Element Hub will also be a victim of. It would definitely be a good compliment if you have multiple devices, but it won't resolve your speed issue unless it's replacing a dock that isn't performing well.
I travel a lot. If I'm in a hotel room, how do I connect the motel TV to my iPhone 15 Pro using this hub?
Most TVs are going to use HDMI, so you will ned a USB-C to HDMI adapter + HDMI cable or a USB-C to HDMI cable. You can plug that into one of the USB-C/ Thunderbolt ports on the Element Hub!
Hey I'm from the first batch of pre-orders back in February, placed an order on the day of the announcement. What's going on with the shipment?
It was supposed to be March, then there was a shipment delay to April, now I got an email saying there is a delay in manufacturing there won't be stock available until Mid-May.
Is there some quality control issue going on?
Thanks for reaching out.
As stated on your other comment, we ran into a small bug that needed to be corrected and ultimately delayed our shipments. After a couple weeks of troubleshooting, our dev team corrected it at the factory and we received our most recent shipment earlier this week. Unfortunately, this ordeal has pushed back our original expected delivery timeline, leading to the delays you have received.
We thank you for your understanding.
Best regards and stay healthy,
Dalton from CalDigit
Waiting for my pre-order to be shipped.
Our first pre-order shipment of Element Hubs are shipping now!
We're expecting the next shipment to arrive in the next couple of weeks.
@@CalDigitHQ does that include UK preorders?:)
@@UrosR The previous statement is for US pre-orders. I'm not sure the status of UK pre-orders at this time. You can check with our UK sales team and find out. Email: EUSales@CalDigit.com
Is this bus powered as well - get power from laptop? Or it needs to be plugged in, in order to work
The Element Hub requires wall power to work.
Is this hub able to power an additional monitor such as the Dell USB-C U2721DE through one of the Thunderbolt 4 outs? Thanks for your insight!
No. Only a very small handful of monitors consume a small enough amount of power to be able to be powered by an upstream USB-C port if they even accept power from upstream.
@@CalDigitHQ Appreciate the reply CalDigit!
Wait, did you mean to provide *power* to it, or just to *drive* it (provide display and USB signals)?
@@danagoyette7932 Hadn't bought a monitor in 10yrs. Was curious if a Hub/Dock could power a monitor, which I found out they cannot. Yes, the USB-C cable will transfer video and other USB information to it.
What happens when I connect it to a thunderbolt 3 port on my laptop (macbook)?
Do I get 3x thunderbolt 3 connections out of the hub? What happens to those usb-c ports on the hub? Thanks
If you connect the Element Dock to a Thunderbolt 3 computer, you will get access to three Thunderbolt 3 connections on the Element Dock. The ports are compatible with all versions of Thunderbolt, even 4, as well as with USB-C.
@Photo Bunny That's pretty specific! We could see a USB-C only dock in the future, but no promises. CF might be a little bit more of a longshot, though!
@Photo Bunny Thank you for providing further feedback on CF Express. I know for now a lot of cameras with CF Express also have SD options built in, but as the market transitions, we will too!
Right now, we're focused on filling out our line-up for the widest market we can, but we will return to offering more professional and niche focused devices in the future.
@Photo Bunny We actually have quite a few users that use SD cards with our docks.
But it is clear that CF Express will become the standard across most cameras eventually and it is currently gaining traction. As it takes up a larger market share, it will become more feasible for us develop products with compatible readers.
I’m waiting for TS4+ 😏
It's coming ᵉᵛᵉⁿᵗᵘᵃˡˡʸ
@@CalDigitHQ I'm waiting!
@@CalDigitHQ release date ?
@@CalDigitHQ U mean after Pre-Order of "TB4 EH" huh? ㅋㅋㅋ
Anyway, I joined the pre-order(yeh.. I'm the guy who love unboxing🤣🤣). I look forward to seeing Both TB4+ and EH4 as soon as possible!
@@ForeverYoung007 Honestly, I have no idea. Personally, I know of our products a few months in advance to help develop our marketing strategy, but I have heard no word of a TS4 yet. I have no doubt something like that will come, though.
This product is great. But bigger laptops releasing in 2021 with Thunderbolt 4 will definitely need more than 90W of power. My current XPS 15 with Thunderbolt 3 requires 130W of power. This is the only thing holding me back from buying Caldigit's products, because even the TS3 plus supports only 87W of power.
