MINIX NEO Storage Plus is the new HUB of which we present today his analysis or review, a product of the brand MINIX designed especially for compatible laptops USB 3.1 Type-C, including especially the Macbook where it deploys all its functions. It is also compatible with any USB 3.0 device but will have certain limitations on speed in the video port and Ethernet. A device with the usual careful design of MINIX and that allows us to significantly expand the connection capabilities of any notebook. Let’s see how it fares in our review.
|
 |
PRODUCT DETAILS
Description
The MINIX NEO Storage Plus HUBÂ comes in a protective cardboard box, inside we find a carrying case and the USB Type-C cable to connect it to our compatible device. We also have a manual in English that may interest us to see the different features and their compatibilities. It is available in silver or space grey.
The new HUB MINIX NEO Storage Plus has a design that follows the line of the MINIX brand, as we see has a fairly short cable to connect to our device, the design is focused on using it with our laptop next to it. The main box is made of aluminum in its upper part to help dissipate the heat generated, in its perimeter we have all the connectors available, in this case we have five.
On one side we have an HDMI 2.0 output that allows us to connect an auxiliary screen, in the laptops with MacOS we will have mirror mode, next to it, we have the USB Type-C connector for power and then two USB 3.0 Type-A ports. On the back we have an Ethernet Gigabit port and on the front the USB Type-C that serves as a bridge.
PERFORMANCE TEST
Speed ​​ports
We test all the ports of this HUB to see the real performance that we get when connecting peripherals and as we see in the results the values ​​are correct if we use a suitable controller.
- USB 3.0: Proper protocol speeds and peripheral detection without problems.
- HDMI: HDMI 1.4 output compatible up to 4K@60fps in cloning mode.
- NOTE: If you are connecting peripherals to the USB 3.0 ports, it is recommended that you connect the external power adapter.
SSD disk
We tested the speeds of the 480 GB MINIX NEO disk by connecting it to a USB 3.1 Type-C port on our PC, as we see in the results it meets the speed specifications correctly.
Thermal test
One point that is remarkable when using the HUB MINIX NEO Storage Plus is that it reaches a fairly high temperature, as we can see on the metal side above we reach up to 40 °C. When you touch it, it feels quite warm but this is normal according to the brand because the aluminum casing is used as a heat sink.
- Power: USB Type-C / 20V 3A (60W) Max / 5V 2A (10W) USB Max.
GENERAL CONCEPTS
These USB 3.0 or USB 3.1 peripheral connection cables offer us the possibility of using our peripherals in any type of device that supports this standard connector USB Type-C, we can transmit data, video or audio with the same connector. In addition, the connector is reversible with what we can connect without looking always right. The basic specifications of these cables are those that we can see in the following table.
Within the USB Type-C standard we have multiple forms of connection that allow us to perform other functions in addition to conventional data loading and transfer, the so-called Alternate mode. With these modes we can transmit different protocols by the same connector or add more information, all this means that the maximum bandwidth is distributed accordingly.
CONCLUSIONS AND BUY LINKS
Opinion
Once again MINIX offers us with its new HUB MINIX NEO Storage Plus an interesting device if we have a laptop with USB Type-C, with it we can get the most out of this connection. A hub that we can use with all types of devices, yet no doubt shine with the latest models of Macbook that have very few ports and this extends the possibilities.
In the section of finishes and design we have the usual brand and are quite careful which makes it fit any device. On the other hand we have to highlight the temperature it reaches, the HDMI 2.0 output may be limited in use formats depending on the OS we use. The M.2 SATA disk that integrates allows us to store heavy content at high speed and the Ethernet Gigabit port is always an interesting point.
In general the new MINIX NEO Storage Plus is an interesting and useful device for those who have a laptop compatible with this type of connector, the number of ports and the speed of them is a great expansion in possibilities.
Where to buy
|
