Satechi - USB-C Multimedia Adapter for M1/M2 with 2 4K HDMI, USB C PD (85W), USB-C, 2 USB-A for MacBook, iPad, Mac & Windows - Space Gray

A few weeks ago I was ready to buy a new MacBook, but was holding off because I needed the ability to connect it to two external displays via HDMI to help me when I work from home. Since the new MacBooks all have the M1 or M2 chips made by Apple silicon, they can't do this natively without upgrading to the nearly twice as expensive M1Pro/M2Pro Macbook Pros. I finally decided to just go for the new Macbook Air M2 in Midnight and purchased this the same night I picked up the computer. This was super easy to install and use, and it's worked great for me for regular business needs and personal use. Between the built-in display, my two external monitors connected to this, and SideCar/Connectivity on my iPad, this gives me the ability to have up to four displays going at once. If you're hesitant to buy an M1/M2 Macbook because you have two monitors to connect via HDMI, this is a solution to that problem. My only complaint is that $100+ for something like this seems a little high (I would think more like $60-$80), but beggars can't be choosers.

The Satechi USB-C Multimedia Adapter for M1 is a nice-looking and well-made device in appearance and feel. I tried using it with one of my 17” 4k laptops that has an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 and four USB-C Thunderbolt ports with two 4k monitors. When I first plugged it in both of the screens were on and working. Then I read the instructions and it said to download and install the driver and then plug it in. So I did that and afterwards my left monitor would not display anything full screen. It was like the laptop or the Satechi device saw it as a smaller monitor than it was and it had black bars on each side of the screen. So I uninstalled the driver in the Windows apps and features section and then went to look in my C: drive for any residual files and could not find a folder relating to the Satechi device. I also noticed that my second monitor would only work at 30hz while the first one ran at 60hz and the laptop was running at 60hz as well. Windows would only allow me to extend to the second monitor and the first one duplicated the laptop and I still have not been able to get the first screen to display full screen with the Satechi but when I unplugged the second monitor and used the adapter that came with the laptop that has one HDMI port the screen displayed fully again. I will have to try again to see how I can get the generic Windows driver back that Windows installed on it’s own. At least that way it displayed both monitors in full screen. If you are buying it for a Windows set up you may want to stick with the driver that Windows installs automatically until Satechi updates their driver for Windows. It does say it is made for the Apple M1 to be fair but it is supposed to be able to work with Windows as well and they have a driver download for it. I think it is a good device that just needs a driver update for Windows 10 to work out a couple of issues.

Are you struggling with an M! processor MacBook and not being able to run 2 external monitors? If so, then get this, set-up is simple and it works very well. Initially I was regretting my decision of going with a Mac instead of a PC at my new job - once I discovered the absurdity of my new machine not being able to accommodate two external monitors. I tried a MOKiN USB-C hub as well as a B3 Big Three USB-C hub, and neither of them worked. I also tried the J5Create Ultra Hub USB-C hub from BestBuy (sku 6402119), which based on the reviews should have worked...well, it didn't. I noticed this hub from SATECHI that actually had "M1" in the name of the device, so I figured this would be my best and last attempt. I opened the box, and I noticed the device was well built; plus it actually had useful and simple instructions. After wasting half a day trying to figure out why I couldn't run both of my monitors, and failing to remedy the situation with three other devices, I was up and running within 5 minutes with the SATECHI USB-C Multimedia M! adapter. Great Product!

Simple and easy to store and carry. Quick and reliable access to files on the go.

First impressions are positive. The unit has some heft. It's made of metal, it will not get bent or cracked. It runs very warm after some use, but not overly hot. The metal case is probably needed as a heat sink to disipate the heat. The 4.5" cord and its connector appear to be high quality. After downloading and installing the software, the Multimedia Adapter works as advertised on a MacBook Pro M1. I had no problems connecting two 4K monitors, the primary HDMI port will run at 60Hz, but the second HDMI port is limited to 30 Hz. I could run the monitors mirrored or extend the desktop across two monitors, which the Mac M1 does not support itself. It's pretty exceptional with the dual monitor support. That rare feat makes this worth recomending. But it could use some work in other areas. I was able to power my laptop thorough the USB-C port that supports power. The USB-C port seems to limit power, my laptop charges slower going through the dock. But over the course of a day, it will get it done. I used some USB 2 and 3 drives as well as USB-C thumb drives with the adapter. Small files seemed OK, but large video files took much longer to transfer than normal. The ports are all on one side and located too close together. The HDMI cables and USB drives conflicted with each other. A USB drive drive could not be fully inserted without inserting it crooked. The USB ports next to the monitor are unusable when monitors are plugged in. As monitors are usually plugged in for the duration of a session, I'd like to see the two HDMI ports moved to the back of the case, leaving more room for the USB ports to spread apart on the front with enough room to accommodate even the widest USB drives and cables. If this had a GB Ethernet adapter on the back as well, this would make a great dock. Hopefully in a future version.