Unfortunately, the maximum limit of wattage via Thunderbolt is 100W. This is a theoretical limit, and to my knowledge, the closest device we've gotten so far is Apple's 96W charger. The Element Hub's wattage is definitely lower than some of the other devices we have for sale, but that is by design. It is smaller and targeting a different audience than our TS3 Plus, for example.
The CalDigit USB-C HDMI Dock puts out 94watts of power.
The original adapter for my 16" Macbook Pro M1pro is a 140W USB-C to MagSafe 3, but the Element hub only seems to charge at 60W.
Can using the 60W charger (instead of the original apple charger) have any negative impact the on the mac battery? And if using both chargers at the same time, would it then bypass the charging from the Element hub?
The Element Hub provides more than enough power for the 16" M1 Pro MBP. The power curve for this laptop is extremely wide, and in all but the most extreme circumstances it sips power enough that the Element Hub can provide it no problem.
In reality, the 140W charger is more of a fast charger in virtually all applications.
If you were to plug in multiple chargers to your computer, your computer will only select one to accept power from, generally either the higher wattage charger or one that the computer recognizes as being the original charger. In the circumstance you outlined, the magsafe charger would take priority, and the Element Hub would not provide charging.,
I have a macbook air M1 with 2 USB C TB3 ports and a Samsung Neo G9. Right now I have to use one port for Displayport USB C and one port for power. Will I be able to use the USB4 element hub to either power via USB C and allow expansion through that port, or to convert Displayport 1.4 to USB C and display and expand over that port?
The Element Hub will provide 60W of charging to the computer, which should be enough to charge an M1 MacBook Air. You will also be able to connect your Samsung monitor, with room for 2 more USB-C/ Thunderbolt ports and 4 USB-A ports.
Hey! Can you test internet sharing by connecting ethernet to the mac/ mac mini and using this hub to connect 4 different iPhones?
I don't think that would work. What you are suggesting relies on the iPhones being treated like individual computers by the Element Hub, so that Ethernet is passed onto them. This is fundamentally not how the Element Hub works. it will instead treat the iPhones as data connections and devices to charge.
would I need to change from MacOs High Sierra to Os Big Sur to be able to get the features of the 3 thunderbolt devices working on this Hub ?
In order to get full Thunderbolt speeds, macOS users will need to be on Big Sur. Earlier OS versions will be limited to USB Data, likely at speeds of up to 10Gbps.
If I connect the hub to a Thunderbolt 3 PC, will the capabilities be reduced? If so, how?
I've been looking for something to swap between a work machine (TB3 Intel Mac) and a home machine (HP Omen 15 2021 with Titan Ridge JHL7540), and I'm thinking this might do it, if I add some dongles:
* Charging isn't important, because I'd plug in power separately anyway. (No Type-C charging on Omen, and work machine should stay plugged in even without the hub.)
* Main display is DisplayPort 1.4 (3840x2160 at 120Hz)
* Maybe eventually a second display
* Regular USB 3.0 port(s) for keyboard, mouse, and misc. devices
* Must pass through Adaptive Sync (FreeSync) for the Omen (it's wired to the NVIDIA, but I don't know how many DisplayPort streams)
* Must NOT use an MST hub for multiple displays (no support in MacOS, and many hubs don't support Adaptive Sync)
* Gigabit Ethernet (I already have a Realtek USB 2.5GbE dongle, and an Apple TB3TB2 adapter and an Apple TB ethernet adapter)
The Element Hub has the capability to operate perfectly with a Thunderbolt 3 Titan Ridge PCs, but you will need to check the Controller ID. I'll post a link below on how you can check for yourself.
Other than that, I believe the Element Hub will meet all your needs. I'm not 100% certain about adaptive sync capabilities, but I believe because video will be driven by the graphics card, it should pass-through and work properly.
www.caldigit.com/caldigit-thunderbolt-4-usb-4-element-hub-compatibility-and-limitations-on-windows/
@@CalDigitHQ Looks like mine is 15E8 (Titan Ridge). The hub's product page mentions dual 4k@60, but if it's a true passthrough, it should support 4k120 or 8k30, or whatever the GPU (and the USB-C to DP cable) supports. Do you know if the hub has an MST hub, and if so, what chip model?
@@danagoyette7932 @Dana Goyette The Element Hub does support 8k30. I'm not 100% sure about 4k120hz on a single monitor, but I believe it does support that.
There's no MST Hub in the Element Hub.
I got a Caldigit TS4 Dick and even with the 39.1 firmware update, it still disconnects my external hard drives after sleep except for my Acasis drive with a Samsung 980 drive. I wonder if this Hub if connected to my dock will still disconnect my drives after sleep?
