Best USB-C Monitors with Built-In Hub (2026)

What are the best USB-C monitors with built-in hub in 2026?

Summary

A USB-C hub monitor replaces a laptop dock: one cable carries video, data and charging, and the monitor’s own ports take the keyboard, mouse, drives and, on the better models, wired Ethernet. The Dell UltraSharp U2725QE is the best of them on the evidence: RTINGS names it the best USB-C monitor it has tested, for a 27-inch 4K 120Hz IPS Black panel, a Thunderbolt 4 port with up to 140W of charging, a KVM switch and a hub that includes 2.5GbE Ethernet [src1, src3, src5]. PCWorld’s top pick is its 31.5-inch twin, the U3225QE, which has the same connectivity [src2, src6].

Below the Dell, each pick is defined by what it gives up. The ASUS ProArt PA279CRV keeps a 27-inch 4K panel and adds colour-space modes that are very accurate out of the box, but drops Thunderbolt, the KVM switch and 120Hz [src1, src9]. Dell’s S2725QC keeps 4K at 120Hz for less money, with 65W charging and a smaller hub [src1, src14]. The BenQ GW2786TC is the budget pick — 1080p, but with 65W USB-C, DisplayPort-out and a microphone [src2, src12] — and RTINGS’s budget pick, the 1440p Dell S2725DC, is the sharper alternative [src1, src17].

This revision no longer ranks three monitors that earlier versions of this card listed: the LG 27UP850K-W (previously the value pick), the 37-inch Samsung ViewFinity S80UD and the Lenovo ThinkVision T27hv-30. None of the outlets this card cites has tested them, and the picks here follow independent testing only.

Top 8 Models Compared

Every row states the panel size, resolution, refresh rate and panel technology it is priced for — model numbers in this category differ by a single letter between very different monitors. The verified-picks table at the top of this page shows the latest checked price, stock and seller for each one.

Best for Each Use Case

Best Overall: Dell UltraSharp U2725QE — Check price

RTINGS’s best USB-C monitor, and the one to buy if you are not sure what you need [src1]. The 27-inch 4K IPS Black panel is rated at 3000:1 contrast, 120Hz, VESA DisplayHDR 600 and 99% DCI-P3 [src5], and How-To Geek, which scored it 9/10, found it produced a better image than any other LCD monitor its reviewer had used [src4]. The hub is the reason to buy it: a Thunderbolt 4 upstream port with up to 140W of charging, a second Thunderbolt 4 port downstream for daisy-chaining, two 10Gbps USB-C and five 10Gbps USB-A ports, 2.5GbE Ethernet, DisplayPort-out, and a KVM switch fed by a second USB-C upstream port for another computer [src3, src5]. The weak spots are the ones RTINGS measured: fast motion looks blurry, reflection handling is mediocre — with a pink tint in really bright rooms — and colours need calibrating for best accuracy [src1, src3]. It has no speakers or webcam [src4].

Best Value: ASUS ProArt PA279CRV — Check price

RTINGS’s mid-range USB-C pick for buyers who cannot stretch to the U2725QE, and the better of the two for photo and video editing: it has dedicated picture modes for sRGB, DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB that RTINGS found very accurate without calibration [src1, src9]. PCWorld called it “an easy choice for creators on a budget” [src10], and TechRadar praised its colour coverage and Calman-verified factory calibration [src11]. You get the same 27-inch 4K resolution as the Dell, a USB-C port with DisplayPort Alt Mode and up to 96W of charging, three USB-A ports, and a DisplayPort output for a second monitor [src9, src10, src11]. What you give up: there is no Thunderbolt and no KVM switch, the panel runs at 60Hz with a slow response time and low contrast, and it is dimmer — PCWorld measured 366 nits [src1, src9, src10].

Best Budget: BenQ GW2786TC — Check price

PCWorld’s best budget USB-C monitor [src2]. It does what a hub monitor should at a budget price: one USB-C cable carries video, data and up to 65W of charging, two USB-A ports hang off it, and a DisplayPort output daisy-chains a second screen [src12]. It adds a 100Hz refresh rate, speakers, a noise-cancelling microphone, an ambient light sensor, and a stand with height, tilt, swivel and portrait rotation [src12, src13]; Creative Bloq scored it 8.5 out of 10 for its ergonomics and eye-care features [src13]. The trade-off is resolution: 1080p across 27 inches is about 82 PPI, so small text looks soft, colour performance is mid-pack, and there is no adaptive sync [src12]. Daisy-chaining works from a Windows PC; Creative Bloq notes that a Mac needs a Thunderbolt dock for a second screen [src13]. The listing this card links is the white colourway.

Best 32-Inch: Dell UltraSharp U3225QE — Check price

PCWorld’s best USB-C monitor overall — “an easy recommendation if you want a flagship office and productivity monitor” — and RTINGS’s suggestion if you want something bigger than the U2725QE and don’t mind spending more [src1, src2, src6]. It is the same design at 31.5 inches: 4K at 120Hz on an IPS Black panel, Thunderbolt 4 with up to 140W of charging, 2.5GbE Ethernet, a KVM switch, and a pop-out hub on the lower-left bezel with two USB-C ports and a USB-A port [src6, src8]. RTINGS found it very accurate even before calibration, with the same blurry fast motion as the 27-inch [src7]. 4K across 31.5 inches is 140 PPI against 163 PPI on the 27-inch, so it gives you more room rather than sharper text [src5, src8].

