Comparison BASEUS Metal Gleam Series 6-in-1 Multifunctional Type-C Hub vs BASEUS Thunderbolt C+Pro 7 in 1 Smart HUB

— Card Reader. Devices designed primarily for reading various types of memory cards. They may have USB ports (see "USB inputs"), but usually less than one (very rarely two). There are both external and internal (see "Purpose").

— USB hub. He's a "splitter". A variety of peripheral devices designed to increase the number of working USB ports in the system. The hub has several own USB inputs (usually at least 4), and only one such port is used to connect it to a computer. Thus, by connecting, for example, a 4-port hub to a computer, you will get 4 instead of one USB port. Such devices can be useful for those who have to use many USB devices at the same time, as well as for owners of compact laptops where there are few standard connectors. However, keep in mind that the power of one port may not be enough to power all the peripherals connected through the hub, for more details see "Connecting the power supply". Models of this type are only external(see "Purpose").

— Card reader / USB hub. External (see "Purpose") devices that combine the functionality of the two types described above: they have both slots for memory cards and USB ports, which allows them to be used as both card readers and hubs. However, it is worth noting that USB ports in such models are usually fewer than in full-featured hubs, and some even have only 1 USB input.

— External. Card readers and USB hubs connected to a computer as external peripherals, usually via a USB interface. This category also includes compact devices with an ExpressCard interface. Most external models are large enough to accommodate slots for several different types of cards (in the case of card readers) or for several USB ports (in the case of hubs).

— External adapter (connector on the case). Adapters that are connected to the external USB port of the computer. Usually have a compact form factor and are the most convenient to transport, but due to their small size, such card readers are usually designed at best for 2-3 different types of cards of similar sizes - there is simply no room to place more slots there. Among hubs, this type is rare - in most cases, it is more convenient to use classic external models with a wire. Nevertheless, full-fledged hubs with a connector built into the case do exist.

— Built-in. Devices installed in a PC case in such a way that their set of connectors is displayed on the front panel of the case. They are designed for use exclusively with desktop computers as a permanent component of the system and do not provide for frequent reconnections. Although technically possible, this is difficult and not justified, and it is generally impossible to use them with laptops. Usually, built-in solutions support a fairly wi...de range of cards. There are internal devices that are installed in a 3.5" slot (for a floppy/disk drive), and models for a 5.25” slot — a regular “landing place” for optical disc drives (for example, DVD).

The number of USB inputs located on the case of the card reader or hub (see "Type"). The number of USB ports that you will have at your disposal after connecting the device depends on this parameter. "Pure" card readers and combined models, usually, have 1, 2 and even 3 USB inputs, while hubs have 4 or more ports.

The USB connector interface (version) primarily characterizes the speed.

- 2.0. The outdated version 2.0 provides data transfer rates up to 480 Mbps. Found only in USB A ports.

— 3.2 gen1. Previous standard names are 3.1 gen1 and 3.0. This version provides up to 10 times the maximum speed (4.8Gbps) as well as higher power capacity, which allows you to connect power-hungry devices and large splitters.

- 3.2 gen2. Further improvement of the 3.2 gen1 standard (and, as is customary, the previous name more than once renamed 3.1 gen1 and simply 3.1), which made it possible to achieve a maximum speed of 10 Gbps and even higher power for external devices.

However, the final speed depends not so much on the input connector, but on the USB version of the hub (card reader) connection to the PC.

— SD(from Secure Digital). One of the most common modern memory card standards, widely used in photo and video equipment, laptops, tablets, etc. The media has a size of 32x24x2.1 mm. A design feature is mechanical write protection in the form of a slider (however, its correct operation depends on the functions of the card reader, and not on the card itself). Support password protection and DRM technology. To date, there are three generations of cards of this standard: the original SD (up to 4 GB), SD HC (up to 32 GB) and SD XC (theoretically — up to 2 TB). Their physical size is identical, and the card readers support earlier generations, except for the main one. So, the device under SD HC will “understand” the original SD, and the reader under SD XC reads all three generations. At the same time, a "later" card will not be able to be read correctly by an "earlier" card reader.

— miniSD. Smaller version of SD cards (see above). It is identical to them in almost everything, except for the size (22x20x1.4) and write protection, due to which it can also be read in SD-card readers when using a special adapter.