Definitely get in touch with our support team if you haven't already.
You can best get in touch via email at Support@CalDigit.com
@@CalDigitHQ I have and no solution thus far.
Jerry, I pre order it base on on what you said, back in Feb 2021. When are they going to ship it First it was mid Feb then early March now its mid March. is this a scan?
Hey Nate,
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and expressing your concerns. We caught a small bug that we want to address before we continue shipping out Element Hub orders. Right now, we have at least one completed shipment waiting for a firmware update before getting shipped. Our developers are working as fast as they can to correct the behavior and continue delivering pre-orders.
We appreciate your understanding and your patience in this. We will continue delivering pre-orders in the near future.
Best regards and stay healthy,
Dalton from CalDigit
@@CalDigitHQ Thanks for the quick reply. It’s always good to keep the the public up to date on a product that’s pre paid for. Thanks again Waiting with great anticipation.
@@bnate5 We posted about the delay on our other social media platforms and we'll be posting when we resume shipments. Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!
With this hub plus displaylink, can M1 connect to two monitor? I really love this hub. And i saw some people using other hub with m1 chip to connect to two monitor with their M1.
We haven't tested it ourselves, but yeah, this should work with a DisplayLink adapter to get additional monitors on an M1 device.
@@CalDigitHQ you guys should test it. If it works it will attract more people to buy
@@whoami6821 We do not officially support DisplayLink for a variety of variables out of our control.
What I can say specifically, is that we have seen one of our users connect a total of 6 monitors to our TS3 Plus using DisplayLink. We believe DisplayLink to function the same with the Element Hub.
hey! i got a TS3+, what would be a good way to get more usb ports on there? i need a few more ports... thanks!
While we don't officially recommend it or support it if it doesn't work as intended, you could try an AC powered USB hub to get some extra ports. Try to use it for just light bandwidth devices, like keyboards mice, printers, and other peripherals. Heavy use devices, like external hard drives, should be connected to the TS3 Plus directly.
If I connect the Hub via TB3, can I still get the full bandwidth of USB 3.2 gen 2?
Sure can!
Hi, I have a new 16" Macbook Pro M1 Max, which supports 3 external displays natively. I'm currently using a single 4K display, and 2 x 1080p displays. Will I be able to plug all three of these displays into this hub, without using DisplayLink or any other connector?
No. Despite your computer supporting 3 external displays, it only supports up to 2 displays on a single port, which is also the maximum displays our docks support.
I'm not sure if this is the case for the M1 MacBook Pro Max in particular, but previous MacBooks only support up to two monitors on a single BUS, actually. The two Thunderbolt ports on a side of the MacBook make up a single BUS. It's possible you may have to plug in the third monitor on the opposite side of the computer you would plug the dock into.
Only problem is, they are out of stock and unknown when they'll have more.
We're fulfilling our pre-orders as fast as we can. Unfortunately, the global component shortage is slowing down our means of production.
@@CalDigitHQ I went and bought the TS3 Plus. Good reviews of that one as well.
@@billiamnotbob That's also a great choice! Cheers!
If I pre-order this from the UK store, will it come shipped with a UK 3 pin plug?
If you order it off of any of our websites, we will send the plug for that region, so yes, you will get a UK plug if your shipping address is in the UK.
In terms of power, how will the TS3 Plus do with my XPS 15 which requires 130W? Will it charge slowly? Also, would the TS3 Plus that's capable of 87W regulate the wattage a bit lower for laptops that don't need as much wattage e.g. XPS 13?
I couldn't really even begin to guess, to be honest. It is possible that you will get a slow charge while idling and doing low intensity computer tasks, such as Excel, emails, etc., but if you were to do high intensity tasks, such as rendering a video or 3d animation work, anything that heavily taxes the CPU and GPU, it will almost certainly drain the battery.
All Thunderbolt powered computers have built in systems to handle different power levels as well as charging from multiple devices. A device that can only utilize say 80W would tell the TS3 Plus to only provide 80W, and it would do so. Likewise, if you plugged in your computer charger and the TS3 Plus, it would choose to accept power from only one device (typically this is the higher wattage device, but it can depend on a variety of variables).
Hello, this hub looks great but which is the intel controller inside it?
We use the Goshen Ridge Intel Controller in the Element Hub!
It is exactly what I want: A TB4 Dock with Intel JHL8440. Thank you for your response.
