I'm sorry if this has been posted before but I am not sure what is the best adapter to connect my peripherals to the new 24" iMac (Two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports - Two USB 3 ports). I currently have a 27" late 2015 iMac and I have peripherals connected using USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports and a screen connected via HDMI. I also use the USB lightning cable to charge my watch and trackpad so I will need to be able to charge those on the M1 iMac too.
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Need advice on USB adapter for peripherals
- Thread starter Alex_Mac
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USB type C to Lightnight cables are very cheap and available in various shops, so are USB type C to USB type C cables.
I used these. Works GREAT!
Anker USB C Adapter (2 Pack),High-Speed Data Transfer, USB-C to USB 3.0 Female Adapter for MacBook Pro 2020, iPad Pro 2020, Samsung Notebook 9, Dell XPS and More Type C Devices
USB C Adapter (2 Pack), Anker USB C to USB Adapter High-Speed Data Transfer, USB-C to USB 3.0 Female Adapter for MacBook Pro 2020, iPad Pro 2020, Samsung Notebook 9, Dell XPS and More Type C Devices
www.amazon.com
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I used these. Works GREAT!
Anker USB C Adapter (2 Pack),High-Speed Data Transfer, USB-C to USB 3.0 Female Adapter for MacBook Pro 2020, iPad Pro 2020, Samsung Notebook 9, Dell XPS and More Type C Devices
USB C Adapter (2 Pack), Anker USB C to USB Adapter High-Speed Data Transfer, USB-C to USB 3.0 Female Adapter for MacBook Pro 2020, iPad Pro 2020, Samsung Notebook 9, Dell XPS and More Type C Deviceswww.amazon.com
Looks like I'm gonna have to get a few of adapters. Would a hub make more sense in my case instead of buying separate adaptors?
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For USB 3.1 gen 2:
The USB-only ports of the M1 iMac are faster for USB than the Thunderbolt ports because they use a ASMedia 3142 USB controller (10 Gbps over PCIe).
The next fastest USB ports may be the Thunderbolt port of a Thunderbolt 3 dock because it uses the USB controller of the Thunderbolt controller (10 Gbps over Thunderbolt).
The third fastest USB port may be the 10 Gbps port of a Thunderbolt 3 dock because it's an ASMedia 1142 USB controller (limited to 8 Gbps).
The fourth fastest USB port may be the Thunderbolt port of the M1 iMac because it uses the USB controller of the M1 chip.
The fifth fastest USB port may be the Thunderbolt port of a Thunderbolt 4 dock connected to a M1 iMac because it uses the USB controller of the M1 chip tunnelled over Thunderbolt.
I might be wrong about the ASMedia ASM1142 being better than the fourth and fifth option. I'ld have to search for the benchmarks to be sure.
For USB 3.0:
USB 5 Gbps from the USB controller of the M1 is slower than from other USB 10 Gbps controllers. I'm not sure how it compares to 5 Gbps from USB 3.0 controllers.
For USB 2.0:
Doesn't matter. You're not using USB 2.0 for the speed.
What kind of screen do you have? If it has a DisplayPort input then you should use that connected to a Thunderbolt port because DisplayPort 1.2 has more bandwidth than HDMI 2.0. If you have an HDMI 2.1 display then stick with HDMI but use a USB-C to HDMI 2.1 adapter to make sure you're getting the benefit of HDMI 2.1.
How many devices? Since you have Thunderbolt ports, you should get a Thunderbolt dock.
- A Thunderbolt 3 dock with Alpine Ridge may have multiple USB controllers so it could have more bandwidth (but the USB controller of the Thunderbolt port will be better than the others). It may have a PCIe Ethernet adapter. Alpine Ridge only supports DisplayPort 1.2.
- A Thunderbolt 3 dock with Titan Ridge probably has only one USB controller and a couple USB hubs (but at least the hubs will be connected to the best USB controller). The Ethernet port will be provided by a USB adapter. It probably won't include PCIe devices so that the dock remains compatible with non Thunderbolt hosts. Titan Ridge can support DisplayPort 1.4.
- A Thunderbolt 4 dock/hub will be similar to that but it will have multiple downstream Thunderbolt ports. When connected to a USB4 host such as an M1 Mac, the inferior USB controller of the M1 Mac is used instead of the USB controller of the Thunderbolt 4 dock.
- A USB-C dock will be USB only and the display bandwidth will be one quarter of Thunderbolt. It will be sufficient only for displays smaller than 4K but at least it is less expensive than Thunderbolt. You can connect it to a Thunderbolt port if you want to use the display feature of the USB dock - or you can connect it to a USB port of the M1 iMac so the USB has more performance (but the display feature of the USB-C dock won't be usable).
Thank you all for your answers. You have been very helpful. For screen I'm using the Belkin 4K Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter and the other device that I need to absolutely connect to the M1 iMac is LaCie Porsche Design 3TB USB 3.0 Desktop Hard Drive (LAC9000302) but I kinda feel lost with all these different options that are out there. The printer and the dvd drive I can live without having to connect them as my budget is tight and don't want to spend any more money, so all I want now is to be able connect the screen and external hard drive with the least expensive option.
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I have a few of these, but I should point out that if you use them to adapt a large USB Device without a cable they create a rather precarious connection that might put a lot of stress on the USB-C socket. E.g. I have a Samsung SD card reader, and a video capture dongle both of which have a USB-A type connector. When connected to a USB-A type socket they are quite secure, but adding these small USB-A to USB-C adapters (that are not a very tight fit) creates a very long device that puts a fair bit of leverage on the USB-C socket.I used these. Works GREAT!
