If you value cable management, then do like me and get a USB hub with a power adapter. I’ll show you what the advantages are here.
What is it about? As a PC gamer, you are constantly confronted with connecting things to the computer via USB. Controllers, external hard drives, USB sticks, mobile phones, power banks and much more. This becomes problematic when the computer is already full of keyboard, mouse, webcam and other everyday things.
For me, a USB hub was the optimal solution. With an external power supply there is enough power and you can attach the slots under or on your desk as you wish. And something like that costs you just under 30 €.
The article originally appeared in December 2021 and was updated for you in April 2023.
No more USB frustration – My HUB now controls
This was my problem: My PC’s USB ports are already busy with:
An additional USB 3.1 slot and a USB 3.0 slot can be found on the front of the PC. So if I want to connect two things with a large USB port, one has to be connected to the back end of the PC. This annoyed me and caused cables to be where they shouldn’t be.
A certain degree of cable management is very important to me. If I see too many loose cables, it just looks messy. And it’s enough if a cable is dangling from the front of the PC.
This is how I solved it: The solution was quite simple and had been floating around in my head for months. A USB hub. So I know that I always have enough free connections if I want to spontaneously connect one or more devices.
This can be flashlights or dog LED collars for charging, additional controllers or steering wheels, my camera, my cell phone, a fan in summer, a chain of lights or even external hard drives. There are many devices, USB ports now for me too.
Especially the devices that only need a USB port for charging anyway are satisfied with such a USB hub. So far I’ve only had problems with my wireless stick for the controller, which had dropouts on the USB hub.
Which USB hub did I buy? I chose a device with 7x USB 3.0.
It was important to me that it had a power supply unit. In the past I had often experienced that there was not enough power available for the USB slots – the problems are now history. At Amazon I decided on a device that costs just under 30 €.
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Advantage of this device: Each slot can be switched on and off individually. So you don’t have to constantly pull out the plug and place it over the edge of a table, you can simply press a button.
Such a hub can be easily hidden: I attached the distributor to the underside of the tabletop of my height-adjustable desk. Put a strip of double-sided tape underneath, press on for a few seconds and the part will hold.
I’m happy with the result as I can’t see the hub or cables from the normal angle I’m looking at my desk. Take a look for yourself:
My conclusion about the USB hub
I would recommend anyone who works with a desktop PC or laptop to get one of these. This is worth it if you often want to connect devices to the computer via USB. In addition, there are more and more gadgets whose batteries can be charged with a USB connection.
For me, such a distributor is one of those things that cost little but have a great benefit. I can now turn off USB devices that stay “on” even after the computer shuts down with the push of a button, without having to unplug them.
I also have the USB distributor close to the tabletop. For example, I can connect my mobile phone to the computer with a short charging cable and boot the PC to standing height. Before that, the cable to the computer was too short and I had to leave my cell phone on the case while I was standing at my desk.
For me, the purchase paid off immediately after connecting it, because I also like the look of being able to hide the many cables practically under the table.