Warranty Policy Disclaimer from Caldigit
This policy is applied only for the merchandises sold in the Untied States(unless
specified). CalDigit reserves the right to modify this Limited Warranty and RMA Service
Policy as necessary without prior notice at anytime.
This is a fairly standard boilerplate warranty statement meant to protect us as a company from liability in the event of us changing internal policy relating to warranty services, such as our policy regarding returning for credit or initiating warranty services, which are also outlined in the RMA Service Policy document you are quoting from.
Regarding the United States section in particular, we operate offices out of a variety of regions with different warranty laws, so we have a unique warranty policy for each region, which is standard practice for most international companies. When necessary, our warranty teams have collaborated to help customers no longer in the country they initially purchased the product from more easily access warranty services without having to send the product back to the country of purchase.
Ordered mine mid february, still waiting for delivery. Ridiculous!
Next shipment is arriving in our US office this week. Without any further delays, it should be in your hands within a week or two.
Me too :( not on my hands yet :(
@@Supirole We started sending out the most recent shipment yesterday! Pending your date of purchase, it should be arriving soon.
By using element hub, will I be able to extend my MacBook Pro 2019 display to 2 USB C monitors?
Yes, the Element Hub should be able to support that!
Amazing! when can i buy this in the netherlands?
I don't have a specific date, but it should be available within the next couple months!
Hi TS3 PLUS is in use (MacBook Pro)
Thunderbolt 3 devices and 10G SSDs
There are many devices.
I'm trying to buy an Element Hub
Can I experience optimal performance with data chains?
if not
TS3 Plus, Element Hub all connecting to a laptop separately
Would you like better?
Our TS3 Plus and Element Hub both support daisy-chaining, per Thunderbolt specs. I believe you can chain 3 Thunderbolt devices together.
if you daisy chain this to the caldigit TS3 plus does it need to be connected to power as well?
Yes. The Element Hub only operates over AC Power.
The new Cal Digit TS4 uses a similarly ginormous power brick 😆
Part of Thunderbolt specification requires that all possible power that the dock can use is always provisioned for. This means that you can get maximum power delivery out of each USB port (between 7.5W - 20W depending on the port) in addition to the host port's 98W charging all at once. Ultimately, it clocks in at around 200W of power needed for the ports at all times, plus power to keep the dock itself running.
I have a computer with a single TB3 port. Can I connect a TB3 device (Apple TB to Firewire adapter) and a displayport screen (through usb-c to displayport cable) at the same time through this hub?
More crazy: Could you connect multiple TB (pcie) devices (like eGPU's) at the same time? I understand bandwidth would be severely limited / split between the devices, but would it technically work?
All of that should be possible. I'm not sure how firewire will interface with it, but if it's Apple's official adapter, it should work.
One thing to note if, you should check compatibility with your computer first. If you're on Windows, we here's how: www.caldigit.com/caldigit-thunderbolt-4-usb-4-element-hub-compatibility-and-limitations-on-windows/
@@CalDigitHQ Oh god no I'm on Linux. The adapter is indeed an Apple adapter (well actually USB-C to TB2 and then TB2 to FW but it works perfect if connected directly to the TB3 USB-C port). I have 2 computer both with Titan Ridge 15e8
Killer product btw. Will definitely buy if available in the EU
@@chrisdejonge611 Titan Ridge 15E8 is fully compatible to support the Element Hub, but your mileage may very with Linux. We don't officially support the OS with any of our docks, but our products have worked for Linux users in the past - sometimes out of the box and sometimes with some work. Since the Element Hub and Thunderbolt 4 are so new, we don't have a strong grasp of how compatible they are with Linux yet.
If you do end up picking an Element Hub up, let us know if it works for you!
Can you explain again the difference between passive vs active cables? The Element Hub will be shipped with an 0.8m passive Thunderbolt 4 cable right? Does that mean I'll only get half the speed at 20Gb/s and won't charge my laptop?
Passive and Active only matter when pushing a cable beyond .8m in length. At .8m, the cable is technically passive, but you will get the full 40Gbps and up to 100W PD. Any longer than that requires the "active" technology to maintain full speed and power delivery. An "Active" cable has a special repeater at both ends of the cable to strengthen the signal. It costs more, which is why you mostly see cables .8m in length and less and then 2m.
@@CalDigitHQ Aren't the Thunderbolt 4 "Universal Cables" supposed to be passive even at 2m (and eventually to 5m) and always 40 Gbps capable?
@@jeverett0902 We're still experimenting and testing the technology, so we can't verify for sure. As it is, we anticipate any length longer than .8m to require an active connection for the time being, in order to get the full 40Gbps connection and 100W charging. We might be able to push to 3m with an active connection, but we're still testing and not sure how viable it is yet.
