a power adapter is plugged into an hub, which is then plugged into a MacBook), this packet may not match the specification of the charger, and overdraw power (e.g. When a USB-C power passthrough is used (i.e. 40W, 60W, 80W, 100W, etc.), so MacOS’s built-in power management system can monitor and manage the charging to help reduce battery wear. MacOS first sends out a packet to the charger, which aims to tell what wattage the charger is (i.e. This is most dangerous when dealing with anything that draws power.įor a more in-depth look at USB-C, check out this article: Why Apple switched to USB C on MacBooks The 12 inch Retina MacBook Pro, the first implementation of USB-C on a laptop (only having one USB-C port and a headphone jack) What is the actual issue? cheap) docks often are not as reliable at pushing this packet. This is where the importance of a quality USB-C hub is important, as more affordable (i.e.

Due to the amount that USB-C can be extended (from charging your computer, to providing a display output for two 4K monitors), there is a special ‘packet’ which is sent to the computer to tell what the devices connected to the hub are able to do. This protocol must be supported by the OS (in this case MacOS) for any devices that are connected to function properly. This can be thought of like a language that is needed to communicate with the CPU, for the device to do its job.

USB-C, like any other port relies on a protocol. This allowed Apple to simplify the design, while still allowing all the connectivity of older MacBooks, with one major caveat: adapters. These are more versatile than USB-C, and at least two ports have featured in every MacBook since 2018 (with the first being found in the 2015 12-inch Retina MacBook). USB-C also can be extended through systems such as PCI-E (which is a protocol designed to communicate with devices such as GPUs, network cards, SSDs, etc.) to create ‘Thunderbolt’ ports.

USB-C is a very versatile port – functional in 2 orientations (no more trying to insert your USB-A devices in the wrong way), while also having the potential for increased bandwidth, courtesy of the higher number of contacts in the port. In this article we’re going to be investigating this issue and telling you if you need to be worried or not. There have been reports recently that some of these USB-C adaptors have been killing M1 MacBooks. You probably use (or plan to use) a dongle or adaptor with your M1 MacBook.

M1 macbook air usb c hub