The Prime docking station brings its own power supply, and the two Anker USB-C hubs don’t. So a hub makes sense for a laptop that travels, and the dock for one that stays at a desk. Weighing a USB-C hub vs docking station for two monitors? You may not need the dock at all, because on Windows the 8-in-1 hub runs two screens at up to 2K. The Prime only beats that from a laptop port with DSC (Display Stream Compression).
A USB-C hub is a compact adapter that plugs into one of your laptop’s USB-C ports and adds several more ports. The Anker 7-in-1 USB-C Hub with 4K HDMI is one, sold by Anker as the Anker Nano USB-C Hub (7-in-1, 4K HDMI). So is the Anker 8-in-1 USB-C Media Hub, Anker’s 553 USB-C Hub (8-in-1). A docking station is usually a bigger desk box that puts screens, drives and chargers behind one cable. Here that’s the Anker Prime 14-in-1 Laptop Docking Station, which Anker calls the Anker Prime Charging Docking Station (14-in-1, Dual Display, 160W) and which stands upright on the desk.
Where a USB-C hub and a docking station get their power
Many USB-C hubs run on power from the laptop, and a dock usually comes with its own power adapter. Usually isn’t always. Check a dock’s spec sheet for one before you buy.
The 7-in-1 charges your laptop by passing power through, so your USB-C charger plugs into the hub instead of the laptop. From a 100W supply, the hub passes up to 85W to the laptop and keeps 15W to run itself. The charger isn’t in the box. The hub takes its 15W first. So a 65W laptop needs an 80W charger and an 80W cable.
The 8-in-1 works the same way. To pass 85W to the laptop, it needs a 100W USB-C wall charger plus a USB-C to C cable. Buying the charger too? See what wattage charger you need.
The Prime has its power supply built in. It plugs into the wall, puts out 160W in total and sends up to 100W of that to the laptop over the same cable that carries your screens and data.
What your laptop gets from a USB-C hub vs a docking station
Line up the three user guides and the dock’s lead on screens shrinks to a single case on Windows. The 8-in-1 hub matches the Prime’s two screens at up to 2K, so two 2K or 1080p monitors are no reason to pay for the dock. The 7-in-1 runs one screen. Both of the others depend on your laptop’s DisplayPort version.
| Product | One screen | Two screens, Windows | Two screens, Mac | Laptop charging |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anker 7-in-1 USB-C Hub with 4K HDMI | 4K at 60Hz | No, one HDMI port | No, one HDMI port | Up to 85W from a 100W charger |
| Anker 8-in-1 USB-C Media Hub | 4K at 60Hz (DP 1.4), 4K at 30Hz (DP 1.2) | 2K at 60Hz (DP 1.4), 1080p at 60Hz (DP 1.2) | Same picture on both | Up to 85W from a 100W charger |
| Anker Prime 14-in-1 Laptop Docking Station | 4K at 60Hz (DP 1.4), 4K at 30Hz (DP 1.2) | 2K at 60Hz (DP 1.4), 1080p at 60Hz (DP 1.2) | Same picture on both | Up to 100W from its own supply |
Two 4K screens at 60Hz are the one case where the dock wins. The Prime runs both at 4K at 60Hz on Windows when the laptop’s DP 1.4 port also supports DSC, while Anker gives the 8-in-1 no two-screen 4K figure at 60Hz on Windows.
Which column applies to your laptop
Your laptop’s USB-C port picks the column through its DisplayPort version: DP 1.4 or the older DP 1.2. Some DP 1.4 ports also add DSC. Anker’s rule of thumb ties the version to the processor. An Intel 11th-gen or later chip points to DP 1.4, as does a workstation with an NVIDIA GPU, while Intel 10th-gen or earlier points to DP 1.2. That’s only a rough guide. What counts is the port, and the guide leaves out AMD and Snapdragon chips. So check your laptop’s spec sheet for its DisplayPort version, and for DSC if you want two 4K screens.