Another option for longer cables is an optical cable. This option can get up to and possibly exceed 50m in length, but no power delivery. This is something else we're experimenting in, but the cost of optical cables can be prohibitively expensive.
@@CalDigitHQ Are active Thunderbolt 4 cables backwards compatible with USB 3 and higher? Active Thunderbolt 3 cables only did USB 2. Intel marketing has been promoting the Thunderbolt 4 "Universal cables" as backwards compatible with USB 3 (and USB 4). Is that not going to be true for active cables?
@@jeverett0902 Thunderbolt 4 Active cables should support USB 4, 3, 2, etc. It will be more universal than Thunderbolt 3, especially in this regard.
My Macbook pro M1 has a magsafe charger so why do I also want a simultaneous 60W charger with a massive power brick? Do you have to make a point of NOT using the magsafe charger, as in, is it dangerous to have both plugged in? Thanks
For virtually all users, the 60W charging from the Element Hub is enough to keep any M1 chip powered and charged due to how wide the M1 chip's power curve is. In most applications these chips sip on power. When considering this, the magsafe charger is more a fast charger than anything else.
As for the size of the power brick, Thunderbolt specification mandates that any port that needs power have that power allocated at all times. The Element Hub can provide over 130W of power across all its ports. Between that and the power to keep the device itself on, the charger ends up being a little beefy.
Multiple chargers can be plugged into modern computers with no issues. As soon as a charging device is plugged into a computer, the computer and charger have a sort of handshake, where they figure out how much power can be passed along the connection, if any at all.
When multiple chargers are plugged in, the computer will determine which one it wants to use. It generally favors the manufacturer's charger, like the magsafe charger, but there are situations where it may choose a 3rd party device like one of our docks. The computer will then reject power from all other sources, but the device will otherwise function as expected.
@@CalDigitHQ thanks for taking the time to reply 👍🏼
Mine stopped working after 2 months. My Win 11 PC cant see it. It seems to have power but Windows 11 can't see it attached. Seems like this is an issue with this product according to the WEB
Sorry to hear that! All of our docks come with a 2 year warranty, so definitely hit up our support team and they'll replace it if it can't be fixed.
Email: Support@CalDigit.com
Livechat: caldigit.com/support/
Will it work if I plug in valve index because I have laptop with thunderbolt 4 and valve index have displayport
Maybe, but we could not say for sure. It will partially depend if the USB-C/ Thunderbolt 4 port on your computer is capable of supporting the Valve Index.
Can I use this hub to connect my Samsung S20 mobile to a portable monitor with a mouse and keyboard?
We've seen some success with Samsung DeX working with our products to connect monitors, keyboards, and mice.
Portable monitors can sometimes act finnicky with docks, so I can't totally guarantee it will work, however!
can this dock power thunderbolt or usb type c monitors?
Yes! Do keep in mind it can only support up to the host device. So if you have a USB-C host computer, you won't be able to run a Thunderbolt monitor. But with a Thunderbolt host device, any type of monitor is supported.
Can you use it as a USB C hub on the go WITHOUT the power brick?
No. The Element Hub only works on AC power.
Do you need to update the firmware on this Element Hub?? 🤷🏽
No, not unless something is wrong that the firmware update can address.
Any idea when an order placed a little over 2 months ago (Feb 5th) will be filled?
The next batch of orders should start delivering in the next couple weeks! I can't be certain without more details, but it's very likely your unit is in this batch.
This seems to me to be a very good product. But, I am waiting for a successor. With HDMI 2(2.0b) and Ethernet (10Gbs) ;-)
Thanks for your feedback!
We are always looking to push the envelope on what our docks are capable of!
I wonder if it will work with 2 monitor at 4k 144hz and 4k 60hz ?
Our Thunderbolt 4 products can support up to dual 4k 144hz monitors!
www.caldigit.com/using-docks-at-higher-refresh-rates/
do they make one for PC?
Our Element Hub is compatible with PC!
@@CalDigitHQ Awesome thank you
It can only be bettered by adding an SD card reader...but it's not a deal breaker.
Thank you for your insight! The SD Card reader will likely return on future Thunderbolt 4 products. We wanted to keep the Element Hub sweet and simple in order to put the benefits of Thunderbolt 4 front and center.
Absolutely, any news on release date in the U.K.? Am desperate!