Best Lower-Priced 4K: Dell S2725QC — Check price

RTINGS’s lower mid-range USB-C pick, which it says “offers good value as a lower-end and cheaper alternative” to the ASUS [src1]. It is a 27-inch 4K IPS panel at 120Hz — twice the ASUS’s refresh rate — with an accurate sRGB mode, low input lag, built-in speakers and HDMI 2.1 for consoles [src14, src16]. The hub is smaller: one USB-C upstream port with DisplayPort Alt Mode and 65W of charging, then one USB-C and two USB-A ports downstream, all at 5Gbps, with no DisplayPort output, no Ethernet and no KVM switch [src1, src16]. RTINGS warns that 65W may not keep a power-hungry laptop charged under load, found motion blurry and contrast low, and noted the screen wobbles on its stand [src1, src14]. Impulse Gamer’s hands-on review praised its colours and sharpness [src15].

Budget Step-Up to 1440p: Dell S2725DC — Check price

RTINGS’s best budget USB-C monitor, and the monitor TechRadar called “a perfect budget business monitor for every kind of office” in a five-star Editor’s Choice review [src1, src18]. It trades the BenQ’s 1080p for a sharper 27-inch 1440p IPS panel at 144Hz, with a USB-C port that carries DisplayPort Alt Mode and 65W of charging, plus one USB-C and two USB-A ports downstream [src17, src19]. RTINGS found it bright enough for most well-lit rooms with good out-of-the-box accuracy, but it has no HDR, no dedicated sRGB mode and a low contrast ratio [src17]. Unlike the BenQ it has no DisplayPort output for daisy-chaining a second monitor [src19].

Best QHD Thunderbolt Hub: Dell UltraSharp U2724DE — Check price

Pick it for a full Thunderbolt dock at 1440p rather than 4K. The U2724DE pairs a 27-inch QHD IPS Black panel at 120Hz, rated at 2000:1 contrast, with Thunderbolt 4 and 90W of charging, a downstream Thunderbolt 4 port, a 10Gbps USB-C port, four 10Gbps USB-A ports, 2.5GbE Ethernet and a KVM switch [src20, src21, src22]. PCWorld praised its “staggering selection of connectivity” alongside solid image quality [src20], and TechRadar gave it an Editor’s Choice as “a phenomenal 27-inch monitor” [src21]. Against the U2725QE it charges at 90W instead of 140W, and 1440p text is less crisp than 4K [src5, src22].

Best for Video Conferencing: HP E27m G4 — Check price

Buy it for the conferencing hardware, not the panel. HP builds in a pop-up, tilt-adjustable 5MP webcam, dual microphones and front-firing speakers, and the monitor is Zoom-certified [src23, src25]. One USB-C cable carries video, data and up to 65W of charging, with four USB-A ports and Gigabit Ethernet on the monitor; the QHD IPS panel runs at up to 75Hz [src25]. MonitorNerds measured good out-of-the-box colour — 99% sRGB and an average Delta E of 1.87 [src23]. Laptop Mag was cooler, finding the webcam, microphones and speakers worse than good standalone peripherals, so it recommends the HP only to people who do not already own them [src24].

Key Market Trends (2026)

• Thunderbolt 4 with up to 140W is the premium standard: both 4K UltraSharp hub monitors, the U2725QE and U3225QE, charge a laptop at up to 140W over Thunderbolt 4. [src5, src6]
• Thunderbolt 5 is arriving: RTINGS lists the Apple Studio Display 2026 as a Thunderbolt 5 alternative to the U2725QE, with a smaller hub and a higher price. [src1]
• 120Hz is moving down the range: the Dell S2725QC runs 4K at 120Hz and the S2725DC runs 1440p at 144Hz, both with 65W USB-C. [src16, src19]
• IPS Black sets the contrast bar: the U2725QE’s panel is rated at 3000:1 and the U2724DE’s at 2000:1, while RTINGS measured low contrast on the ASUS ProArt PA279CRV and the Dell S2725QC. [src5, src9, src14, src22]
• 2.5GbE Ethernet on the UltraSharp hubs: the U2725QE, U3225QE and U2724DE all have a 2.5GbE port. [src5, src8, src22]

Important Caveats

• Prices in this category change often. The verified-picks table at the top of this page shows the latest checked price, stock and seller for each monitor; treat any other figure as a starting point.
• USB-C Power Delivery wattage is a maximum: actual delivery depends on negotiation with the connected device, and a 140W monitor will not damage a 65W laptop.
• 65W is enough for most thin-and-light laptops, but RTINGS warns it may not keep a power-hungry laptop fully charged while in use; for those, the 140W Thunderbolt 4 UltraSharps are the picks here. [src1]
• Thunderbolt 4 features (40Gbps bandwidth, 140W EPR) require a Thunderbolt-capable port on your laptop. Connecting over standard USB-C Alt Mode works for video and charging, but limits hub bandwidth and may reduce power delivery.
• The hub can quietly downshift at high resolutions. Over plain USB-C DisplayPort Alt Mode, driving 4K at 120Hz uses the lanes the hub would otherwise use for data, which can drop downstream USB to USB 2.0 speeds; keeping full 4K120 and 10Gbps hub throughput requires a Thunderbolt 4 host. Downstream ports also differ in speed — 5Gbps on the Dell S-series and BenQ, 10Gbps on the UltraSharps — so check if you connect external drives. [src5, src8, src12, src16, src19, src22]
• Check the model letter. Dell’s S2725QS sits below the S2725QC with fewer features, so make sure the listing you buy says S2725QC. [src14]
• macOS and Windows handle USB-C monitors differently — some KVM, hub and HDR features may not work identically across operating systems.