Hyper Thunderbolt 4 Power Hub review: Fast connectivity for demanding users

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This is not for you if your problem is that you need to connect multiple devices to your Mac, each with different connectors. Instead, this one’s for you if you’re specifically interested in Thunderbolt 4 devices, because that’s all you can connect to this hub.

It’s a four-power hub that’s light and comfortable enough to travel with, but it’s designed for use with desktop computers and requires mains power. Unusually, though, it doesn’t require a large power brick.

Hyper claims this is because the Hyperdrive Thunderbolt 4 Power Hub is “the world’s first… integrated GaN power supply.” The use of gallium nitride (GaN) means that the hub can be made very small.

This hub is slightly larger than the same company’s Thunderbolt 3 portable dock, and feels much heavier. But it’s small and doesn’t have a power brick to attach to.

The hub is a 4.9-inch square device measuring 1.2 inches high. It’s similar to the power adapter on the 14-inch MacBook Pro.

It does weigh more, though, at 1.27 pounds and it’s a concentrated weight so it’s heavier than that. But then this also gives it a solid, rugged feel.

This chassis won’t take much wear and tear from carrying it around, even though it is a dust magnet. But the four ports can see quite a bit of action, with multiple SSDs connected or disconnected.

The power cable is located on the back of the mini device. It’s so hard to push this, it’s like I’ve misdirected it. And then it does not flow with the device.

This is presumably a limitation due to the size inside the device, which leaves little room for the power connection. But if she needs a good nudge to get her in, she equally needs a strong tug to get her out again.

So once the drive is on, that power cable will stay on.

All four hub ports are arranged on the front side, and are divided into two types.

The first three are all Thunderbolt 4 downstream ports, and offer:

• 40 GB data downstream
• 15 watts downstream power

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So the hub can power peripherals you connect to. This means that devices such as SSD drives can be quickly attached or removed, speeding up the entire process of transferring terabytes of data.

These ports can also be used to connect Thunderbolt displays. Specifically, the hub can drive a single display at 5K, 6K, or 8K, so you get the maximum resolution possible with a refresh rate of 30Hz.

In theory, the same hub could instead power two 4K displays, in this case up to 60Hz.

In practice, a hub can power two displays, but only if your Mac is capable of it. Hyper notes that the Dual Extended Display feature, as they call it, is only available on the M1 Pro, M1 Max, or Intel-based MacBook Pro.

Three ports are 40Gb downstream for peripherals, while the fourth is where you plug your Mac into.

The first three Thunderbolt ports populate with a display, portable storage, etc., and the fourth connects to your MacBook. Port #4 is a single top port that can provide up to 96W of power delivery.

So while you’re using the hub, you can quickly charge devices up to a 14-inch MacBook Pro or M2 MacBook Air.

It might be easier if that fourth port was on the side of the hub, so it was away from the ports you keep switching peripherals from. But with the Mac mini, for example, the design means you can bring the Thunderbolt ports up the front of the machine for easy access.

The hub is suitable for desktop users, or those who mainly use their MacBook Pro in the same space. It’s easily transportable, but it works best at least as a semi-permanent device on your desk.

This way you can come back from shooting, for example, and very quickly transfer your footage to your Mac. At the same time, you can back up this Mac as well.

So it is really for people who need to store and transfer very large files and work with them often. It’s not for people who occasionally like a Thunderbolt port more than their Mac has to offer.

This means that the Hyper Thunderbolt 4 Power Hub lacks the kind of extras like USB-A, HDMI, or SD card slots that would make it universally useful. But for its target audience, especially with no ordinary power brick, the hub is a good value.

It’s also bulkier, which means that for some users, the Hyper Thunderbolt 4 Power Hub may be just the right mix of size, weight, price, and ports.

• It provides three 40Gb Thunderbolt 4 ports for peripherals
• It has a single Thunderbolt 4 port to connect to the host Mac
• It does not require a separate large power brick
• It can power peripherals and charge your MacBook Pro
• Lightweight

• It only includes Thunderbolt 4 ports, and nothing else
• It requires AC power so it is portable, not portable