@@ianforestdj Not at this time! We're still catching up on pre-orders in the US. When all our pre-orders have been fulfilled, the rest of our stores will be stocked and it should be available. Right now we're expecting to finish fulfilling pre-orders some time in May, so availability in all regions will come some time after that.
Ouch. Americans get all the best stuff. Surely they won’t miss just one little hub if you send it to me in secret will they?
Can you use this with a TB2 port from your Mac or USB-C on your PC an accept TB2 devices?
Thunderbolt devices are only compatible with Thunderbolt host computers. You would not be able to take a USB-C computer and plug in a Thunderbolt device through the Element Hub.
This will work with a Thunderbolt 2 computer on macOS - the Big Sur update is required.
While I have owned (and currently still own) many CalDigit products including a few TS3 Plus docks, I want this... but can't get it in the EU as CalDigit has closed their EU shops...
We have a shipment of our products on the way to Amazon EU. We're doing a bit of restructuring right now to get our products available for cheaper in the EU in light of the new trade rules with the UK. The Element Hub should be coming within the next month or two.
@@CalDigitHQ Thanks for the reply. Which EU Amazon store? Will the pre-order price be in place still or full retail price? And will it include the UK plug as well for those of us in Ireland? Thanks!
@@vonEitzen It will be distributed to all Amazon EU stores eventually. I'm unsure of what our plan is with pre-order pricing. Our EU Sales team may have more info in that regard.
Ireland is part of the UK for the sake of our online shop. If you're located in Ireland, you should be able to pre-order the Element Hub right now. Our EU store ships the proper plug for the purchasing region.
Here's our EU Sales team's email if you are interested: EUSales@CalDigit.com
Hope this helps!
Best regards and stay healthy,
Dalton from CalDigit
@@CalDigitHQ While Northern Ireland is part of the UK, the Republic of Ireland is not. Are you saying I can still order to Ireland?
@@vonEitzen I looked at our UK shop earlier and was able to select Dublin as a location to ship to successfully. I recommend checking out our online shop and seeing if you are able to select your address in shipping.
i purchased one of these as i was told that it would connect to a mac with TB2 using an apple TB2 to TB3 adapter. The computer connection lights up blue but no drives show up on the Mac. Is there a fix for this or have i been mis sold (from amazon not Caldigit)
Sorry to say that Thunderbolt 4 devices do not work on Thunderbolt 2 computers. In the macOS update that added Thunderbolt 4 support, Thunderbolt 2 also became deprecated and no longer works as intended. There is no overlap where both Thunderbolt 2 and Thunderbolt 4 are supported by macOS.
Our website does not list Thunderbolt 2 as meeting the Minimum System Requirements for the Element Hub to work: www.caldigit.com/thunderbolt-4-element-hub/
@@CalDigitHQ I may have misread a couple of sections on that page😔 will the TS3 work with TB2 and the adapter?
@@CalDigitHQ bit of a strange one but went back out to Mac earlier and both of the external SSDs were now showing on the desktop. I was able to access both disks, then tried plugging in monitor and drives disappeared
@@adv8nturenick Sounds like a possible malfunction with the Thunderbolt connection. Try swapping out the Thunderbolt cable if you are able. If that does the trick and the culprit is one of our cables, or if it's still acting up, reach out to our support team and they'll be happy to help further. You can best get in touch via email at Support@CalDigit.com
Is it safe to use a dock on a M1 iMac? Given that both the dock and the iMac have their own power sources, could that cause problems? Thank you ahead of time.
Yes, it's totally safe to use our docks with desktop computers. Modern computers are smart enough to simply not accept power they don't need. In the proposed case, the iMac will reject power from the Element Hub at all times, but it will otherwise function normally.
@@CalDigitHQ That’s a relief! Thank you 🙏 very much. I quite like this dock you reviewed in the video.
@@alfabravo80 Happy to help! If there's anything else we can help with, please do not hesitate to ask.
What about a really good and fast ethernet solution to this hub?
And where canI actually purchase this right now a d shipped to Sweden?
Thanks!
If you have a Thunderbolt host, you could connect a 10 Gigabit Ethernet adapter to the Element Hub. Our Connect 10G would be a good option, but it is currently out of stock and we don't have an ETA on its return. There are other options available on the market though.
Looks like it's currently available on our EU web shop. Please note that our EU shop is currently based out of the UK, so VAT or other import fees may be required. There may be other retailers in Sweden, but I am not familiar with any.
Here's our web shop: shop.caldigit.com/eu/
@@CalDigitHQ thanks 😀
@@CalDigitHQ does not seem so good for my needs after som trial and errors at home today …
- maybe the TS4 is better for me?