Anker USB C Adapter (2 Pack),High-Speed Data Transfer, USB-C to USB 3.0 Female Adapter for MacBook Pro 2020, iPad Pro 2020, Samsung Notebook 9, Dell XPS and More Type C Devices
USB C Adapter (2 Pack), Anker USB C to USB Adapter High-Speed Data Transfer, USB-C to USB 3.0 Female Adapter for MacBook Pro 2020, iPad Pro 2020, Samsung Notebook 9, Dell XPS and More Type C Deviceswww.amazon.com
Because of this, I bought some short USB-A to USB-C cable-adapters, so the peripheral can rest on the desk rather than apply weight to the computer's USB-C socket.
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For the hard drive, if you don't want to use a USB-C to USB-A adapter, then you could replace the entire cable with something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074V368JM
For the display, you have a HDMI 1.4 adapter. You can use the adapter with a USB-C to Mini DisplayPort adapter:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08F5BVJDP
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QY6WV7J
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VPV5ZS6
Or you can replace the adapter with a USB-C to HDMI adapter:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CCKTK2J
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0123PJ9BK
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B081RP7J6Q
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MQD3I2Z
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0785H844W
Or you can replace it with a USB-C to HDMI cable:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LXPB4FT
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C1H7XB9
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0899WTRW3
You could try the CalDigit SOHO dock. It's a few adapters in one:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08FF3BDW5
The SOHO is a more capable version of the Apple Multiport AV Adapter:
https://www.apple.com/ca/shop/product/MUF82AM/A/usb-c-digital-av-multiport-adapter
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So many options, thanks I'll take a look and decide what's the best option.
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BE CAREFUL about buying adapters such as AlexMac linked to in reply 4 above.
I don't have a new iMac, but an IMPORTANT QUESTION:
How "far apart" are the USBc connection ports?
If they're too close together, the small adapters won't work, because of space limitations.
HERE's something that WILL work when the small adapters won't:
I don't have a new iMac, but an IMPORTANT QUESTION:
How "far apart" are the USBc connection ports?
If they're too close together, the small adapters won't work, because of space limitations.
HERE's something that WILL work when the small adapters won't:
Cable Matters USB C to USB Adapter 6 Inches (USB to USB C Adapter, USB-C to USB 3.0 Adapter, USB C OTG) in Black
Cable Matters USB C to USB Adapter 6 Inches (USB to USB C Adapter, USB-C to USB 3.0 Adapter, USB C OTG) in Black
www.amazon.com
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
BE CAREFUL about buying adapters such as AlexMac linked to in reply 4 above.
I don't have a new iMac, but an IMPORTANT QUESTION:
How "far apart" are the USBc connection ports?
If they're too close together, the small adapters won't work, because of space limitations.
HERE's something that WILL work when the small adapters won't:
Cable Matters USB C to USB Adapter 6 Inches (USB to USB C Adapter, USB-C to USB 3.0 Adapter, USB C OTG) in Black
Cable Matters USB C to USB Adapter 6 Inches (USB to USB C Adapter, USB-C to USB 3.0 Adapter, USB C OTG) in Blackwww.amazon.com
Just to confirm: I have what appear to be pretty much identical adapters on my 24-inch (4-port) iMac, and there's plenty of space. And for reference, the ports appear to be .5-inch apart (centre-to-centre).
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USB C Hub SD Card Reader, atolla 5 in 1 Type C Hub with 3 USB 3.0 Ports & SD/microSD/TF Card Reader, Multi-Port Adapter Compatible with MacBook Air and Pro, XPS, iPad Pro
USB C Hub SD Card Reader, atolla 5 in 1 Type C Hub with 3 USB 3.0 Ports & SD/microSD/TF Card Reader, Multi-Port Adapter Compatible with MacBook Air and Pro, XPS, iPad Pro
www.amazon.co.uk
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
This has been such a helpful thread! I just got the M1 iMac and am looking for the best/simplest port solution.
I was going to get one of the small Anker adapters linked above to plug in a Logitech unifying receiver, but am wondering if there is a different small adapter (that plugs directly into usb C without an awkward dangling cable like most adapters/hubs) that has an audio jack in addition to USB A. This would simply be to get the cable I have plugged into my speakers — and which sticks out a solid 2" from the side — out of the way (I leave it permanently plugged in and don't need it easily accessible). I couldn't find anything searching online so I thought I'd ask here.
Totally not necessary, but would be nice to have nothing sticking out the sides. I also don't know whether there are issues with compromised audio quality going through usb instead of directly to the audio jack? Thanks!
I was going to get one of the small Anker adapters linked above to plug in a Logitech unifying receiver, but am wondering if there is a different small adapter (that plugs directly into usb C without an awkward dangling cable like most adapters/hubs) that has an audio jack in addition to USB A. This would simply be to get the cable I have plugged into my speakers — and which sticks out a solid 2" from the side — out of the way (I leave it permanently plugged in and don't need it easily accessible). I couldn't find anything searching online so I thought I'd ask here.
Totally not necessary, but would be nice to have nothing sticking out the sides. I also don't know whether there are issues with compromised audio quality going through usb instead of directly to the audio jack? Thanks!