For someone like me who’s rocking a mini-ITX PC with limited USB ports and storage space, it is quite inevitable to resort to external peripherals such as docking stations and USB hubs and looking for a decent and reliable one is a pain in the butt, to say the least. There are a ton of brands out there that cater to this niche and one of them is j5create. j5create offers a ton of computer accessories such as cables and chargers but most importantly, they offer a variety of different USB hubs with different capacities and features. Today, we’re taking a look at one of their USB hubs in the form of the j5create JUH377, a 7-port USB 3.0 hub that has an option for external power and supports fast charging for smartphones and other similar devices.
MY EARLY BREAKDOWN
Pros: Decent build quality, Substantial amount of ports, External power supply for power-hungry devices
Cons: No other option aside from USB Type A, no USB C or other type of ports
SPECIFICATIONS
- USB™ 3.0 SuperSpeed, 10 times faster transfer rate (5 Gbps), backward compatible with USB™ 2.0 and USB™ 1.0 specifications
- Extends your MacBook® or notebook by 7 USB™ 3.0 ports with a single USB™ plug
- Elegant aluminum housing that is compact, non-toxic and recyclable
- One port supports fast charging for smartphones, tablets, iPad® up to 2.4A
- Supports USB™ bus-powered or DC self-powered for power-hungry USB™ devices
WHAT’S IN THE PACKAGE
The packaging is quite simple, in front, we have an image preview of the product as well as some of its key features and then at the back, we can have a bit of an idea what type of electronic devices we can plug in this 7-port USB hub. Essentially, you can plug in any USB 1, 2, and 3.0 devices on this such as flash drives, peripherals, smartphones, and external hard drives.
On this side of the box, we have an image preview of the side of the JUH377 USB hub and as you can see, it is pretty basic.
On this side, we have an image preview of both ends with one having another USB 3.0 port and the other side, having the micro-USB B port and the optional external power port.
And lastly, at the bottom of the box, we have the technical details such as serial number and certifications.
Upon opening the box, you’ll be greeted by the package contents nicely tucked inside a plastic platform.
So we have, of course, a user manual,
The power brick, with a standard 2 prong adapter.
A USB 3.0 Type-A to USB 3.0 MicroUSB B cable for both power and data.
FULL REVIEW
Design, Construction, and Parts Overview
In terms of design and construction, the j5create JUH377 features a black aluminum housing with a brushed finish. On the top view, we have a j5create logo.
And on the front side, we have 6 USB 3.0 Type-A ports.
On one end, we have the last USB 3.0 Type-A port.
And on the other end, we have the power port for the optional external supplementary power and the micro-USB B port for both power and data to be connected to your host machine.
On this side, we don’t have anything here.
And lastly, at the bottom, we have the model name, certifications, and some legends for the ports such as for the power, data, and the legend for the USB port that supports fast-charging up to 2.4A.
Performance and Reliability
To be honest, there’s not much really to test and review when it comes to USB hubs other than its reliability especially when all the ports are populated and being used at the same time. And that’s exactly what I did, I connected a variety of USB powered peripherals and storage devices and used them all at once especially the storage devices such as flash drives and external hard drives.
As per my testing, I didn’t encounter any issues whatsoever even when transferring huge files from an external hard drive to my PC while all the ports are being used at the same time. This is with the optional power adaptor being utilized to cater to the power-hungry external hard drive. Reliability wise, it is pretty good, I didn’t encounter any power instability or any unintentional disconnection from anything plugged in.
Now, here’s a power supply rating difference when the power adaptor is unplugged and plugged in.
My only issue with this model is that it is pretty basic, I mean it’s just a bunch of USB 3.0 ports without any other option such as even a single USB Type C port, a card reader, a sound card or things around that nature.
VERDICT
To conclude, the j5create JUH377 7-Port is overall durable and pretty reliable when it comes to raw performance and USB device support. It can support even power-hungry devices such as external hard drives with the aid of the external power adaptor and it also supports fast charging for your smartphone with up to 2.4A. It can also transfer huge files while all the ports are populated and being used at the same time. The only thing I don’t like about this is that it is pretty basic and like I said earlier, it’s all just USB 3.0 Type-A port and that’s about it. The good thing is that j5create also offers other variants in any case you need more than just USB Type A. So head into their website and check it out.
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Thanks to j5create for making this review possible, You can get this USB Hub from the button below.
j5create
Php 1,990
Pros
- Decent build quality
- Substantial amount of ports
- External power supply for power-hungry devices
Cons
- No other option aside from USB Type A, no USB C or other type of ports
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