But I cannot find the Ts4 anywhere to buy?!
Or do you sell it right now? If so, - where?
I am in Sweden.
These are my needs,
Connect a macbook pro Max with one cable to a docking station that then can:
1.
A docking station that then can provide, several screens for the macbook while also charge it.
2.
Can also charge my ipad as well with usb C (or C to A) as long it got enough watt to do so at the same time as charging the other devices.
3. Provide electricity and send data into the macbook from my audio interface, an Audient 14 id MKll, this device only uses USB C to connect to get power and send data in one cable.
4. USB A to connect my mechanic keyboards with electricity and data input.
5. Ethernet plug
6. Display port /. Ports for external monitors.
I tested all this right now by a ALOGIC PRIME MX3 Dockningstation
It worked fine until I plugged in the ipad mini in the front usb A to charge it, after some minute the screen disconnected…
I am not sure why?
Do docking stations have a limited watt power of devices it can charge at the same time??
When I took out the ipad mini it was possible to reconnect with the LG ultrawide (can also charge and send video to and from macbook from usb c in the back of the LG screen) again by display port ( I used the diplayport instead) but it been unstable back and forth…
😤 frustrating to say the least for 350 euro!
Would TS4 show similar issues?
I saw you got USB C of 20 watt (why different watts, what are they for?) and 7.5 watt at the front which the ALOGIC PRIME MX3 Dockningstation does not as it uses one usb c and one usb A…
Would this difference matter to charge all of my devices or would it still be an issue?
Thanks for getting back to solve my questions!
🫣😅🙏🏻
The TS4 is currently sold out, but we are expecting it to restock towards the end of this month. It will be available on our web shop as well as on various Amazon storefronts.
It sounds like for your needs that the Element Hub does indeed come up a little short. I would recommend the TS3 Plus or TS4, as either should be able to meet your needs. The TS3 Plus would be able to provide up to 7.5W of power to charge your iPad Mini through any of the USB ports, although iPad Minis can accept up to 20W of power to my understanding. The TS4 has a special high wattage 20W USB-C port on the front to accommodate your iPad and other similar devices, which makes it a slightly better fit, but you can't go wrong with either choice. If you go with the TS3 Plus, we recommend that you also download and install the increased charging driver on our downloads website, which should make for better compatibility with your iPad.
Both of these docks can provide up to 2 external displays, which is the maximum amount supported via hardware through a Thunderbolt connection. As detailed above, they can both charge your iPad. Both docks should be able to support your audio interface and definitely will support your keyboard, various other peripherals, and Ethernet. The TS3 Plus and TS4 both have one DisplayPort for monitor connections, and can support a second monitor via the spare USB-C/ Thunderbolt port, which you can convert to DisplayPort if you need.
To answer your question about the iPad on your current dock - macOS limits how much power Thunderbolt docks are able to provide, which may be causing some weird behavior with your current dock. We sometimes see this with users of our TS3 Plus before they install the increased charging drivers I mentioned above. I would recommend you check with your current dock's manufacturer and see if they have any similar drivers available for download on their website. If so, that may help clear up the problem.
@@CalDigitHQ thanks, that was really helpful information. Will take a look and see how the current one have similar drivers available for download or not.
What is the exact price of the Ts4 and is the VAT counted with the total shipping price included these days from UK or only on the price of the device itself? I have had issues where DHL added up to 60% of the device prices and stated in an unclear and unethical way that is now both arrival delivery fees plus VAT that they charge us, if you don’t want the device we keep it! Highly unethical customer service at various delivery companies here in EU…
in Sweden the governmental post office does not exist anymore, everything is privatized and so fake fees show up and go up all the time, and as a consumer is very hard to tell if the end total is really what one is supposed to pay with the way they deliver at DHL…
just sayin, 60% on top of a device price is too much for me, VAT is normally 20% if I am not wrong?
Taking both Arrival fees plus Deliver fees on top of the already paid shipping cost I had never heard of previously before I ordered a mechanical keyboard from California by DHL to Sweden…so hope not to get such an issue again…🥵😅
When will this be available for order in Korea?
We're expecting it to be available in all regions some time in April. Our Asia team might have more details for you.
You can email them here: Asia@CalDigit.com
@@CalDigitHQ Wow you guys really are responsive!!! Thank you so much!!
hey jerry, i just got my caldigit element hub and updated the firmware to 30.3 from 30.2 via my m1 air running monterey pb6 which went fine and now in system report i cannot see the name or firmware of my hub. it is showing as unknown device but it is working perfectly. is it a bug?
