CalDigit Thunderbolt 5 Element Hub Has the Most Ports of any TB5 Hub

Jan 31, 2025

Jeremy Gray

A variety of tech accessories arranged on a dark surface, including a smartwatch, earphones in a charging case, a smartphone, cables, a laptop, and a compact gray device at the center.

With more and more Thunderbolt 5-equipped computers hitting the market, including Apple’s latest MacBook Pro and Mac mini models, companies are racing to bring as many Thunderbolt 5 accessories as possible to market, including versatile hubs. CalDigit is the latest, launching the Element 5 Hub, the company’s fastest and most powerful hub ever.

The CalDigit Element 5 Hub has “more ports than any other Thunderbolt hub on the market, with nine ports of powerful connectivity,” CalDigit explains. The competition includes the OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub announced last November, which has three Thunderbolt 4 ports. Although the Element 5 Hub has nine total ports, it features just four Thunderbolt 5 ports, which is, of course, still a lot.

Alongside these four Thunderbolt 5 ports, the Element 5 also features two USB-C ports (10Gb/s) and three USB-A ports (10Gb/s). The four Thunderbolt 5 UBS-C ports support speeds up to 120Gb/s. With all this performance, it’s possible to attach Thunderbolt 5 external storage, like the OWC Thunderbolt 5 Envoy or LaCie Rugged SSD Pro5, to the Element 5 Hub and reach transfer speeds over 6,000 MB/s.

A promotional layout showcasing the Element5 USB-C Hub, highlighting features like 9 ports, 120 Gb/s boost mode, 180W power supply, reversible design, 90W charging, 8K support, daisy-chaining, and device compatibility with Mac, PC, and tablet.

A docking station with multiple USB ports sits on a wooden desk. Two blue external hard drives are stacked on top. Nearby, a white keyboard and a silver laptop are partially visible.

Naturally, the other USB-C and USB-A ports on the Element 5 Hub won’t deliver transfer speeds like this, as they are not Thunderbolt 5 ports, but they provide sufficient transfer speeds for many accessories and offer 7.5 watts of power.

A modern desk setup featuring three curved monitors displaying colorful wave patterns. Below them are a keyboard, mouse, headphones, a laptop partially open, a tablet, and a docking station, all on a sleek white desk.

Diagram showing the back and front panels of a Thunderbolt 5/USB4 v2 hub. Includes ports: USB-C, USB-A, and DC power in, with labeled power delivery and charging capabilities. There's also an LED indicator on the front.

Another critical aspect of Thunderbolt 5 technology is that it enables the use of additional external monitors. Thunderbolt 5 can support up to three external monitors, at least on compatible Thunderbolt 5-equipped Windows host computers. It’s possible to run three 4K 60Hz displays through the Element 5 Hub on certain Windows computers. CalDigit notes that M4 Macs do not support triple displays via a single Thunderbolt 5 host connection. A complete breakdown of monitor setups possible with the Element 5 is featured below.

A compatibility chart listing various devices like MacBook models, iPhone, iPad Pro, and Windows PC. It shows checkmarks for supported resolutions (4K to 8K) and refresh rates (60Hz to 240Hz), including single and multiple monitor setups.

As for power delivery, the Element 5 Hub always supports a sustained 90 watts of power. This is made possible by its 180-watt included power supply. Compared to the Thunderbolt 4 Element Hub, the new power supply is 30 watts more powerful but 42% smaller overall, making it more convenient when traveling.

A home office desk setup with a tablet connected to a large monitor displaying colorful screens. Surrounding items include a lamp, headphones, a GoPro camera, a small plant, and other tech gadgets.

The CalDigit Element 5 Hub ships with a 0.8-meter Thunderbolt 5 cable, two rubber feet strips, a power cord, the 180-watt power supply, and, of course, the Element 5 Hub itself. The hub costs $249.95 right now, a 17% discount off the eventual price.

Image credits: CalDigit