The underappreciated champion of our computer system is the USB port. If you run out of ports you can’t add any more devices to your PC without unplugging something right? Wrong. USB hubs are a great way to increase the number of peripherals you can use at once. Enter the Orico 12 Port USB 3.0 Hub, designed to more than double your available ports and offer fast charging while it’s at it.
Specifications
- Price: $59.99 USD (Newegg.com Price Listing)
- Type: USB
- Standards: USB 3.0/2.0/1.1
- Ports: 12 Port USB Hubs including 3 BC1.2 Charging Ports
- LEDs: LED Indicators
- Dimensions: 6.92 IN (L) x 2.05 IN (W) x 0.69 IN (H)
- Color: Black
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If you are like me, then your rig will fill up pretty quickly with the many peripherals we use daily. Even after upgrading to a newer motherboard and case, I still had more devices than USB ports. The Orico USB hub was the answer to my issues. With 12 ports, including 3 that are set up for quick charging devices, it gives you the space to expand, and also the cord length to make better use of your devices. I have some cables that are barely two feet long and it makes it very difficult to position things like webcams or external HDDs. The cable for the hub is 3.3 feet long, which enables you to run the hub out of a keyboard’s USB pass-through port and position it with double-sided tape onto a wall or table for better use. Not only does this give you a lot of distance from the pc but also provides power to the devices that need to sit above, or to the opposite side of your desk from the tower.
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When quick-charging your devices you can rest assured that it will be a fast charge. If you are doing nothing else with your device besides charging it, then you will have 2.4A specifically allotted. If you are doing any kind of data transfers while charging then the devices will still charge at 1.5A. Charging can still be done with the other 9 ports, but why would you want to? If you don’t want to use any of these ports at any time, then save power and push the buttons directly above each set of three that you don’t want. As long as the LED indicator light is turned off, then you are not using those plugged in devices. Another feature that is viable when connected to your PC is that it will automatically identify your equipment and allocate 0.5A – 1.5A flow for you.
Cable management is big, as it should be. Have fun placing this hub in the absolute perfect spot to tie all of your cables together in one bundle. This has been another thing that saved me because my cable management isn’t always what it should be. The ability to run all of the cables down one spot, tie them together, and then run them behind the monitor or through cable management holes on your desk is a big deal.
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Final Thoughts
The Orico 12 Ports USB3.0 Hub is a piece of technology that could go overlooked if you didn’t know it was available. With the additional ports, you can clean up your work station, and still use all those lovely peripherals that we need for gaming, streaming, or even just charging. At $59.99 USD it may be too highly priced compared to other items that save you time and effort when it comes to plugging in and removing your devices from a PC.
Pros
- 12 port design offers more space for peripherals
- Quick charging ports
- Small enough to fit anywhere
Cons
- High priced based on other similar devices
- The plastic body feels like it will break easily if pushed too hard
