At $69.99 how reliable is the official Apple USB-C Av adapter?

[thevisi0nary]

I don't really need more ports than it offers and I'm mostly just concerned with reliability, and making sure it can run a 4k monitor at 60hz without interfering with data transfer on the Usb A port or power delivery (I know it caps at 24w). Currently I'm using an M1 MBA but will be upgrading to the 14" pro soon, being that its $70 I just wanted to make sure it's not only stable but can also be used reliably when I do upgrade to the new machine.

I was going to go for the 9 in 1 Satechi hub for a little bit more but I'm worried it will not be as stable. The thunder bolt hubs/docks offer more than my use case and would prefer not to spend that much.

Thank you for any help.

 

[Tagbert]

If you are upgrading to a 14” pro soon, would you even need this adaptor then? You could use the HDMI or thunderbolt ports built into the MBP.

BTW if you have trouble getting it to use 60Hz you might want to get SwitchResX. The built-in Display control doesn’t always give you access to all of the video resolution and refresh combinations but SwitchResX does.

 

[StarShot]

In a bit of a similar situation, I had a problem with my recent MBP which I use 100% of the time with a BT mouse. Suddenly, the mouse stopped working. Changed the batteries and same situation. I rebooted the unit several times and still it didn't work. Effectively the MBP is now a door stop. With the 2 USB-c outputs, NO way to connect a wired mouse. After an internet search, found several male USB-C to female USB-A dongles for about $6, but needed to access my MBP NOW.

Off to Walmart where they had a zillion USB-C and USB-A whatevers, but all the wrong gender. I was about to give up, but then noticed Walmarts Locked case for Apple gear. Saw one that was exactly what I wanted (Apple priced at $20). Coughed up the double sawbuck and I was back in business.

Thanks Apple for deciding what ports I needed on my MBP. I should note I've had the MBP for nearly 2 years and this was the first time I missed having a USB-A port. I also should note my BT mouse immediately started working fine when I hooked up my wired mouse. Unplugged the wired mouse and haven't had the problem since. Have no idea as to why the MBP locked up as it did.

If nothing else, I would certainly recommend buying one of the $6 no-name USB converters as a backup for access to any USB-A device you may have.

Apple's $20 access to a USB-A

 

[thevisi0nary]

If you are upgrading to a 14” pro soon, would you even need this adaptor then? You could use the HDMI or thunderbolt ports built into the MBP.

BTW if you have trouble getting it to use 60Hz you might want to get SwitchResX. The built-in Display control doesn’t always give you access to all of the video resolution and refresh combinations but SwitchResX does.

I prefer a one cable solution when I sit down at the desk for plugging into monitor / keyboard / midi controller / etc. Also when I say upgrading soon I mean within the next couple of months, I just need an adapter now and want to make sure it's still functionally capable with my next machine.

Thank you for the info regarding SwitchResX.

 

[thevisi0nary]

In a bit of a similar situation, I had a problem with my recent MBP which I use 100% of the time with a BT mouse. Suddenly, the mouse stopped working. Changed the batteries and same situation. I rebooted the unit several times and still it didn't work. Effectively the MBP is now a door stop. With the 2 USB-c outputs, NO way to connect a wired mouse. After an internet search, found several male USB-C to female USB-A dongles for about $6, but needed to access my MBP NOW.

Off to Walmart where they had a zillion USB-C and USB-A whatevers, but all the wrong gender. I was about to give up, but then noticed Walmarts Locked case for Apple gear. Saw one that was exactly what I wanted (Apple priced at $20). Coughed up the double sawbuck and I was back in business.

Thanks Apple for deciding what ports I needed on my MBP. I should note I've had the MBP for nearly 2 years and this was the first time I missed having a USB-A port. I also should note my BT mouse immediately started working fine when I hooked up my wired mouse. Unplugged the wired mouse and haven't had the problem since. Have no idea as to why the MBP locked up as it did.

If nothing else, I would certainly recommend buying one of the $6 no-name USB converters as a backup for access to any USB-A device you may have.

Apple's $20 access to a USB-A

View attachment 1910336

Thank you, I do have one of these and it works well, but I need an adapter with Hdmi-USB A-Power Delivery.

 

[bill-p]

Well, if you're running a 4K 60Hz monitor, the port is capped at USB 2.0 speed. This is kind of inevitable due to bandwidth limitation in USB-C implementation.

If the adapter was a Thunderbolt adapter, it would have been able to maintain full USB 3.0 bandwidth.

Power delivery is not affected.