— microSD. Another smaller version of the SD standard, 15x11x1 mm in size. Almost completely identical to the original, except for the dimensions and write protection. Due to its compactness, it has become widespread in portable technology, especially mo...bile phones. It can also be used in SD card readers when using an adapter, and in some models even without it. — CompactFlash. This standard appeared one of the first and has survived to this day in a slightly modified form due to its good capacity (up to 512 GB) and high write speed — which is especially important in professional digital photography and video filming, where these cards are still quite widely used. The disadvantage is significant dimensions: 42x36 mm with a thickness of 5 mm (CompactFlash Type I) or 3.3 mm (CompactFlash Type II). The compatibility of both types in fact is directly related to the size: the Type II card simply won't fit in the Type I reader, but vice versa is quite possible. In addition, Type I and Type II differ in speed.

— XQD. A format developed by the CompactFlash Association as a potential replacement for CompactFlash and intended for devices with high requirements for read and write speeds. Actually, the data exchange speed, depending on the version, can reach 1 GB / s in the original XQD and 2 GB / s in cards supporting the CFexpress standard, with the prospect of further increase to 8 GB / s and even higher. At the same time, the cards themselves turned out to be smaller than СompactFlash, although they are still quite large — 39 x 30 mm with a thickness of 3.8 mm.

— MemoryStick. Sony's proprietary memory card format is used primarily in its devices, such as camcorders and handheld consoles. Such cards have a size of 50x21.5x2.8 mm (original version) or 31x20x1.6 (various Duo modifications), and the volume can reach 32 GB. Although cards are produced not only by Sony, the standard is officially closed, and therefore only cards of the original production can be guaranteed to comply with it.

— Memory Stick Micro (M2). A smaller version of Memory Stick cards (see above), have dimensions of 15x12.5x1.2 mm and a capacity of up to 32 GB. Compatible with readers for original Memory Stick using special adapters.

— xD-Picture. A specialized format jointly developed by Olympus and Fujifilm for their own digital cameras. They are distinguished by the absence of their own memory controller, which, on the one hand, ensures compactness and reliability, on the other hand, reduces performance. In addition, according to Olympus, using this card allows you to work with some of the camera's own effects. The theoretical volume of such cards is up to 8 GB. Another disadvantage is their high price. Due to this, xD-Picture is used quite rarely, and even manufacturers themselves transfer their products to other standards.

— MMC. Universal memory cards, similar in size to SD — up to the point that they are compatible with SD readers, and on some modern devices (cameras, camcorders, laptops ...) "SD / MMC" is directly indicated. At the same time, SD cards simply won't fit in MMC card readers. MMCs have low power consumption, but are expensive and not very fast in operation. Their maximum volume is 4 GB.

— MMC micro. A smaller version of MMC standard cards (see above) — they have dimensions of 12x14x1.1 mm, otherwise they are almost identical.

— cfexpress. Incredibly fast high-capacity drives with an eye for long continuous recording in intensive mode. They are the best suited for shooting video in 4K resolution and higher with a frame rate of 120 fps. So far, they are not so common in photo and video equipment. There are two types of CFexpress drives: Type A with dimensions of 20x28x2.8 mm and Type B with dimensions of 38.5x29.8x3.8 mm.

— SIM cards. Ability to use a card reader to work with SIM-cards used in mobile phones. In modern mobile phones, the SIM card is responsible not only for the number on the network — it can store a lot of different information, such as contacts, messages, settings profiles, etc.; as a result, the loss of a SIM due to loss or theft can turn into serious difficulties. The SIM card reader is designed primarily for such situations: with its help, you can save a backup copy of the data from the SIM card on a computer or external media, and later, if necessary, restore them without any problems.

The technology allows you to work at higher voltage, thereby increasing the transmitted power. USB hubs with Power Dlivery can not only charge smartphones faster, but also power more power-hungry devices, such as laptops.

The main material used for the body of the device.

— Plastic. Plastic is light, cheap, quite practical, incl. has good strength properties. In addition, it allows you to create cases of complex shape and almost any color.

— Metal. As a rule, aluminium-based alloys are used for metal cases. Such cases are much stronger than plastic ones, and also have a stylish appearance. On the other hand, in terms of impact protection, this material has no advantages over plastic, but it costs more, and it can weigh much more.