Macs are different. On a Mac, the 8-in-1 and the Prime show the same picture on both screens, because macOS supports only Single-Stream Transport, not MST (Multi-Stream Transport). So neither the USB-C hub nor the docking station gives a MacBook two separate desktops. If you need that, check Apple’s tech specs for how many external displays your Mac supports.
Ports and speed: where the Prime docking station is slower than the USB-C hubs
Three of the Prime’s USB-A ports are slower than any USB port on either hub. Those three run at 480Mbps, while its other data ports, one USB-A and two USB-C, run at 10Gbps, twice the hubs’ 5Gbps. Use the slow three for a keyboard or mouse. Drives belong on the fast ones.
The 7-in-1 has a USB-C data port and two USB-A ports, all at 5Gbps, plus SD and microSD slots. Only its HDMI port sends video. Its USB-C port is for data only. It can’t run a second screen or charge a phone. The 8-in-1 has two HDMI ports, two USB-A ports at 5Gbps and the same card slots, and it adds Ethernet at 1Gbps for wired internet at the desk, as does the Prime.
All three work in USB4 and Thunderbolt ports, at the speeds above. Copy big files every day from a Thunderbolt 4 laptop? Then look at a Thunderbolt 4 dock instead, since those can reach 40Gbps.
Check your laptop before you buy
Your laptop’s USB-C port needs DP Alt Mode for any of the three to show a picture, and Power Delivery for them to charge the laptop. Without Power Delivery, the 7-in-1 still handles video and data but won’t charge, so look for both in your laptop’s manual or spec sheet. The 8-in-1 can’t send 4K at 60Hz from a Surface Pro 7 or an HP Spectre x360. Both lack DSC.
The 7-in-1 works with Windows 10 and 11, macOS 12 or later and ChromeOS. The Prime works with Windows 10 and 11, macOS and ChromeOS, while Anker’s guide for the 8-in-1 lists Windows 10, macOS and ChromeOS but doesn’t name Windows 11. Linux is the gap. The 7-in-1 and the Prime don’t work with it, and the 8-in-1 doesn’t list it.
USB-C hub vs docking station: which one to get
Pick the 7-in-1 for a laptop on the move that needs one screen, and the 8-in-1 for two screens on Windows. The Prime is for a laptop that stays at one desk and runs from one cable.
At Anker’s own store, the Prime costs several times as much as the 8-in-1. The extra buys built-in power, 15W more for the laptop, more charging ports and three 10Gbps ports. You don’t need any of that if you already own a 100W charger and your drives are fine at 5Gbps.
Size settles the rest. The 7-in-1 measures 5.17 by 1.46 by 0.47 inches and weighs 2.35 ounces, so it slips into a laptop bag. The Prime measures 5.51 by 3.82 by 1.85 inches and weighs 1.96 pounds with its power supply inside. It’s a box for the desk, not the bag.
Skip all three if your laptop already has the ports you use, or if you need two separate desktops on a Mac.
USB-C hub and docking station questions
Will the Anker Prime dock run an ultrawide monitor?
Not a 5120×1440 one. The Anker Prime 14-in-1 Laptop Docking Station doesn’t support a 5120×1440 monitor. So check your ultrawide’s native resolution on its spec sheet before you buy the two together. If it’s 5120×1440, connect that screen another way and use the dock for everything else.
Can the Anker Prime dock charge a phone and a laptop at the same time?
Yes. The Anker Prime 14-in-1 Laptop Docking Station charges up to four devices at once. Three USB-C ports deliver up to 100W each, and one USB-A port up to 12W. The total stays within 160W, so with the laptop drawing 100W, a phone and a tablet share 60W at most.
Does the Anker 7-in-1 hub get hot?
Yes, under full load. The Anker 7-in-1 USB-C Hub with 4K HDMI can reach about 113°F on its surface. Anker calls that normal for a metal hub. Running fewer devices through it may keep it cooler. If it runs hotter or stops working, test it on the laptop alone.