Have you reset the computer since the update? It's possible macOS is a little confused because it just applied the firmware update.
If everything is working well, there's nothing to worry about, but you can reach out to our support team and they may have some additional troubleshooting for you. Here are some ways to reach them:
Email: Support@CalDigit.com
Livechat: caldigit.com/support/
@@CalDigitHQ can you just confirm me from your side if you have a monterey beta on any of your m1 macs and connecting it to the caldigit element hub firmware ver 30.3 and looking under system report if its showing name and firmware ver of your hub.
@@CalDigitHQ no, i havent updated or reset my m1 air after i updated the firmware on element hub from 30.2 to 30.3 as i am already running macos monterey pb6 on my m1 air. i think the monterey beta just got confused after the update as it was showing all the details when the hub was on 30.2 hoping it to be resolved in future macos updates.
@@uttamkumar097 You'll have to reach out to our support team with that request. We only have a handful of people in the office on any given day and most of them are our support crew. Here are some ways to reach out:
Email: Support@CalDigit.com
Livechat: caldigit.com/support/
Does it support my Samsung Odyssey G9 with 5120x1440@120Hz? I read only about 50Hz
From a purely bandwidth perspective, this monitor should be supported at 5120x1440@120Hz. In reality, we have seen the G9 family of monitors be a little problematic, and won't always work at the expected resolution or refresh rate.
If this is the case for you, try swapping out the Thunderbolt cable connecting the dock and computer, and the video cable connecting the dock and your monitor.
Beyond that, our support team would be happy to assist further. You can best get in touch via email at Support@CalDigit.com
Can I use this as a usb hub for my PC? If i'm using a Desktop. do I have to plug in the power or can I just connect it to my Desktop and the PC will power the hub?
The Element Hub requires wall power to work at all times.
It can work with desktops, but it entirely depends on your computer itself. If it's a pre-built, let me know the name and model, and if you built it, let me know the motherboard name and I can look it up.
I built my pc. But since the host connection port also provides power, would it not damage the motherboard it’s connected to a PC?
Or would you have to plug the pc on a different port other than the host port?
It’s what i been looking for for a very long time, but i just want to make sure i don’t damage my motherboard
@@marvenscantave4023 Thunderbolt docks only provide as much power as the host computer requests. Modern computers are pretty smart about power handling, including in situations like this.
Basically, when a charging device is plugged into a computer, before any power is passed along, the charger and computer share their needs and capabilities with each other and then come to an agreement on how much power to pass along. In the case of your setup, the computer will reject all incoming power, and the TS4 will not pass anything along.
So it's totally safe to plug the TS4 or another Thunderbolt dock with charging capabilities into your computer. My work desktop has a TS4 connected to it and it all works perfectly fine.
It is sold-out in Asia region.
It will return!
The ongoing worldwide component shortage has taken a toll on our inventory and production speed, but we are always manufacturing more!
Is there product that can do HDMI 2.1 4K / 120Hz out of the new M1 / M1 Pro / M1 Max Macs? Trying to power an LG OLED CX at native 120Hz. Is there any solution for this?
Our Element Hub will be the best bet here. It can push 6k 60hz, so 4k 120hz should be possible, but we haven't tested, so I can't definitively say.
Thank you! I shall try!
@@realityos Let us know how it goes!
By the looks of it, a fantastic device. My only concern is Apple's engineering fault within their new M1 MacBooks that seem to be very sensitive to any power surges when power is delivered to them by 3rd party charging devices, effectively bricking them. I don't suppose there is any way of bypassing power delivery to a Mac, is there?
We have heard of the behavior you are referencing. So far we have only seen it on USB based devices, so any of our Thunderbolt devices, including the Element Hub, should be absolutely safe to use. Furthermore, we have yet to see any of this behavior appear on any of our products. At this time, we do not believe our products will trigger this behavior. Wherever we can, we model our USB docks after Thunderbolt's standards, which may be protecting our products from the pitfalls that are allowing the referenced behavior to occur.
@@CalDigitHQ Thank you for looking into this issue! I placed an order, and now will impatiently wait for the pre-order to ship mid April 😬
Why there's no stock for this Dock?
The Element Hub comes with rubber feet that can be mounted on either side to prevent scratching. It would be awkward to have it able to stand up, because the Computer port is on the side, so it would always be sticking up, and it wouldn't be good for the cable's long-term health.
Very nice