> I went through three cheap hubs before I realized they just cant handle the heat of dual 4k displays properly. Like someone mentioned, overheating is usually where these cheaper hubs fall apart. I learned that the hard way back when I was running a dual display setup on a budget. Before you dive into buying a new one, is your laptop running on Intel or are you using one of the newer Apple Silicon chips? That usually dictates whether you need a DisplayLink dock or a standard Thunderbolt one. If you want something reliable without spending CalDigit money, the Anker PowerExpand 5-in-1 Thunderbolt 4 Mini Dock is solid for basic connections but might limit your monitor daisy-chaining. For dual 4k, the Plugable UD-3900PDZ Dual Monitor Docking Station is a workhorse, though it uses DisplayLink so keep that in mind if you do any heavy video editing. Both run way cooler than those generic hubs.

I feel your pain. I went through three cheap hubs before I realized they just cant handle the heat of dual 4k displays properly. They eventually fry your laptop ports too. Be careful with those budget options online, honestly. You might want to consider saving up just a bit more for something mid-range instead of risking your hardware. I learned that lesson the hard way after my last hub smoked out.